Most Americans know the tried and true tips for pinching pennies and adding a few extra bucks to your savings account. So, a curious person asked the internet for the more unconventional money tips that have worked out for them. Savvy savers responded.
Note: Some quotes in this piece have been lightly edited for grammar.
1: Here Comes the Money Pit
Your wedding can be one of the happiest moments of your life, but not for your wallet. “Be extremely careful with who you choose to marry,” one finance buff advises. “This will be the biggest financial decision of your life – treat it like that, as romantic as that is.”
2: Resist Temptation
As simple as it sounds, one person said they saved a lot for the future just by leaving their credit cards at home. “If I really wanted something, I had to go home and get my card, then return to the store – turns out that many purchases were unnecessary.”
3: Sharing is Caring
Want free snacks at the movies? Mooch off of your wealthy friends. At least, that’s what one person does to their family. “Say you don’t need any soda or popcorn and even turn down your brother’s offer to pay for your concessions,” they said. “During the previews, start asking to drink from your brother’s soda, eat all his popcorn, and call him a glutton if he won’t share.”
4: TGIF
One spender noticed they made most of their impulse purchases on Friday. So, they decided to note the Friday items they wanted, and if they still wanted them come Monday, they’d buy them. “Sounds silly, but works for me.”
5: Educate Yourself
One person had a few tips that’ll save you money in the long run, including taking cooking classes to learn to make your meals well, exercising to maintain a healthy body as you age, and finding joy in reading books, a relatively inexpensive pastime. “All will benefit your finances and keep you healthy (arguably the greatest form of wealth!).”
6: Walk It Out
If possible, use your own two feet to get from place to place to save money. “I walk almost everywhere,” an active person said. “At most, I am costing myself 1-1.5 hours per day by walking, and I am getting great exercise, and it’s free. It seems like a no-brainer to me.”
7: Bonus Points
Listen up, gamers. As tempting as it is, one person said to stop spending real money on virtual games. “Shoutout to whoever hacked my MapleStory account, which I had spent roughly $2000+ on,” they said. “I was able to quit and focus on school.”
8: Squeaky Clean
If you have a gym membership, check and see if they have showers you can use. One fitness fanatic keeps their wallet in shape by taking hot showers at the gym. “It saves on the water bill and keeps my washroom a little cleaner,” they said.
9: Untimely Vacation
It may sound morbid, but one way to save on flight fares is to travel after terror attacks, one person suggests. “Not only cheaper but less crowded and super secure.” One traveler who visited Hawaii in 2001 agrees.
10: Kindness Pays
Kindness goes a long way and can even save you money, according to one person. “I’ve found that especially in hardware stores, after I chit-chat with whoever is helping me, if I can’t find what I’m looking for they’ll often offer to mark things down.” They’ve benefited from thousands of dollars of marked-down items over the years.
11: Opt Out
Marketing can be a painfully powerful tool. “Unsubscribe from as many marketing emails as you can, and use ad block everywhere you can,” one consumer suggests. “The fewer ads you see, the less you subliminally have a desire to buy something.”
12: The Long Game
Instead of concrete savings advice, a considerate commenter suggested that others genuinely care about their business and personal relationships. “So much of your success will be determined by this,” they said.
13: Second Best
While it depends on what you’re getting, “If you need to buy something at the store, don’t buy the cheapest option, buy the second cheapest option,” one suggests. Why? They say it’s usually better quality for a marginal price increase.
14: Buy in Bulk
One savvy saver learned a tip from billionaire Mark Cuban. “When you see something on sale that you use frequently, buy a few months/year supply.” Another responded, “I stocked up on deodorants before they all became $5 plus.”
15: Twice as Nice
“This one is sort of harsh, but if I can’t afford to buy it twice, I can’t afford it,” one saver said. “A place to live would maybe be the only thing I wouldn’t use this theory for.”
Source: Reddit.
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