We’re always searching for ways to save money where we can, but with grocery and gas prices on the rise, it’s definitely on our minds. Thankfully, there are simple changes you can make right now that can save you money. And no, we’re not going to tell you to start a budget (though that can certainly help).
We’re so happy to be partnering with T-Mobile (who just so happens to be my provider), who could help you save a whole lot of money just by switching your cell phone provider (like up to a thousand dollars), which by the way, is one of the most popular money-saving tips from all the money experts you probably know by name.
With that in mind, here are 5 simple tips to help you save money, which we could all use right about now.
Track your spending, no fancy apps required
While there are plenty of money-tracking apps, a few of which we’ve even recommended on Cool Mom Tech over the years, just simply keeping a spending journal in an old notebook is all you need to get a sense of where your money is going. By seeing what you’re spending your hard-earned money on, you are much more likely to take control over it. And sometimes, you just don’t have any idea how much you’re spending on certain things. Let’s just say my Matcha Green Tea lattes were really adding up.
Watch your online shopping
I definitely love the convenience of having Google auto-insert my personal information, including my credit card, when I go to make purchases online, it’s actually a gateway to easier spending on items that you might not actually need (or even want that badly). It can be a bit of a pain to clear your cache or log out of your browser every night after you go offline (make sure you have all your passwords somewhere safe) but adding the extra step of tracking down your credit card, and having to manually enter your information, can give you the time you need to think about your purchase and whether you actually have the funds to be spending on it.
Cut back on your monthly bills
Whether you decide to cost compare your internet providers, cut back on your cable and combine it with your internet, or switch your cell phone provider, it’s worth taking some time to look at your regular, monthly bills to see if you’re really getting the best possible rate for the services you’re getting. Our sponsor T-Mobile can save families up to a thousand dollars a year on wireless service just for simply switching them from their existing provider onto their network. And T-Mobile has the largest, fastest, and most reliable 5G network in the U.S. And not only will T-Mobile save you on the cost of wireless, you’ll get additional savings with the benefits they include in the price. Like Netflix, Apple TV+, Paramount Plus, and tons of free stuff each week in the T-Mobile Tuesdays app.
And if you want to pay for your wireless service in advance, a family of four on Metro by T-Mobile’s top plan can also save $720 a year on service. Whoa. And Metro customers even get a free Amazon Prime membership included in their plan.
Take a hard look at your grocery bill
I’m just going to say it: There’s a good chance you’re paying way too much for groceries every month. Recently, our editor Christina did a post sharing some of the best money-saving grocery shopping tips, many of which I’ve started using myself. A big game-changer for me was to switch to a store like Aldi or Lidl, where the savings can be pretty huge (like at least a hundred dollars a week), as well as planning my meals for the week so I’m not overshopping. In my house, we were definitely having a bit of a food waste problem, so I found that planning my meals ahead of time really help cut that back significantly. This also really helped us cut back on food delivery, which we got a little too comfortable with over the pandemic. Planned meals have meant less need for me to scramble and spend on food apps.
Check your subscriptions and emails
Full disclosure: I recently discovered that I had been paying $16/month for an in-app subscription that I was not even using. Yikes! That’s a lot of money over the course of a year! Take a few minutes and go through your credit and debit cards to see what’s being withdrawn automatically—that gym membership you haven’t used since before the pandemic, the New Yorker that you never read… and cancel them. Another helpful tip is to unsubscribe from store emails. If you’re like me, you often sign up for them to get a discount offer, but then you forget to unsubscribe and are inundated with daily deals and enticing offers that can be hard to refuse. There’s nothing wrong with signing up for store emails, however, consider using a different email address like “KristenDeals@…” so that they don’t get sent to your most-used email address.
Thanks to our sponsor T-Mobile for helping families save money just simply by switching their wireless service provider. Make sure to check their various plans, including T-Mobile Magenta and Magenta MAX, which offer exclusive benefits and free stuff.
