Want to know how to save money? We’ve got you covered.

Whether you’re stacking your pennies for a dream home or just trying to make ends meet, these 29 tips can supercharge your savings and help you hit your financial goals.

The 29 best ways to save money 🤑

1. Track your spending

Keeping up with your spending is the best way to find things you won’t mind cutting out. (Like your old roommate’s Netflix account that you’re still paying for — oops.) To make it easier, consider using an app like Quicken Simplifi to keep up with it for you. 

2. Make a meal plan for the grocery store

Do you ever find yourself grocery shopping without a list? We’ve all been there — a huge grocery bill on Saturday, only to find ourselves hungry and out of ideas by Wednesday. To maximize your grocery budget (and cut back on food waste), plan out your meals for the week, buy what you need, and as always, look for low-cost deals! 

3. Spend less on generic products

No matter where you do your grocery shopping, most retailers offer a generic-brand version of almost anything. Canned fruit, dairy-free milk alternatives, cleaning products, snacks — you’ve got a ton of options. Many generics are almost identical to their brand-name counterparts, and they’re often much, much cheaper.

4. Expand your definition of restaurants

Between appetizers, entrees, drinks, and maybe even parking, a night out at a swanky restaurant can cost a significant amount of money. And opting for DoorDash or Uber Eats can give you even less bang for your buck. Instead, consider heading out to a friendly diner or even a local food truck. You’ll get all the convenience of letting someone else cook, plus a night out on the town, with a check that won’t set you back a small fortune.

5. Revisit subscriptions

Is your subscription list starting to feel a little out of hand? Hulu, Prime Video, Netflix, MAX … You don’t want to miss anything, but you don’t want to pay so much every month either. Instead of giving anything up completely, look through your list and think about swapping a few out month by month — your list might even surprise you when you find out what you’re still paying for!

6. Plan out major purchases

We don’t always have the luxury of planning out big expenses — like that shot transmission in your ’13 Ford Explorer or the tree branch that crashed through your roof. But for the ones you can control, planning ahead and saving up can help you avoid using credit cards while taking advantage of major sales. 

7. Look for discounts

It might seem like a no-brainer, but look for discounts whenever you can. Retailers often run sales around major holidays, and clothing manufacturers offer discounts toward the end of each season as styles change. You can also use sites like Honey or Groupon to get deals, and check with your credit card company to see if they offer any cashback or rewards points with certain retailers. 

8. Re-use those jars

So many foods come in jars that we either recycle or throw away. Instead, run them through the dishwasher, remove the labels, and reuse them for just about anything — food storage, flowers, paper clips, and more. Why pay for containers you can get for free?

9. Use a cashback credit card

Credit cards can offer tons of perks — consider applying for a card that offers benefits based on the places where you spend the most money. Get rewarded and save money for shopping where you would anyway (dining, gas, etc.), and earn a percentage of the purchase price back. There are quite a few out there, so be sure to choose one that best fits your lifestyle. 

10. Change how you drive

Do you tend to get impatient when you’re driving? Does your foot hit the floor when that light finally turns green? Just remember that driving with a lead foot destroys your fuel economy. Slow ‘n’ steady wins the race and keeps money in your pocket — plus, some car insurance companies let you save even more money when you let their app track your safe driving habits!

11. Carpool whenever you can

Carpooling can save you a ton of money on gas and car maintenance, not to mention reducing total emissions and keeping your local air quality that much sweeter. Depending on where you live and what your day-to-day routine looks like, consider starting a carpool with friends or coworkers to get where you’re going. Save the planet, save your budget — it’s a win-win. 

12. Weatherproof your house

Nothing siphons money from your bank account like a woefully inefficient home. No matter where you live, consider weatherproofing your house to avoid heating (or cooling) the outside! One of the biggest fixes you can make is installing efficient windows — you may even qualify for a tax credit. You can also insulate your home with weatherproofing around air ducts, use heavy curtains to retain warmth or block out sunlight, and use a door snake to eliminate drafts — saving you some serious cash on that electric bill. 

13. Be mindful of your thermostat

It feels fantastic to come out of the cold after shoveling snow to a nice, warm home. Still, try to avoid turning your home into a sauna during the winter months (or an igloo in the summer) by cranking your thermostat to extremes. To cut your utility bill, keep the temp between 66-69° F in the winter and 76-78° F in the summer, and watch the savings stack up. 

14. Mark your calendar for free entertainment

Who said entertainment had to cost an arm and a leg? Take a look at what’s happening locally — social media and city-based newspapers can be a great source of things happening around town. Free live music, museums, parks, farmers markets, and even movies can provide you with tons of entertainment value — all without spending any money on the price of admission!

15. Open a high-yield savings account

As you start to build your savings, you might want to open a high-yield savings account. These types of accounts offer higher interest rates than traditional savings accounts, which will help your balance increase the longer you leave it in the account. Shop around for the highest annual percentage yield (APY). You can check with online banks or credit unions to find the best options — they may offer great options for retirement savings like IRAs too.

