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To find out more about how to make ends meet in times of cost of living crisis, as well as practical tips to save money from a finance expert, Bored Panda reached out to James Andrews, personal finance and savings expert at Money.co.uk who happily shared some insights.

“You can see the signs of a cost of living crisis through rising bills - the latest inflation figures show households are paying 88.9% more for their electricity, gas, and other fuels than they were a year ago. Meanwhile, food prices have risen for 15 months in a row, and are now 16.4% higher than last year,” he said.

#2

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Always eat before going food shopping

Trackull , Jack Sparrow Report

Final score:

221points

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Mohsie Supposie 2 years ago

True that! Being hungry makes you want to buy all sorts that will most likely end up in the bin or permanently on your waistline!

32points

#3

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By When at the grocery, look at the price/oz or whatever unit it is instead of the total price. It's usually posted in one corner. It's not going to save you tons of money, but it does add up. Plus it takes out the guess work when comparing similar items.

Richards_Brother , Nothing Ahead Report

Final score:

221points

POST

lenka 2 years ago

This is really valuable advice and should be higher - especially for products like meat and cheese. You can often buy a greater portion for the same ticket price when you compare per 100g price rather than than the packet price.

56points

#4

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By I don't smoke but live my financial life as a smoker. Meaning every Monday I transfer the sum of one weeks worth of cigarettes to my savings account. If people that earn less than me can afford smoking, so can I.

kebabhue , lil artsy Report

Final score:

216points

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Mushypea 2 years ago

Back when I was a student, after I quit smoking, I kept putting cigarette money aside. Very soon I had enough to take my boyfriend on a romantic trip to another city. Seeing the money accumulate definitely helped me quit!

87points

On top of that, “rate rises by the Bank of England mean the UK base rate is an astonishing 30 times higher than it was a year ago, adding thousands of pounds to the repayment costs of anyone on a variable rate mortgage or exiting a fixed rate mortgage,” Andrews added.

Andrews argues that while some of these price rises will take a while to filter through to everyone, many households are already struggling. “Figures from the Money and Pensions Service last week show more than 11 million people sought out money help in the past three months alone - with Brits asking energy providers and banks for extra support as well as hunting for free debt advice.”

#5

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Don’t buy something that you normally wouldn’t buy just because you have a coupon.

Rwill113 , Carol Pyles Report

Final score:

198points

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karl briggs 2 years ago

Your not saving x amount, your spending x amount on something don't need.

39points

#6

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Get yourself a library card. It's not just books, but also movies, workshops, education, software, computer time, music. I've probably saved thousands on all sorts of c**p.

If it weren't for the library, I probably wouldn't have been introduced to awesome books like American Gods, The Way of Kings, All Systems Down, or The Road.

anon , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:

171points

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Rumina Io 2 years ago

Thanks to government cuts, 900 libraries in Britain have closed in the past 10 years, and many more have strongly reduced hours to the point where they are inaccessible to anyone who works during the day. It's a tragedy. Cherish your library. Use it if you can. We need to show there is demand for them. I love to take out graphic novels from my local one, as they're so expensive to buy and I read them way too quickly.

55points

Gigglefruit358 , Karolina Grabowska Report

#7

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By I have a friend who, at the end of each pay period, moves whatever she has in checking into savings. It doesn't matter if she's got $5 or $50 in the account, it goes into savings the night before payday.

Final score:

164points

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Mohsie Supposie 2 years ago

Force yourself to live within your means.

49points

joo_ish , Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas Report

Although saving money when prices are soaring can feel daunting, Andrews says that the best way to address this is to try and save a little each month.

“This small saving will then build up and really help in times of need. If you have money leftover at the end of the month, move the money into a savings account the day before payday,” the finance expert suggested. Andrews added that setting a reminder in your calendar to check this will help you to remember to act.

“The top-paying instant access accounts are currently offering more than 2% interest, so any money you have that’s earning less than that should be moved,” Andrews explained.

#8

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By learn to cook! 4 or 5 reliably delicious recipes will go a loooooong way.

