8 Ways to Drastically Cut Monthly Expenses
Living paycheck to paycheck is a drag.
How many times have you told a friend: “I can’t until payday.”
Life doesn’t have to be this way. When you spend less than you earn, you have money to save.
This lets you build a safety net so you no longer live paycheck to paycheck.
Become the master of your financial domain when you follow these hacks to drastically cut expenses.
1. Get Rid of Hidden Grey Charges
Grey charges are fees you pay unknowingly (forgotten subscriptions is a grey charge) and can cost $200-$300 a month [source].
A common grey charge hits your account after you enroll in a free trial and don’t cancel on time.
Individually, these grey charges don’t cost much which is how they slip into your bank or credit card statements without you noticing.
Scrutinize your bank and credit card statements each month to uncover these “grey charges.”
Trim: The Grey Charge Exterminator
Trim’s premium service will negotiate lower rates on your cell, internet, and cable bills, or it can cancel your subscriptions all together.
Trim wants to help you trim your expenses.
Your spending accounts will be analyzed to create a custom dashboard for your money, and you will begin to make logical money decisions.
Trim helps you grow your wealth.
Please note that Trim takes their payment immediately.
For example, if Trim saves you $10/month, they will request their 33% fee ($40) right away.
But you keep 100% of the savings after that.
Trim has saved its users $40 million.
Sign up for Trim to never lose money on grey charges again.
Copy these easy habits of women who never overspend!
2. Reduce Expenses with a Cash-Back Credit Card
Credit card users happily earn hundreds of dollars (sometimes $1,000+) every year in free cash.
All it takes is finding a rewards card and paying off the balance each month.
One business owner uses his card to buy equipment for his company and earns $6,000 back annually [source].
Credit Land has reviewed the top-earning rewards cards for us average consumers.
They explain the benefits in plain English to help you find the card perfect for you.
You might like the card that pays you 2% cash back: 1% cash back at the time of purchase, and then another 1% back when you pay the credit card bill.
What if the 2% cash back rewards card was your main payment card.
You’d probably spend at least $20,000/year with your card. That’s $400/year in free cash back rewards.
Head over to Credit Land to find a credit card that complements your spending and start earning cash-back rewards.
Stack Your Cash Back with this Hack
Kick those cash back rewards into high gear gear with the Dosh App.
Dosh, the ultimate lazy cash-back app, makes earning more cash back with your credit card a breeze.
Simply link your payment card to the app, shop at Dosh partnered stores, and you’re done.
You will multiply your cash back earning: you’ll earn cash back on your credit card, AND you’ll earn cash back through the Dosh app for swiping your card at Dosh partnered locations.
Download the free Dosh app, grab a $1 welcome bonus (you get $1 just for linking your card to the app), and Dosh will do the rest.
These simple money saving tips will help you thrive on a low income!
3. Pay 5X Less For Meals
When you eat at a restaurant, you pay for more than just food:
You pay the server, the cook, the manager, the hostess, the building lease, the insurance, and corporate infrastructure.
Why do you think a cup of coffee at Starbucks costs $5 in store, but only 30 cents a cup when you buy a bag of beans at the grocery store.
You pay 5X for a meal in a restaurant versus cooking that meal at home.
Explore the fun of cooking at home by choosing healthier ingredients (check out our re-envisioning traditional corned beef hash).
Cooking at home will save you serious bucks.
Save More When You Cook at Home with the No. 1 Grocery App
The Ibotta App is a grocery store cash-back machine; no wonder it is the go-to app for food shopping.
The free app is stocked with incredible cash-back deals from brands you love.
Select the deals you want; shop at an affiliated grocery store; earn points; and redeem them for cash.
Link your store loyalty card for greater savings.
Want to hear even more ways Ibotta can save you money? Check out our Ibotta explainer video, here!
Download the free Ibotta app (+ grab a $20 welcome bonus), snap a pic of your receipt, and get free cash.
- Related: 15 Tips to Save Money On Groceries
✅ These are best tips to live on next to no money (to save money fast)
4. Lower Your Interest Payments
Stop taking on more debt!
Debt isn’t free. It costs money (your interest payment).
The more debt you have, the higher your interest payment.
Likewise: the less debt you have, the lower your interest payment.
So don’t keep paying the minimum payment if you can help it.
If you want to stop throwing away money on interest payments, buckle down on your debt.
You will lose less money to interest with every payment.
How to Pay 0% Interest
A balance transfer credit card will give you a respite from your interest payments.
You will pay 0% interest–zip, zilch, nada interest– for 12 to 18 months (actual interest rate depends on your credit history).
0% interest is an opportunity to aggressively tackle your debt because is eliminates your monthly interest expense. 12 months of zero interest could be what you need to become debt free.
Spend some time over at Credit Land to find the perfect balance transfer card for you.
Go for 0% interest!
Are you doing any of these bad habits without realizing it?
5. Paper Towels = Throwing Money Away
Paper towels are a convenient way to wipe up spills in the kitchen and wipe our faces.
But, convenience always comes at a price.
Go with cloth towels or multi-use towels to stretch your dollar.
Hang them on your oven door handle and by the sink to keep from using paper towels.
Cloth towels are good for the wallet and the environment.
Free Workshop – Join our free Simplify Money Workshop
The *only* way to save money is to spend less than you earn. That means you need to decrease your expenses or increase your income.