16. Shop around for insurance 

Are you paying too much for car insurance? Home insurance? Pet insurance? Shop around and find out! Rates often fluctuate for insurers — even independent of your driving history and recent claims. Often, insurers will raise your premiums incrementally, so it’s important to know how much you’re paying. See what’s out there — you might be surprised at how much you can save by switching insurance companies. 

17. Bundle services when available

While you’re shopping for insurance, consider bundling auto, homeowners, and pet insurance together — you’re often rewarded with significant discounts for bundling! This isn’t limited to insurance either — you can bundle internet, cable, and phone services together, as well. 

18. Unsubscribe from marketing emails

If you’re struggling to save, one of the best things you can do is unsubscribe from the marketing emails that tempt you the most. When you’re not bombarded with sales on cool items that you want (but don’t need), you’ll be able to quiet that internal “should I/shouldn’t I?” dialogue. Out of sight, out of mind — ignorance is bliss!

19. Refinance your auto loan

Refinancing loans (like auto loans) can be another great way to save money, especially if your financial situation has changed for the better since you first borrowed that money. Look around at lenders and search for the best rates — you want a lower interest rate so look for something with a lower APR than what you’re currently paying, and look for a monthly premium you can afford. 

20. Watch those impulse buys

While one candy bar in the grocery checkout line won’t set you back much, too many impulse buys can add up. Consider giving yourself a monthly budget for those fun impulses. Then, you can treat yourself to those Air Max 90s or that pop-up omakase – just as long as you have room left in your budget! 

If you’re using Quicken Simplifi, you can track impulse buys in a Watchlist. The video below will show you how.

21. Pay off high-interest credit card debt 

If you’re in a bit of a hole due to outstanding debt on your credit cards, don’t fret — you can make your way out! Just focus your efforts on paying off your high-interest debt — there are various methods to help you get the ball rolling. Once you stop shelling out your hard-earned money to credit card companies, you can start stacking it in your savings account. 

22. Switch up your cell phone plan

Is your monthly cell phone bill giving you the blues? Just like insurance, it never hurts to shop around. Whether you’re switching between big providers like Verizon and AT&T or exploring budget options like Cricket Wireless or Mint Mobile, there’s a plan out there for you.

23. Create gifts for loved ones

The best gifts often cost little or nothing. They come from the heart, and they’re made with love — perfect for anyone trying to maximize their savings. Think about birthdays, holidays, or any reason to celebrate, and get creative. If you’re a musician, write them a song. If you’re a craftsperson, make them something they’ll love. If you’re artistic, put those skills to use for a memorable gift they’ll treasure for years to come. 

24. Get thrifty

What if there were someplace you could buy distressed jeans and funny, ironic graphic tees without dropping a fortune at Urban Outfitters? Head on over to your local thrift store. Goodwill, Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul — it’s all good. Thrift stores often have amazing finds for amazingly cheap — you can source great clothes, home furnishings, books, records, and so much more. It can be a gold mine — where else can you find a football helmet, tortilla maker, and vintage trucker hat all under one roof?

25. Embrace the side hustle

One surefire way to save more money is by making more of it, right? Enter the side hustle. We live in a thriving gig economy — there are so many avenues to make quick money on the side. Whether you want to drive for a ridesharing app like Uber or Lyft, work online as a virtual assistant, take surveys for money, or get paid to walk dogs, there’s absolutely a side hustle for you to help you pad your savings. 

26. Travel in the off-season

The off-season, or low season in the travel industry vernacular, is the time when destinations are the least popular in terms of tourism. So why travel in the off-season? Massive savings. Airfare, accommodations, and car rental rates are usually substantially cheaper during the low season, but avoiding hordes of tourists in Hawaiian shirts (and socks with sandals) is priceless. 

27. Live simply

This tip is more of a philosophical one than a practical savings pointer, but it does bear some thought. All you need to do is honestly ask yourself, “What do I truly need, and what can I truly do without?” Remember, there’s no right or wrong answer, but you just might realize you don’t need as much as you thought. Simple living usually doesn’t cost too much — and it gives you room to do more of the things that really do matter to you.

28. Put your savings on auto-pilot

Automating your savings helps you prioritize your savings goals, which helps you reach those goals a lot faster. Once you determine how much you can afford to stash away each month, set up your banking or personal finance app to deposit those savings automatically every month. Create automatic transfers any time you receive your paycheck via direct deposit, or set up a daily transfer of just a few bucks from your checking account. Play with it — see what works for you. 

29. Use a personal finance app

This sure sounds like a lot to keep track of, right? All jokes aside — it sure is. That’s why a personal finance app can be so helpful when it comes to hitting your goals. With Quicken Simplifi, you can automate your savings goals, get a personalized budget custom-tailored to your income and expenses, track your spending (and analyze your spending habits), and so much more.