Final score:

159points

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karl briggs 2 years ago

And it's fun.

27points

#9

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By If you can avoid it, never take out a payday loan.

Creative_Uzername , Tony Webster Report

Final score:

153points

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karl briggs 2 years ago

I've seen the adverts on TV , and often the interest is something crazy like 1000% . They should be banned.

70points

#10

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Buy secondhand!

Today I have secured myself a solid pine desk for my daughters room, no marks or damage, for £10, and a worn-once, three piece navy suit for my son to wear at our wedding next year, also for £10.

I buy maybe 80% of my stuff secondhand. I bide my time, wait for a bargain, and I have saved sooooo much money over the years.

BeccaaCat , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:

146points

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Alexia 2 years ago (edited)

Uh. This one is not for me. It's related to my teenage period when my family struggled with poverty. All clothes I had were second-hand, and they all had a persistent, unpleasant smell of disinfectant that wouldn't come off no matter how much I'd wash them. And this was a constant reason for bullying at school.

36points

Many people find it daunting to drastically change their spending habits, and they may feel at a loss of where to start. Andrews argues that a great start is to take a look at your current position and find out how much you’re spending every month.

“The first thing to do is to lower your bills. If you have any debts, you could also pay less interest by moving to a cheaper loan or even a 0% credit card, as it makes no sense to pay banks more than you need to,” he said.

#11

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Making one extra payment on your mortgage per year will reduce a 30 year mortgage to roughly 17 years.

-thersites- , Ketut Subiyanto Report

Final score:

139points

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citcat 2 years ago

The math ain't mathing

63points

#12

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Only drinking water is a solid one. Soda at restaurants or other drinks add up a lot.

Kings-x-Dynasty , behrouz sasani Report

Final score:

129points

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Mohsie Supposie 2 years ago

In some places, bottled water is just as expensive, if not more expensive than a soda!

51points

#13

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By If you can buy a tool to complete a repair for the same price as the repair itself, buy the tool and repair it for free next time.

-thersites- , Bidvine Report

Final score:

123points

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kitten levels tokyo 2 years ago

Tools = good.

45points

Another tip from Andrews is to look to see if you could switch to a cheaper mobile, broadband and TV package too. “If you’re out of contract, that should be a cinch, but even people within a deal can sometimes save if they ring up and ask.”

You may also want to take a look at your subscriptions - “are you still getting full value from them or are there any you could cut, pause or reduce if you’re feeling the pinch?”

Never underestimate the power of simply taking a good look at your bank statement, as it will clearly show where else you’re spending money, like takeaway coffees and taxi journeys, Andrews said. “Once you have this information, you can start to change your spending habits and reduce costs wherever possible,” he concluded.

#14

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By When buying online, leave items in the shopping cart for awhile. There is a good chance that the website is tracking this, and will lower the price overtime to entice you into buying.

I've saved a lot by being patient. Like when I got a surround sound amp for $350 that was listed everywhere for $450 to $500, just by leaving it in the online shopping cart for a week.

Whatmeworry4 , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:

117points

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Monday 2 years ago

That doesn't work here in South Africa. Prices are fixed and unless there's some big seasonal discount that amp is staying at $450 if even if you leave it in your cart for months.

30points

#15

Make your own lunches for work. The cost of making/preparing your lunch for the week can be less than what you pay buying one days lunch.

Also, can provide health benefits.

imissmydogloads Report

Final score:

102points

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Russell Tilling 2 years ago

Packet of noodles with flavouring:- 55p Portion of frozen mixed veg:- 20p Hot water from a kettle plus 3 minutes in the microwave:- 10p Tasty, healthy lunch for 85p!

8points

#16

If you're low income, **apply for foodstamps** (or whatever your city/state calls the equivalent).

Seriously, there's no shame in it. I neglected to apply for several years when I was really struggling because I had to unlearn the stigma that they had when I was growing up. Times have changed. ***If you need help, don't be afraid or embarrassed to ask for it.*** I qualify for the maximum amount where I live. It doesn't cover my monthly food expenses but it gets me through a few weeks and I could make it stretch if I really needed to. It never hurts to apply.