We want to help you do both.
Join our FREE Simplify Money Workshop to learn the fundamentals of growing wealth. Because when you can spend less than you earn, your money has no choice but to grow. You will build your savings and pay down debt.
What’s more? We’ve got a bunch of free money-hacks to share with you:
- Hacks to lower your monthly bills
- Hacks to spend less on debt
- Hacks to start investing
- Hacks to increase your income by $20/month (with no extra effort)
This workshop has everything you need to accomplish the cardinal rule of personal finance: keep your income over your expenses.
Join our free 5-day Simplify Money Workshop, and start growing your wealth today.
Use these cheap living tips to help you succeed!
6. Get Cash Back on Gas
We have all felt the pain at the pump with the high gas prices. Whenever you fill your tank, it takes more money today than just a year ago. It feels like you are throwing your money away.
But, it doesn’t have to be that way.
You can do something about it right now. Just download the Upside app (formerly GetUpside) and earn cash-back rewards at gas pumps, grocery stores, and appetizing restaurants.
After you install the Upside app, look for cash-back deals and exclusive offers from gas stations, grocers, and restaurants. The Upside app works at 45,000 locations across the United States. Unlike other cash-back apps, this one works at physical locations only.
When you are ready to get cash back, all it takes is a few taps. Open the app, check offers near you and claim your discount. Visit the establishment and after you finish paying with a linked debit or credit card, check in on the app and wait for the rewards.
You can get paid via PayPal, bank account, or gift card. Ready to start earning cash back at nearby stores? Install the Upside app and use the promo code AFF20 to grab a 20 cents-per-gallon sign-up bonus. Did we mention Upside is free?
Easy money saving hacks to lower your monthly bills!
7. It Costs Less to be Healthy
“Let food be your medicine, and let your medicine be your food.”
The quote, attributed to Hippocrates, demonstrates the link between diet and overall health.
Whether it’s a proper diet, brushing and flossing your teeth, drinking water, and getting exercise, they all help you lead a healthier life.
When you embrace a healthy lifestyle, you will avoid future medical and dental expenses.
HealthyWage: Dieting for Dollars
The Mayo Clinic discovered people with a financial incentive are more likely to lose weight [source].
HealthyWage will provide you with a financial prize if you commit to losing weight and reach your goal.
You agree to “bet” money each month that you will lose weight (your choice, but at least 10% of your body weight) over a defined period of time (also your choice).
If you lose the weight by the date you chose, then you will receive a prize.
Several studies have shown a financial incentive aids weight loss [source].
Bet on yourself!
Finally lose the weight by making a healthy wager over at HealthyWage.com.
Check out a few HealthyWage success stories featured on the Today Show.
Make your ‘HealthyWage’ weight loss bet today and increase your weight loss success!
- Related: 25 Cheap Keto Diet Recipes
Click here if you are ready to create your budget and stick with it!
8. Don’t Free Feed Your Dog (Save on Food and Future Vet Bills)
Free feeding is when you leave food out all day for your dog to eat.
This style of feeding leads to higher rates of dog food spoilage, it can make your dog a picky eater, and it can lead to your dog carrying more weight than he should.
Throwing away dog food gone bad and unnecessary trips to the vet due to obesity have negative consequences on your budget.
Feed your dog twice a day (puppies might need three meals); PetMD recommends ⅓ cup of food for every 10 pounds of body weight [source], but always consult with your veterinarian.
Always have fresh water available.
You Can Save Money When You Have Your Dog Food Shipped Automatically
Save money on dog food with Amazon’s Subscribe & Save.
It’s a convenient way to buy essential products you use.
Choose your products, and select when you want them (from every month to every six months), and you will save up to 15% on your entire S&S order.
By now, you know to use your cash back credit card with all Amazon purchases.
Try these hacks for saving money for one income families
9. Call Your Internet Service Provider to Negotiate a Lower Internet Bill
Who knows the price of anything anymore.
You pay one price for your internet service, your neighbor may be paying less with the same ISP.
The reality is people pay different rates for the same exact service. It’s kind of scammy.
Want to lower your internet bill?
You can call up your provider and ask for a better rate.
But they’ll probably say no.
You have to negotiate.
You could try telling them to cancel your service because you are going with another company.
See how fast they get you a better price.
Let Trim Negotiate Lower Bills and Save You the Aggravation
Trim is a powerful financial assistant, AND it specializes in negotiating lower internet bills for you.
Trim analyzes your internet, cable and cell phone bills to see if you are paying more than the average for your area.
With just a click, Trim will send a message for you seeking a better rate — saving you the hassle of haggling with a CSR.
You pay nothing if Trim can’t lower your bill, or you’ll pay a percentage of savings it negotiates.
But, if you sign up for the premium service, it’s included at no extra charge.
Trim lowers bills for its users by an average of $250 a year.
Sign up and see how much Trim can cut for you.
Follow these habits of successful women to save money fast!
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Resources In The Image Above:
1 – Simple Tips to Live on Nothing and Save Money
2 – Daily Habits of Wealthy Women to Follow
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About the author Bobby Warren
Bobby Warren is a former award-winning journalist who founded Wooster Media Group LLC, an SEO/content creation company. He lives in Northeast Ohio with his wife, Wendi, and their pets.
