25 Simple Ways To Reduce Spending Money

We all think we do our best with our money…Okay, I lied.

We all know that there are simple ways to reduce spending (and fix overspending) that we avoid or aren’t aware of. In fact, we usually believe that those ways wouldn’t help us and are just a fancy way of restricting ourselves from the little pleasures in life.

Yet, what if I told you that there are some smart ways of reducing monthly spending. Be it on grocery shopping, utility bills, loans, or credit cards; simple lifestyle changes could make a difference that adds up to something big.

I reached out to a good chunk of great bloggers who just know how to save money on anything, and they give you some of the best and simple ways to reduce spending starting right now.

How many of the following tips could you put into practice?

25 Tips To Consider When Trying To Reduce Spending and Overspending

Switch to plant-based meals

“I started cutting out meat and chicken from my diet and serving my family more plant-based meals. Not only is it healthier but we have saved so much money! We have a lot of plant-based proteins and have larger servings of healthy side dishes instead of large meat dishes.”

Robyn Saves, A DIME SAVED

Cut Unnecessary Shopping

“What has really worked for me was cutting down on unnecessary shopping and being conscious of what I order on casual nights out/afternoon coffee dates with friends.

Nowadays, I look for meaningful experiences in everything, and I always ask myself, “do I really need this?” before buying or ordering something. It also helps that I’ve become more environmentally aware in the past 10 years and am trying to minimize my waste and make/do with what I have.

In practice, that means that instead of meeting a friend for coffee and then ordering a coffee, a snack, a juice, etc. Over time, I’ll only order what I really want, even if it means I’ll splurge on something because I will enjoy it more, and it will save me more money in the long run. I also try to invite friends and family to my house for dinner or to a free local event for some quality time more often.”

Petra Jan, ERRATIC ENGINEERESS

Adapt Your Groceries According To Seasons

“Shop fruit and veg seasonally. It’s cheaper and of better quality. Also, try your local fruit and veg market; they often sell produce cheap at the end of the day. You can freeze fruit and veg when it’s cheap to use later.”

Sarah Brooks, KEEP CALM AND EAT ICE CREAM

Use A Spending Tracker App

“I found that using a spending tracker app was a really easy way to be more aware of what I was spending. It made me realize how quickly little expenses like a coffee or a takeaway can add up! Now that I know exactly how much is going in and out of my bank account, I can make better decisions about when I need to cut back a bit more or when it’s ok to have a treat.”

Jessica Sexton, BOMBVEG

Switch The Main Grocery Shop With Local Ones

“One major way we were able to spend less on groceries is by switching the main grocery store we shopped at. The closest few grocery stores are higher-end chains with significantly higher prices. We decided driving a bit further once every week or two to stock up wasn’t much more effort and ends up saving us a lot of money!”

Bri Bell, Registered Dietitian, FRUGAL MINIMALIST KITCHEN

Grocery Delivery Services

“With grocery prices rising, lingering in bricks-and-mortar markets looking for bargains is becoming harder and much more inconvenient, especially with lines queuing in front of some of them like Trader Joe’s. I have found a super-easy way to save significant amounts of time and money in every grocery run.

For over a year now, I have been only using Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods delivery via the Amazon App to get all of our grocery shopping accomplished. Instead of managing a grocery list, I can easily add items to my cart when planning recipes or add items to my cart if I notice I am about to run out of an ingredient. Plus, I don’t have to run out to a grocery store, deal with PPE, worry about the line queue going down the block at local stores, or deal with my costly impulse buying habit for new/random items(my impulse buying adds up).

These grocery delivery services save me hours every week and can be easily copied at home by anyone in the range of one of these ever-multiplying services. The reduction in time spent driving, waiting, and wandering isles, coupled with the lack of impulse buying, has been a huge saver of my time and money.”

Jessica Randhawa, THE FORKED SPOON

Put Unnecessary Purchases In Perspective

“Here’s a tip that worked for me. I considered the time value of what I was spending. For example, if I want to make a large purchase, I think about how many hours I have to work (I run a freelance writing business) to earn the money to pay for it. This helps put unnecessary purchases in perspective so I can decide whether it’s really worth spending the money. And trying a no-spend challenge or waiting 48 hours to make a purchase can also help with cutting back on spending.”

Rebecca Lake, BOSS SINGLE MAMA

Join The Buy Nothing Club

“My favorite way to spend less money is to search for what I want/need in a Buy Nothing group first. Buy Nothing groups are amazing because people are always giving away items that are still in great working shape or even brand new. Just in the past few months of being in a Buy Nothing group, I’ve given away food, books, and clothing. I’ve seen people give away furniture, appliances, and more. It’s also great for the environment and to build community in your neighborhood.”

Briana Hollis, LEARNING TO BE FREE

Grow Your Own Food

“One big thing that’s saved my household heap loads of money is learning how to grow our own food, forage, and cook right from scratch. To further our buck, we’re learning how to properly preserve and can foods for the winter months and save seeds! On top of that, shopping straight from local farmers has proven to be much cheaper than having to pay for all the packaging and overhead that goes into the cost of store-bought items. I should also mention, eating this way is much cleaner and more natural. So, in turn, health has increased, which also saves on healthcare costs.”