BabaYagatron Report

Final score:

96points

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Lynne Hammar 2 years ago

Very smart. Most states now use a debit-style card, which limits shame at the register.

39points

#17

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Don't buy the cheapest option. Often the middle priced option will be the best value. Things that are too cheap are worth what you paid for them.

-thersites- , Sue Thompson Report

Final score:

95points

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Ace 2 years ago

Gross over-generalisation, may have a grain of truth for some specific types of products, but should not be taken as a general rule.

40points

#18

Don't drink. Alcohol is a money drain.

kryptonianjackie Report

Final score:

93points

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ADJ 2 years ago

And it is bad for your health... so you save even more costs and troubles in the future.

26points

#19

This is not mine, but 'The 72 hour rule" is pretty damn helpful.

Basically, the gist of it is, if you want something that is not a necessity, instead of buying it immediately, add it to a list (in my case I use a spreadsheet, but whatever works), then wait 72 hours.

If after 72 hours, you still want it, then you can buy it. It seems that 80-90% of the time, after the 72 hours is up, I don't end up buying the item I thought i wanted.

The reason I like doing it with a spreadsheet is, I can then at the end of the year, easily add it up, and see how much money I DIDN'T impulsively spend.

EDIT: It took me a while, but I remembered where I picked this idea up from. It initially came into my world from listening to the ChooseFi podcast interview with the Frugalwoods.
Here's the podcast: https://www.choosefi.com/012-living-frugal/
and here is her original article on it:https://www.frugalwoods.com/2017/01/09/my-foolproof-method-to-stop-impulse-spending/

Icarus_Jones Report

Final score:

89points

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Rumina Io 2 years ago

Adding to basket gives you an endorphin hit. So add to basket and then close the site, and check back in 3 days.

50points

#20

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By I try to cost things as portions of better, or more fulfilling things i.e.

A coffee is 1/10 of a new game. Ten meals out is a weekend away etc.

_mexicola , Karolina Grabowska Report

Final score:

88points

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indiecognition 2 years ago

And 200 bananas is a whole bunch

93points

#21

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By I don't spend $1 bills. I collect them in a box and at the end of the year I usually have a few hundred dollars

RusoArmo , Pixabay Report

Final score:

86points

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Aileen Grist 2 years ago

I collect £2 coins. Then the grandkids get them

28points

#22

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Acting broke. Trust me. Nothing helps you save more than acting broke. And there is a way to do that without becoming a mooch. Eat at home if your friends have a dinner plan at an expensive place. Pregame if you're going clubbing. And if anyone asks you why aren't you eating/drinking/coming for that vacation just say you're broke. I learnt this the hard way. Because I remember becoming a recluse and slowly stopped socializing just because my friends always had these extravagant and expensive plans and I realized it really started weighing down on me. But eventually I learnt that there was no shame in wanting to save money/being broke and definitely none in saying so.

TheQr8r , Nicola Barts Report

Final score:

85points

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lenka 2 years ago

And if you tell your friends you are broke (and they are true friends) they will adjust their plans accordingly to something more affordable so that you can spend time together without spending huge amounts of money. i.e. pizza night at home instead of expensive restaurant.

64points

moongardenne , Polina TankilevitchPolina TankilevitchPolina TankilevitchPolina TankilevitchPolina TankilevitchPolina TankilevitchPolina TankilevitchPolina Tankilevitch Report

#23

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Try buying reusable objects in place of single use ones. It's better for your wallet and environment. Steel water bottles, reusable K cups, dish towels instead of paper towels, etc. Over time the costs of little things really add up.

Final score:

82points

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Sonja 2 years ago

Found that out when I bought a diva-cup. Hell those monthly products are expensive! You're not aware until you stop buying them.

41points

#24

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Learn how to login to your online banking system and review your statement regularly. You'll see how quickly money flows out for coffee...snacks.... and unnecessary purchase. Also set a budget and STICK TO IT.

AwkwardTraveler , Antoni Shkraba Report

Final score:

81points

POST

El Dee 2 years ago

This is the advice that you shouldn't buy Starbucks etc and maybe you'll be able to afford a mortgage..

