10 Ways to Save Money:
Updated: Sep 19
Saving money doesn’t always mean cutting out everything you enjoy or completely changing your lifestyle. Sometimes, it’s the small purchases we make over and over again that quietly eat away at our budget.
Here are 10 simple ways to save a little extra money — and hopefully keep more of your paycheck in your pocket.
“This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my link, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.”
1. Switch From Bottled Water to 5-Gallon Water Jugs
If your household goes through a lot of bottled water, consider switching to refillable 5-gallon water jugs.
Instead of constantly buying cases of individual water bottles, you can purchase a reusable 5-gallon jug and refill it at participating Primo Water refill stations located outside or inside certain grocery stores and retailers.
There are a few ways you can dispense the water depending on your budget:
Manual water pump: Usually the simplest and cheapest option. You place the pump directly on top of the jug and manually pump the water out. ( click photo to see amazon link for reviews )
Electric water pump: A small rechargeable dispenser that sits on top of the jug. Press a button and it dispenses the water for you. ( click photo to see amazon link for reviews )
Full water dispenser: If you use a lot of water, you may prefer a traditional water cooler that holds a 5-gallon jug and can provide cold, room-temperature, and sometimes hot water. ( click photo to see amazon link for reviews )
The upfront cost may be a little higher, but you can reuse the same jugs instead of buying case after case of individual bottles.
I've purchased all three of these and used them in different periods of my life. I've currently upgraded to the full water dispenser and I'm never looking back, I wish I had purchased it sooner. We have four 5 gallon jugs that we fill up every Saturday and it costs about $12 for all four.
Bonus: Fewer plastic bottles taking over your kitchen and recycling bin!
👉 I'll link my favorite manual pump, electric pump, and full-size water dispenser here.
Here is the website to find a Water Refill Station near you: Find Primo Water™ Refill Stations Near You | Primo Brands™
Let's do some math together: currently as of 9/2026 a case of Walmart Brand water in my area is $3.68 which is 3 gallons.
That means if your family drinks 10 gallons a week lets round up and say we need 4 cases of water
that is $14.72 a week.
if you were to purchase four 5 gallons jugs that is 20 gallons of water and it will cost you about $12-13 per week.
2. Stop Buying Something Just Because It’s “On Sale”
This is one I’ve had to learn myself.
If something is Buy One, Get One 50% Off, you’re still spending more money than you originally planned if you only needed one.
A sale is only saving you money if you were already planning to buy the item.
Now, I try to take advantage of these deals only when it’s something we regularly use and I know the second item won’t go to waste.
3. Check Your Subscriptions
Streaming services, apps, cloud storage, gaming subscriptions, memberships — they add up FAST.
Go through your bank account and write down every subscription you’re currently paying for.
Then ask yourself:
Have I actually used this in the last 30 days?
If the answer is no, cancel it.
Even eliminating two $10 subscriptions saves you $240 a year.
Use chatgpt and write out all of the subscriptions that you use and see if there are any promotions or companys that include them.
For example, certain levels for T-Mobile includes netflix, or Spotify can include Hulu.
4. Plan Your Meals Before Grocery Shopping
Walking into the grocery store without a plan is dangerous for my wallet.
Before shopping, decide what meals you’re making for the week and create your grocery list based on those meals.
Even better, check your:
Refrigerator
Freezer
Pantry
before making the list.
You might already have half of what you need.
5. Use Cashback and Receipt Apps
If you're already buying groceries, gas, and household products, you might as well get something back.
Cashback and receipt apps can give you small amounts of money for purchases you were already going to make.
The key is this:
Don't buy something just because an app is offering cashback.
That defeats the entire purpose.
Use the apps for purchases already on your shopping list and let those small rewards add up.
Apps I use:
Ibotta: I made a video on my TikTok on how to use it:
Here is the link if you'd like to sign up to start earning cash back
Upside: this is a cash back app for gas.
download the app and use the invite code: 9A9BK
Fetch: this is a great cash back app that gives you gift cards.
download the app and use the invite code: 684RP1
6. Give Yourself a Waiting Period Before Impulse Purchases
See something you want online?
Don't immediately hit Buy Now.
Give yourself at least 24–48 hours before purchasing it.
Add it to your cart or wishlist and walk away.
You'd be surprised how often the excitement disappears once you've had time to think about it.
If you still want it a few days later AND it fits into your budget, then you can make the decision intentionally.
7. Make Coffee at Home More Often
I'm not going to tell you that one coffee is the reason you're not a millionaire.
But if you're buying coffee several times a week, it can become a pretty expensive habit.
Instead, create your own little coffee station at home.
Buy:
A coffee you actually enjoy
Your favorite creamer
A reusable cup
Syrups or flavorings you like
You can still grab coffee out occasionally — it just doesn't have to be an everyday expense.
8. Try Store Brands
There are certain products where I'm loyal to a specific brand.
But there are plenty of others where I honestly can't tell the difference.
Try swapping a few name-brand products for the store-brand version.
Things like:
Spices
Cleaning supplies
Pantry staples
Medicine
Paper products
Baking ingredients
Even saving $0.50–$2.00 on multiple items during every grocery trip can add up throughout the year.
9. Have One “Use What We Have” Week Every Month
Before making another big grocery trip, challenge yourself to use what is already in your house.
Dig through the freezer.
Look at the cans hiding in the back of the pantry.
Use those random bags of frozen vegetables.
Get creative.
You might still need to grab a few ingredients, but the goal is to build meals around food you've already paid for.
This can help reduce food waste AND lower your grocery bill.
10. Send Small Amounts Toward Your Debt or Savings
You don't always need hundreds of dollars to make progress.
Have $5 left over?
Move it.
Earn $3 from a cashback app?
Move it.
Skip an impulse purchase that would have cost $15?
Move that $15.
Those little transfers might not feel impressive individually, but they create a habit of intentionally telling your money where to go.
I'm currently using this same idea with my own micro-payment debt payoff journey — taking small amounts of extra money and putting them toward debt instead of letting them disappear into everyday spending. check out my journey on my tiktok
Progress doesn't always happen in huge jumps.
Sometimes it's $5 at a time.
Small Changes Add Up
You don't have to completely overhaul your life to start saving money.
Pick one or two things from this list and start there.
Once those become normal, add another.
Saving money isn't about being perfect — it's about becoming a little more intentional with the money you already have.
Which one are you going to try first?
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