Michelle McCowan, BEET OF THE WILD

Order Online Instead Of Physical Shopping

“One of the things that helped me spend less money is to make lesser trips up the grocery store and other stores. I have switched completely to order online and pick up all grocery and other day household items. This has helped me cut down on spending money on all unnecessary stuff that I don’t need but still end up buying if I make up a shopping trip myself. As far as clothing and other things, I’m trying to order online as much as I can. That way, I go to the website and look for stuff I really need rather than picking up stuff that just looks fancy.”

Anika Jain, WHAT ANIKA SAYS

Stop Buying Packaged Food

“Stop buying packaged foods, focus on whole food ingredients (and don’t stress about “organic”)! Not only will you be eating healthy, you’ll learn how to cook from scratch, batch cook, freeze extras (like produce before it goes bad if you have extra).”

Rebecca Pytell, STRENGTH AND SUNSHINE

Pack Your Lunch And Snacks

“One thing that has helped me save money is packing my lunches and snacks for work each day. Instead of buying sandwiches or salads, I now cook an extra portion for dinner so I can take it to work for lunch the next day. I also make sure I have fresh fruit and nuts to snack on during the day instead of buying expensive and unhealthy snacks like chips or chocolate from the vending machine.”

Kelly Martin, URBAN GARDEN GAL

Ask Companies For A Lower Rate

“One easy way to lower your spending only takes a few phone calls. Call up all of your credit card companies and request that they lower your rates. You’d be surprised how many are willing to quickly lower them just upon request. It’s a quick but effective way to decrease your spending without “missing out” on anything.”

Stormy Stevenson, THE PENNY TRADER

Think Of A Meal Planner Proper To Your Needs

“Change the way you do your meal planning and grocery shopping so that you spend no more than $42 per week for a family of four.”

Tiffany L Thomas, SAVING TALENTS

Groceries Shopping Online

“Grocery shopping online not only saves time but money as well..no more impulse buys in the checkout lane! Our grocery bills have gone down 30% in the years that we’ve been doing online groceries, even though our kids are growing and definitely consuming more!”

Heather Haynes Thibodeau, HEATHERED NEST

Low Budget Cell Phone Plan

“Switch to a lower-budget cell phone plan! We switched to Republic and went from $100 a month to $10 a month (seriously!) with similar plans and flawless coverage.”

Jaymi Torrez, LONG BEACH KIDS

Scan Grocery Receipts

“I scan all my grocery receipts and cash out for either real money or gift cards. I’ll either use it to towards my grocery bill, or I’ve paid for Christmas presents for my family since that’s extra spending I don’t need to feel guilty for.”

Britt Distler, HOME SWEET ROMAN

Zero Waste Swaps

“Making a couple of zero waste swaps can honestly save a ton of money in the long run. Some favorite money-saving swaps are menstrual cup/period underwear, making your own cleaning products, and cloth napkins & cellulose sponge cloths instead of paper towels.”

Kimberly Brimhall, WE THREE SHANES

Track Your Expenses

“One action that we take to cut down on spending and that has allowed us to save more money is to track our expenses. This allows you to see exactly where your money is going and to cut out frivolous spending.”

Patti Henry, OUR LIFE ON FIRE

Buy Used Books

“As a homeschooling family, we buy a lot of books. I rarely ever buy new books. Instead, I frequent library bookstores, garage sales, and thrift stores where I can find books under $1. For things I can’t find there, I use Thriftbooks, eBay, or buy used on Amazon.”

Gale Langley, IMAGINATIVE HOMESCHOOL

Join Your Local Library

“Joining your local library can be a great way to save money on all sorts of things, not just books. For example, many of them also offer movies you can borrow or stream, kids’ programs, admission to local museums, and free classes on anything from yoga to languages, interview techniques, and more! It means that with that one little membership, you’ll be able to save money on a ton of entertainment options.”

Anna Barker, LOGICAL DOLLAR

Buy Online Items On Sale

“Shop smart online! There are many ways to cut down your costs, most we should all be doing but don’t. My favorite money-saving tip is to only buy items when they are on sale and couple the sale price saving with a voucher code where possible, and if you can’t use a voucher because it’s a sale item, I go through a cashback site instead. This way, I am maximizing my savings. Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you will be able to do all three, making it a triple whammy of savings.”

Claire Roach, MONEY SAVING CENTRAL

Meal Planning

“I’ve saved tons of money with meal planning! This meal plan shows you how to hack the supermarket and spend only $25 per person per week for groceries! Recipes are healthy, delicious, and easy-to-make.”

Toni Okamoto Shapiro, PLANT-BASED ON A BUDGET

Look For Discount Codes Online

“Whenever I’m ready to make a purchase online, I quickly search on YouTube and Google to see if any content creators or news sites have shared a discount code for a certain brand. I’d simply search [Brand name] + discount code. I’ve easily saved 10-20% on purchases as a result!”

Malaika Desrameaux, SELF CARE SUNDAY LOVE

Change Your Money Habits

I left my tip on saving money as last because I believe it summarises all of the above. I invite you to review your money habits. Everything you do with your money is because you are used to doing it this way. Hence, it is a habit now. By changing the way you see and perform your money habits, you could easily start a long chain of financial improvement and make everything possible. See 20 smart money habits that will set you on the right track.

25 Simple Ways To Reduce Spending Money