18points

danmartinofanaheim Report

#25

Dollar store bleach. Dollar store vinegar. Dollar store cleaning products. Dollar store air freshener.

Final score:

79points

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Daria 2 years ago

Yes to all. Also hand soap, bin liners, dish sponges, toothpicks, and many more.

28points

danmartinofanaheim , Sharon Mollerus Report

#26

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Look at store branded food items. Do you really think Safeway, Kroger, Dollar General, Costco, and Walmart all have independent tuna canning facilities? NO! They're sourcing the product from of of the big 3 (or however many) facilities that supply the name brand. This goes for the majority of store branded items. Make it a game to find out who has what national name product as their store brand product.

Final score:

73points

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Russell Rieckenberg 2 years ago

Having worked in several food factories I know that just because a name brand manufacturer makes store branded items does not necessarily mean it is the same quality. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't.

55points

#27

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Drive slower. You will see an immediate increase in mpg. Your brakes will last longer. Your tires will last longer. You will immediately be at a reduced risk for an expensive accident. Your engine will be able to go further before needing expensive repairs.

DentedAnvil , Dids Report

Final score:

73points

POST

Jan Rosier 2 years ago

Highway speed limit in Belgium is 120 kmph. Driving slower than 70 kmph is illegal. I seldomly go over 110, keep to 100 most of the time and keep to the right lane. More relaxed drive, bank account more relaxed as well.

17points

#28

If you have any land whatsoever and you aren't growing at least some your own food, plant a fruit tree, etc, you are really missing out.

We got 20ish raspberry canes at an end of season auction last year for $1 each. They saved me at least $200 in the first year alone, and they are spreading nicely, filling out the space I planted them in.

I was pulling in 100 tomatoes every day at one point this summer. My freezer is full of free soups, and bags and bags of frozen tomatoes. I saved seed (heirlooms) and from here on out, I get free tomato plants forever.

If you mulch them heavy with woodchips, they are almost no work. You can make your own compost really easy. It's all a lot less work than you think, and totally free money.

Plus, FRESH raspberries, tomatoes, peaches, strawberries, they are LIFECHANGING. The s**t in the store is hollow tasteless garbage.

This year alone, I bet I saved at least $2k from food I grew, with zero inputs other than a few hours to drop some compost down, plant, mulch, then pick now and then.

Suuperdad Report

Final score:

62points

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MarcyParlomerNerdGirlsRock 2 years ago

Strawberry seeds are life changing… and the avocado tree my mum planted with an avocado core herself when she was a kid

23points

#29

Stop buying snacks. Quit soda and the like.

cgriboe Report

Final score:

60points

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Bob La Capra 2 years ago

I stop buying snacks and soda 2-3 times a week.

13points

#30

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Learning how to cook pasta, rice and beans, soups, stews, polenta, grits, etc, really anything that costs very little and can feed a huge family. You save insane amounts of money, even if you are frugal in terms of buying cheaper things from stores (e.g. $5 sandwhich). For that same $5 you can make pasta with butter, cheese, and peas for the whole family. Or make beef stew with barley (chuck roast is really cheap and delicious in a stew).

Bince82 , Jess Ho Report

Final score:

59points

POST

MarcyParlomerNerdGirlsRock 2 years ago (edited)

Yup… I love potato mash with vegetables. It’s cheap and easy to make and it’s so filling it gets you through the day

16points

#31

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Live below your means

turtle101z , Ron Lach Report

Final score:

54points

POST

lenka 2 years ago

real helpful....

42points

#32

Separate s**t out. Use multiple bank accounts.

Use one for "b******t money", Use one for rent/mortgage/wtfever, Use one for recurring bills (gas, car payment, insurance, bills, etc).

You know one easy way to not accidentally blow your rent money on dumb s**t? Keep it separate from your "go party with jeff on a friday night" money.

Final score:

54points

POST

Monday 2 years ago

You do have to weigh this with bank fees and reduced interest though.

