There is a very simple equation for increasing your wealth. You either have to increase your income, or decrease your expenses. While the equation is quite simple, there are over hundreds of options for doing either of these actions.
In fact, there are so many options that it can be quite overwhelming. To help you narrow some of these options down, we have included 5 simple tips to save money.
1. Make Your Own Coffee
This one probably will not apply if you are not a coffee drinker. For the rest of us, coffee runs to coffee shops (especially locations such as Starbucks) can cost way more than you would expect.
At the time this article was written, a large hot coffee and a medium iced coffee at Dunkin Donuts cost $1.99 and $2.49, respectively.
If you have one coffee a day, this adds up to $60 – $75 every month! How much does it cost to brew your own coffee?
By purchasing a pound of $8.00 for a pound of coffee grinds, the cost for each cup of coffee is approximately $0.18 to $0.67 depending on the brand you buy.
Just by brewing your own coffee, you can save upwards of $70 every month!
2. Pay with Cash
Credit and debit cards make it very easy to pay for things, and now services like Google Pay and Apple Pay are making it even easier than using cards! It might actually be a little too easy to make purchases.
When it is as easy as tapping your phone to pay for something, it might not feel like we are giving up any money. Paying with physical cash gives you immediate mental feedback, and you can test this yourself! The next time you want to purchase something, go to an ATM and take out cash needed for your purchase. It is less convenient, and you will naturally stop making uneccessary purchases in order to avoid going to the ATM.
3. Clean out your Car
“How does cleaning your car equate to saving money??” – most people reading this
Believe it or not, somehting as simple as cleaning your car. If you drive to work or school every day, then your car needs gas to get you there. Paying for gas on a regular basis is a necessary evil of owning a vehicle, however many do not realize that by cleaning your car, you increase your gas mileage.
How?
The answer is simple physics- your car burns gas in order to move the weight of itself plus any objects and people that are in the vehicle. The more weight that your car carries, the more gas it has to burn. Throwing out trash and moving objects into your apartment will reduce the amount of weight your car carries.
The savings may not be noticeable immediately, but cleaning out your car could possibly save you around $200 a year on gas!
4. Wait 24 Hours
I have a bit of an impulse buying problem, and I am sure I am not alone. A very simple way to combat impulse buying is by forcing yourself to wait 24 hours before purchasing something.
Odds are, most of the time you will end up forgetting about the thing that you just had to have the day before.
5. Go to the Library
Libraries have way more than just books nowadays. The next time you want to rent a movie, take a quick trip to your local library! You will be surprised to find that a lot of libraries have recent movies on blu-ray.
If you enjoy reading or if you require a certain book for a class, it can seem easier to use Amazon rentals or go to a school bookstore. A lot of people forget to even check to see if their library has it for free first.
Along with physical media, libraries now offer countless digital resources. Checking your library’s website can result in free audiobook downloads, ebooks, videos, and more.
But wait! There’s more! Checking your local library’s event calendar will likely reveal a number of free classes and activities for the public. If you are looking to learn a new skill or go on a social outting, then perhaps the library is a great place to do so for free.
Over the course of time, trips to the library can save you a lot of money.
Did you enjoy our list? Do you have other creative ideas to save money? If so, let us know in the comments below!
The Dollar $chool 
Sometimes, I see a dress or shirt that I think is super cute and I HAVE to buy it. And then I see another one. And another one…and it adds up at the cash register, you know? So I started doing one of two things each time that happens. 1 – I try them on in the fitting room. I narrow it down to n-1 favorites (n = # of items trying on). Then I keep trying them on. By the time I narrow it down to the ones I can’t pick between, I’m tired of trying on clothes. If I’m tired of trying on any of them, that goes back on the rack. If I’m still loving one and keep putting it on, then I’ll get it. 2 – sometimes I don’t have time to try them on, so I bitterly walk away and if it’s still there the next time I’m around and I still love it, then I’ll try it on and maybe buy it.
Also, if I’m trying not to spend money, I avoid going to places where I could spend money. So I go to parks or watch a movie/read at home or exercise.
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