Truth be told, saving money when you don’t have much to put away can be tough. However, with the willingness to change and a little creativity, it is not impossible. Even cutting the smallest of costs can begin to add up. Use these creative tips and tricks to further help you create an emergency fund.
Get rid of gray charges: Gray charges are monthly fees you’ve opted into without realizing it. These may be small fees for subscriptions, renewals, or other charges that you may not notice on your credit card or bank statements. They can add up to hundreds of dollar every year, and if you cancel them, you can put them into your savings account.
Put something back every time you shop: If you find yourself with a cart full of stuff on your next grocery trip, place one item back on the shelves before getting to the checkout lane. This practice will help save small amounts of money and help prevent the buyer’s remorse that will strike as soon as you realize how much you’ve spent.
Paint your roof white: Air conditioning costs can be extremely high, especially in the summer. By covering your black-tar roof with white paint, you can reduce the temperature both inside and outside of your home. On a hot day, a black roof can get up to double the temperature outside while a white roof, on the other hand, will stay cooler and reduce cooling costs up to 40%.
Pack a lunch: If you eat out every day for lunch, you are spending a lot of extra money on food costs. Packing a lunch not only costs a lot less, but it is also a healthier option.
Unplug: Vampire power is the energy your appliances use even though the power is off. All your appliances; TV, phone charger, toaster, etc., still use energy when they’re plugged in. Instead, unplug all the appliances unless you’re using them. You can even invest in some energy-saving plugins to help.
Live a healthy lifestyle: Drinking more water is not only good for you; it can cut down on the expensive sugary drinks like soda or coffee you’re buying every day. If you instead devote more time working on your health and fitness, you’ll spend less time shopping, eating out, or heading to the movies. Living a happier, healthier lifestyle will even save you trips to the doctor and a lot of money on medical bills. Flush less and take shorter showers: The famous saying “If it’s yellow, let it mellow” actually can be sound advice if you’re trying to save money. (Just close the lid). The water conserved from both flushing less and taking shorter showers can add up.
The Navy, for example, created a shower technique to save water rations that only uses 11 gallons instead of the 60 gallons an average shower takes. How? Turn the water on just enough to get wet and turn it back off. Next, lather up and turn the water back on only when you’re ready to rinse.
Cut your hair shorter: If you’re female, you know just how much work long hair can take. The water, shampoo and conditioner, hair products, and the energy your hairdryer uses all costs money. By cutting your hair shorter, you can save time and money.
Potty train your cat: It may sound crazy, but training your cat to use the toilet instead of a litter box will save you around $1,650 in litter costs over the lifetime of your pet. Apparently, the training process isn’t very difficult to master either.
Go vegetarian sometimes: Not only are plant-based diets proven to reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, fruits, veggies, beans, soy, and rice are all way less expensive than even the cheapest cuts of meat at your local store.
Use professionals-in-training: Not only do students offer discounted rates when it comes to cosmetology schools, dental schools, massage schools, or any other service, they often perform just as well, and they have more to prove. You will need to keep in mind that you’ll get what you pay for, but students are more likely to go the extra mile to make you happy.
Don’t drive too fast: Excessive accelerating and heavy breaking can make your car less efficient and cost you more over time. According to the Department of Energy, for each five mph you go over 60, you pay about 20 cents more per gallon.
Plant a tree: By adding trees to the south, east, and west side of your home, you can shade it and keep it cooler. Planting trees can add up to saving 25% on your home cooling costs. Be sure to keep space between your home and the trees so that the roots do not negatively impact your foundation or plumbing. Also only plant strong trees and not the fast growing, weak kind that may pose a hazard of falling onto your home in inclement weather.
In the end, the truth is, having savings is all about preparedness and freedom. Doing the initial work to prepare offers you the freedom to relax and enjoy life, assured in the knowledge that you are financially secure and prepared for the unexpected. As the many people who have had a significant, unforeseen expense arise can attest, there is nothing that offers more relief than having an emergency fund tucked away when it happens.
Living below your means and making small sacrifices every day to build up your emergency fund is quite literally, worth every penny. There’s no doubt about it: the rainy days will come; how well you plan will determine if your family sinks or swims.