5 Ways to Save $500 This Year

Posts on Happily Homegrown contain affiliate links. When you make a purchase through an affiliate link, your price will be the same, but Happily Homegrown will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

5 Ways to Save $500 This Year

Wouldn’t it be nice to have an extra $500 in your pocket? What if I told you there were 5 easy things you could do this year, and each one of them could save you at least $500? That’s a savings of $2,500 this year alone!

COUPON
Don’t expect to go extreme that’s not realistic, but if you can save 20-30% off your grocery bill each month you are heading in the right direction. You can get coupons in the Sunday newspaper, but you can also print them from home. Coupons.com has a ton of printable coupons just waiting for you. You can print two copies of each coupon per computer/mobile device, and coupons often reset at the start of the next month.

CONSIGNMENT
I sell my children’s outgrown clothes, toys, and gear twice a year at a local consignment sale.  I also buy most of the clothes that my kids need at the consignment sales to save even more. With three children, the money adds up quickly both as a consignor and as a shopper. I love JBF because I can sell everything from Newborn through Juniors/Young Mens clothing, maternity clothes, costumes, shoes, baby gear, toys, sports equipment, video games, books, educational materials, furniture – if you need it for raising a child, you can buy it during JBF! On average, I make about $1000 in sales each year, and either break even or spend a little bit less on what my children need.  Just Between Friends has seasonal consignment events all over the country.

CUT THE CABLE/PHONE
When we gave up cable we saved over $100 a month, throw in land-line phone service, and we were easily down over $150 per month. Find out how much it would be to only have internet service vs what you pay for cable/phone currently. They try to get you with the “triple play” offers, but it is, in fact, cheaper to do away with the services. And since you are going to only be using your cell phone, why not see if your company offers a discount on cell service! Many companies have agreements in place that can save you up to 15% on your monthly cell phone bill just because you work with a partner company.

NEGOTIATE YOUR CREDIT CARDS
Talk to your credit card companies and see if they will lower your interest rates, offer you cash back, or other promos for things you can actually use. Sometimes you have to ask for a supervisor more than once, but you can often get them to work with you so that it benefits you. I only have 1 credit card that I use, and it earns me cash back on each purchase. I can then apply that cash back to my bill or receive a check. I pay the card off each month, so I don’t accrue interest, and its a win-win.

ADJUST YOUR TAX WITHHOLDINGS
Its the start of a new year and many of us look forward to tax return season because we know we’re getting a return, but wouldn’t it be nice to have extra money each month instead? When you are getting a tax return, you are using the government as a ZERO interest savings account. If you owed them money, they would be charging you all sorts of fees and penalties, why let them have your money for free? Take that money, get it back into your regular paycheck, and put it into a real savings account where its making money for you! If you aren’t in a position to save, then that additional money can be put towards your living expenses and debts, making the monthly burden a little bit lighter.

What are some ways your family saves big?