37points

#33

Rice is really cheap and can be really tasty. Have a side of rice with a lot of homemade meals to really round it out with basically no cost, same with some simple sauteed veggies. Very low cost, quite healthy and tasty.

cryptoz Report

Final score:

54points

POST

Vinita Talaulikar 2 years ago

Indians staple diet is rice, widely consumed by many. We have it with Dals or Curries, ground and fermented into Idlis or Dosas. Rice is cooked into Khichdi, Pulavs and Biryanis adding Veggies or Chicken, fish or Mutton to it. Some have it daily twice or thrice in their meals. Rice can be used to prepare numerous dishes, sweet or savoury, spicy or bland.

25points

#34

-Most people wash their hair way too often, and the scalp responds by increasing sebum production, leading to a cycle of "I have to wash my hair every day or it'll be greasy". Slowly cut back and/or investigate alternative haircare methods - conditioner-only washing, no-pooing, etc. Shampoo and conditioner are expensive.

-If you garden, find other friends who garden and swap seeds, seedlings, rarely-used tools (postholers, mulchers etc), cuttings and expertise. Same goes for any other hobby really. A weird size of knitting needle for a one-off project? A cement trowel? A novelty baking pan? Someone you know probably has it. I'm not saying be a niche - definitely reciprocate - but it's ridiculous for ten friends to own ten sets of stuff they rarely use.

-I get basically all my books from two annual book fairs run by charities. A dollar or two apiece. Libraries are obviously even more frugal, but if you want to keep books, this is the way to go. If you want a new book and can't borrow it, Kindle is generally cheaper than a physical copy.

-In the winter, never throw out a roast chicken carcass. Chuck it in the slow cooker with water, a bit of salt, and if you're really onto it, onion and carrot ends you've saved in a Ziploc bag in the freezer from chopping veggies. Leave it overnight for stock, which is not only great as a soup base, but makes rice taste amazing. Liquid gold.

-Op shops in rich neighborhoods have fancy clothes.

-Coconut oil is a good cheap moisturiser, hair oil, deodorant when mixed with baking soda, shaving lotion, oil cleanser...

-Buy or make small Christmas stockings, not those huge Santa sack monstrosities. Train your kids that stockings are for edible treats, not gifts. Fill them with yummy things -pretzels, mini-packs of snacks and chips, candy, whatever. If your kids are smallish and don't eat a ton of treats they'll still be super excited, and now you don't have a trillion plastic junky toys cluttering up your house.

-Buy one Christmas present a month (ideally something on sale) and store then up.

-Mystery shopping is a good way to get a bit of cash and luxuries you wouldn't otherwise be able to afford.

-Buy good shoes and get them resoled when they wear out. I've worn the same pair of fancy Italian boots for what, ten years? Had the zippers fixed twice and the soles redone twice. Even if it didn't save money it'd be worth avoiding the hell of shoe shopping. And my boots get compliments, so yay. :p

PuddleOfHamster Report

Final score:

52points

POST

Slim Bluesbender 2 years ago

Repairing quality shoes also keeps plastics out of landfills.

38points

Trenuk13 , Stephen Phillips - Hostreviews.co.uk Report

#35

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Easy one- Buy your own modem. You can get a good one from Amazon for $100. Internet companies charge you $10-$12 a month to rent yours. Buy your own, return the rented one to internet company, and get that charge removed from your bill. Pays for itself in under a year.

Final score:

43points

POST

Jihana 2 years ago

TIL that in the US the ISP charges money for the modem. In my country you get one when you sign the contract. It's not yours per se, you have to return it when you cancel, but you are definitely not charged for it.

35points

#36

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By If you are getting married, send out wedding invitations to every billionaires address you can find. You have a 50/50 chance that their assistants will just send you a perfunctory gift without ever wondering who the hell you are. Free gifts!

meafloaf , micheile dot com Report

Final score:

42points

POST

Rachel Grig 2 years ago

This is a no for me. It's not a "save money" hack, but a dishonest move.

