This has been something on my mind a little extra lately, especially since we recently became a one income family and welcomed our first baby this year! A recent news article I read said 8 in 10 Americans live paycheck to paycheck. This is a sad reality and it doesn’t have to be this way. Trying to save money every month or build a savings account can be a daunting task, but its 100% doable if you start making some small changes in your daily life. Saving money can be like second nature once you take those first steps towards your new spending and saving routine. Here are a few of my tips to help you get started.

Eat at Home More
I could honestly write a whole blog post on this subject alone. I listed this first because it is the biggest downfall for so many! Going out to eat will literally “eat” away your budget. Some argue eating out is more convenient and some complain that they don’t have time to make dinner. Put aside a little time one day a week and meal prep to save yourself time the rest of the week. Leftovers are so convenient, even more than eating out. Ultimately, eating at home when the food is prepared ahead of time is quicker than sitting in line at a drive thru or waiting for a table at a restaurant.

Resist Temptation
If you like to shop but you want to save money, stay out of the store! My husband and I love to browse certain stores just for something to do sometimes, but we end up buying junk that we don’t need. There will always be bigger, better, and newer items, but getting sucked into trends or trying to keep up with the Jones’ will lead you away from your goal to save money. When you do have to go in a store, ask yourself if what you’re buying is a need or a want: if you don’t need it, don’t buy it!

Shop Sales, Clearance, and Seasonal
If you do have to buy something, look for it on sale or on clearance. Big box stores run sales year-round and they have a pattern that they follow. Some stores run annual or semi-annual sales of which you could make a list of things that you want and wait until then when they are much cheaper. Also look for clearance items, such as clothing that’s last season’s trend or food that may have a slight dent in the packaging but is still healthy to eat. Shopping for food in season is another great way to save cash. This goes for produce and sales during the holidays when you can stock up on certain food items at a steep discount.

Ditch the Email Subscriptions and Ignore the Ads
Thanks to our ever-growing digital world, this is becoming a big issue. You visit a website, they get your email address, and then you receive something from them weekly, daily, or sometimes multiple times a day! They all have one goal in mind and that’s to try and get you to buy their product or service. They send you emails to advertise “sales,” and from the comfort of your own home you get sucked into buying something. Social media is also doing their own version of stalking you. Do you ever search for something on Google and later see an ad for it on Facebook or Instagram? If you’re trying to save money and find yourself tempted by the countless emails you’re receiving, you can unsubscribe from most of these companies at the very bottom of the last email they sent you, in the fine print.

I hope some of these tips will encourage you to make some changes, or maybe rethink some bad habits you have, to help you save more money. Don’t hesitate to leave any other money-saving suggestions in the comments!