People Share 28 Money-Saving Life Hacks That Made The Biggest Difference For Them

Mine would relate to food as well:

- cultivate the skill of home cooking so you enjoy what you cook as much as a mid-range restaurant meal, and learn to enjoy the process so it doesn't feel like a chore. That way, when you're tired through the week, you can pull something yummy out of the fridge that costs a tiny percentage of what you would pay if you ordered delivery or went out.

I was watching a TV show the other week (Gruen, in Australia) where one of the hosts said research suggests that only ten per cent of people actually enjoy cooking and both me and my husband turned to each other and said thank God we fall in that ten per cent! It saves so much money and feels financially empowering.

Always always always saving something! Even if it's 10, 20, 50 bucks. I saved $50 out of my paychecks since I started working because something is always going to come up or is coming up. Holidays, birthdays, car repairs, etc.

Use the library for free event/cultural tickets and ebooks.

Plan once a year to call all your providers / services and negotiate for better deals and if necessary, be prepared to leave a service and try another for a better deal.

I have had my internet "first year" 50% off deal extended for going on 3 years now. My cell phone plan is excellent and frugal, and in October I lowered my auto insuance by $53 a month for the same coverage (and actually a little better in a few areas)

It does take a little time and effort, but when you consider how much it saves over the course of a year, it's completely worth it.

I am also a big believer in rotating streaming services and/or sharing them with friends/familes. I have Prime, Neflix, and Crave but they only cost me $11 a month total because I share them all.

Shopping secondhand on Vinted. I’ve purchased so many new items that are in excellent condition and add a third of the price of the current collections in the stores. My last purchase was a super comfortable pair of loafers which cost me only £10 with shipping included.

Spend MORE on luxury items, you will use daily and for years. Like a car, furniture, electronics. And cut back on mindless shopping for small items.

I leave my purse/phone in the car at certain stores (Michaels, Menards) so that I have to go out and get it before checking out. That 2 minutes and leaving empty handed breaks the spell and I can go back in and really edit my overflowing cart before I get in line. Weird, but it works!

Let's see, I'm putting this down without looking at the others. Have a budget category solely dedicated to the household upkeep. Excludes bills and food, includes repairs, replacement of appliances, smaller renovations (limited to one piece of furniture, one wall, one window segment, anything bigger needs its own category) and may also include household necessities such as cleaning products, tissues, toilet paper, gloves, etc. etc. This way, you are able to separate these expenses from the food and you can also have a good view on how much you spend on these things, considering that it's pretty much a non-negotiable category.