82points

#37

Don’t use your main checking account for non-essentials. Give yourself a cash allowance each week, set it to whatever you find comfortable, and only spend that. Once it’s gone, it’s gone, and you have to wait until next week. It really helps with budgeting - you know exactly how much you’re spending on nonessentials, and you don’t need to track every penny.

Final score:

42points

POST

Hey! 2 years ago

We do that too and it's easier when we get cash instead of using our cards. Once it's gone, it's gone, but sometimes we switch (he gives me some I give him some) depending on the month. We budget by month though, not by week.

8points

#38

Just don't spend on items you don't NEED...

Little items for 10 bucks here and there add up.

Even as less as a dollar adds up in the end.

TheBigDawgRoman Report

Final score:

37points

POST

Rammel Nicks 2 years ago

Once walked by a couple in a Target store arguing about the woman wanting a cute mug because it was only $5. Man said "They're all $5. Next thing you know, we have 50 things because they were all $5!" As I passed them, I yelled "He's right!" And that seemed to break the tension. They just laughed probably realizing that someone was listening in on their dumb argument.

7points

#39

Get a hobby that doesn't take a lot of money, like volunteering, or doing knitting.

Final7C Report

Final score:

31points

POST

lenka 2 years ago

Knitting is not a cheap hobby. Wool is very expensive.

117points

#40

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By 10% of your paycheck goes into a savings account and 20% to debts. The remainder stays in your checking account to pay bills and feed/entertain yourself. Be disciplined and stick to the plan. If you can, increase the savings percent. When you have enough savings to fulfill an emergency fund, start investing. Calculate if you can afford things using these constraints, and if you can’t then don’t purchase them. Not exactly a life hack, but this plan will make you wealthy.

Final score:

29points

POST

lenka 2 years ago

This is good advice for those with the disposable income to do it. For many, that 10% is necessary to live.

67points

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#41

Stop buying Starbucks.. you can buy the syrup they use at target for $5 and coffee for another $10 that will last a whole month... that would be 3 trips to Starbucks for that price.

Final score:

18points

POST

Ace 2 years ago

Or just buy some decent coffee instead. And syrup? Has no place in coffee.

17points

#42

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Store brand over-the-counter medications. Allergy meds, pepto bismol, tums, motrin, aleve, tylenol, you name it, there is a store brand equivalent that is guaranteed to be at LEAST 75% cheaper than the name brand. Just look at the ingredients, they are all the same.

Most of them are just Target/CVS/Rite Aid etc. buying time on a name-brand companies manufacturing process to make their own version of the same drug for less.

ArtistSchmartist , Mike Mozart Report

Final score:

17points

POST

ShellsBells 2 years ago

In the US, all generic/store brand OTC medicine is highly regulated through the FDA. It MUST have the same active ingredient(s) at the same dosage. Idk how many times I've explained this to people at the pharmacy.

1point

#43

I'm 26 and I've been living w/ my folks again to get back on my feet.

I've been paying what amounts to rent and utilities into a savings account to see if I can handle the reduction in cash flow. Should have about 10k by Jan, and moving back out.

Inb4 mooching, I pay them monthly as well.

Tobaggo Report

Final score:

16points

POST

harpling 2 years ago

Living with my parents again gave me to motivation to do absolutely anything necessary to move out again.

9points

#44

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By If you're in the US and have children in daycare, you can deduct up to $5000 per year tax free. My wife's company offers a Flexible Spending Account for this, and they don't reimburse until she turns in receipts. She doesn't ever turn in receipts until late November/early December, so every year around Christmas, we get an extra $5k check.

2PhatCC , Ksenia Chernaya Report

Final score:

15points

POST

lenka 2 years ago

I dont think this is really sound advice. You are better off cashing the cheques on time every month and putting the money into a savings account. Why should your employer have the benefit of interest on your savings?

13points

danmartinofanaheim Report

#45

Call around for car insurance. Do it right now. I was with Safeco the last 8 years, and happy I was paying less than in previous years. Just called around again after moving and found out I was paying roughly 2.5x what I should have been. It was like over $1500 more a year. I feel like I've been had.

Final score:

15points

POST

El Dee 2 years ago

'Call'? Everything is online now and there are comparison sites. But PLEASE don't take the cheapest option, they will try and stiff you if you have to claim. Use a company that uses BISL..

6points

#46

Did you just get a raise? Put that amount into savings if you already have it. A couple hundred bucks a month is nice, but you'll probably not notice is week to week.

smokintommybbq Report

Final score:

15points

POST

El Dee 2 years ago

Another good idea. Use it for savings before your lifestyle swallows it. If you're right on the edge it's still a good idea - it will help cover unexpected repairs..

5points

#47

“The 72-Hour Rule”: 40 Surprising Life Hacks To Save Money That People Swear By Live as a minimalist-“getting exactly what you need is not suffering”-The Minimalist Budget

Edit* The Minimalist Budget takes a more expanded view of how to be a minimalist. An example from the book: If collecting action figures makes you happy-then why not allocate 5% of your income to it? Why not 10%? Life is short and finding true happiness can be difficult. Sure you don’t NEED action figures to survive but if they truly bring you joy then by all means allocate resources to fulfill your hobby.

The book takes notice of not only how to be frugal and save money but also how to manage other resources in your life. Some of said resources are possibly more important than just money such as:

• Time
• Spirituality
• Happiness
• Etc.

Craig-Geist , PNW Production Report

Final score:

14points

POST

Daria 2 years ago

Picture on the left is so ugly

3points

#48

Putting rubber liners around your windows and doors will cut your energy bill by a 3rd.

20 bucks at Walmart for my whole house

theCumCatcher Report

Final score:

14points

POST

lenka 2 years ago

I also saw someone putting a reflector behind their heater. Small changes can add up.

7points

#49

If youre buying something, for example, deoderant, if there is a value pack vs a singular packaged one, look at the weights and prices of each, it shouldnt be hard to do the math, and see "oh the single one is $1/oz but the value pack is $1.20/oz" just ran in to this yesterday at the grocery store

Final score:

13points

POST

Jan Rosier 2 years ago

Yup, as I described with the ketchup bottle a bit higher up. They trick you into thinking it is 'cheaper by the dozen' but you need to check the unit-price.

4points

#50

Be so depressed you can't go outside for non-essential activities.

zangor Report

Final score:

11points

POST

Ace 2 years ago

I feel ya, bro.

8points

#51

Usually paychecks are issued every two weeks while bills are monthly. You have to pay bills twelve times a year but you get paid twenty-six times a year, so every year you get two "extra" paychecks. Don't spend that money, use it to pay off debt or put it in the bank.

marmorset Report

Final score:

11points

POST

Lynne Hammar 2 years ago

For years, I used the spring "extra" check for a vacation, and the autumn "extra" check for Christmas.

4points

#52

Pay your savings account immediately, and treat it like a bill. Each cheque $100, $400, $50 whatever you can afford gets put away no matter what.

Educate yourself on finance as well, the best way to save money is to be savvy about it in first place.

PS. The amount that "they" tell you put away (10%) is not nearly enough.

Final score:

11points

POST

The Darkest Timeline 2 years ago

I think the 10% thing is a starting point. And just sticking it in low-yield savings isn’t going to do much, even over a long period of time. But if you can get started and have some seed money, you can learn how to take some calculated risks to grow that money. But you have to start somewhere.

3points

#53

Ebay! Sell your old s**t. You'd be surprised at what others are willing to buy when you may think it's worth nothing.

chromefile1 Report

Final score:

11points

POST

indiecognition 2 years ago

This didn't work, and now my toilet is overflowing

19points

#54

If you can, buy electronics refurbished or lightly used on eBay or Amazon. They'll often be quite a bit cheaper a few months after release maybe with a minor scratch.

Certain things probably aren't worth getting used though, like hard drives and earbuds (eww).

**EDIT:** Also, don't get used graphics card. As been pointed out in the comments, they were often used for crypto mining and are pretty worn out.

kirbyfan64sos Report

Final score:

11points

POST

Hey! 2 years ago

I'm no longer buying refurbished electronics. They don't last and I got fed up.

2points

#55

I haven't seen this in this thread yet, so:

Reduce your constant, monthly expenses as much as you can. Anything that you pay for every single month, see if you can get rid of it, or get a better price on it. Over time, those savings aggregate and really add up.

For example, if you're paying for cable, get rid of it. It costs way too much for what you get and so much entertainment is now available for much cheaper. Or just torrent. This thread is for hacks afterall.

Get a cheaper Internet and cellphone plan.

Monthly subscriptions for services are all the rage now because companies figured out that people will continue paying every month even if they barely use the service. Don't fall for that - unless you use that service a lot to justify paying for it every month, it's probably better to drop it and find a per-use option.

SirChasm Report

Final score:

11points

POST

Lynne Hammar 2 years ago

This is smart. I downloaded all of my recent banking info to Excel and sorted it all out. I cabceled all but a few subscriptions, and now I rotate the rest. ALSO I called Sirius XM to cancel, and they got me from $25+ per month to less than $7.

4points

#56

A more expensive good quality product will save you money on the long run compared to shitty cheaper versions of the product which you might have to replace/fix more often. Of course, higher price does not guarantee higher quality so you have to do your research before purchasing. Sometimes the cheaper option might turn out to be the better product.

poopellar Report

Final score:

11points

POST

Yourname942 2 years ago (edited)

Especially for tools. There's nothing worse than buying a cheap tool you are constantly fighting, than buying a good quality one that lasts forever

3points

#57

Look at your bank statement at the end of the month and see what the recurring things are (monthly payments, regular food place etc...) and just look at how much you are spending on them.

I often get too the tail end of the month and wonder "Where the f**k has all my money gone?" then I look and think, Food and unnecessary payments to stuff I don't need. Makes me want to at least try and cut back.

Kietastrophe Report

Final score:

10points

POST

Monday 2 years ago

Don't people keep track of their spending? I've never needed to look back on a statement to know where the money went.

8points

#58

Me: "Oh I'm always broke! Maybe I'll find some great useful tips here!"

Also me: "Literally all you have to do us stop eating out every goddamn day and pounding beers for no goddamn reason. Literally. That's it. That's the only thing you have to do."

EmersQn Report

Final score:

9points

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Brendan 2 years ago

Yes, they are literally the only two unnecessary expenses in life /s

4points

#59

To really save money, you need to attack the big things. Brewing your own coffee, bringing a bag lunch, etc., are all well and good, but if you're leasing a new car instead of buying a beater, or living in an apartment that's more than you need, or sending a kid to a private school, those will wash out any other minor savings.

joesmithtron Report

Final score:

9points

POST

CHRIS DOMRES 2 years ago

Never pay for music again. Create a Spotify free account. Find albums you like. Use a freeware audio recording program on your computer to record the entire album. Then use that audio program to edit out all the commercial ads. Save each song as a separate mp3 or wav file. I then burn CDs to listen to in my car. As a teenager we all used to record music from the radio into a cassette recorder.

2points

#60

A mortgage should be your only debt......save up to pay for everything else upright (including cars, student tuition, trips, and weddings). If you don't have the money for what you want in cash, find another cheaper alternative in the meantime and keep saving.

Note: I am a Canadian and I know many people in the United States end up in debt due to surprise illness. I don't know much about this, but I recognize it is a different type of debt.

UltraGucamole Report

Final score:

8points

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SC R 2 years ago

I completely disagree that college should be saved for. I made minimum wage before I went to college; I have $50,000 in student loan debt and make well over $100,000 a year, student loans made this possible. I would have never been able to go to college if I didn't take on student debt, just need to make sure you study something that can make enough money to take on the debt.

8points

TunaNoodleMyFavorite Report

#61

Buy "defective" clothes. They're usually way cheaper than regular clothes and most of the time you can't even tell what's wrong with them. Usually it's just something like the arms being marginally too long or a pattern that was from last season (and even then most people can't tell what's from this and previous seasons)

Final score:

7points

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VonBlade 2 years ago

If I want clothes that don't fit I'll ask my relatives to knit me a jumper.

7points