To many, saving money is a difficult task that often means cutting corners. However, that does not have to be the case. There are plenty of ways to save and earn extra money without sacrificing comfort or having to work with less. To begin saving money, the first step is usually budgeting. Creating a budget is helpful for identifying where and how much money is being spent every month. It reveals where money is misspent, allowing spending to be reduced to save money.
Besides budgeting, there are many other ways to save money. Living in the digital age provides shoppers with many new money saving opportunities they did not have before. Coupon clipping no longer requires buying the Sunday newspaper or tracking down coupon books. Digital coupons can be found online or through cell phone apps specifically for couponing. Shopping online can also offer savings not found in stores. Read on to learn more about how you can save money.
Money Saving Resources
There is a surplus of money saving resources available for those who are looking to save some money every month. One popular way to save money on everyday purchases is by using coupons. Coupons are easier to use than ever before, as they are now available online and through apps. Digital coupons can be used alone, but sometimes they can be combined with traditional paper coupons. Some cell phone apps offer coupons along with rebates for certain purchases.
If you are looking to save money by keeping track of your spending, there are apps specifically for budgeting and finance tracking available to use. Some apps can help you earn some cash by taking paid surveys or making purchases through cash back deal providers like Ebates and Ibotta. Cash can also be earned by playing on certain cell phone apps, like virtual scratch-off apps.
Finance Tracking
The first step to saving money is budgeting and watching over your finances, and there is no easier way to do both than with finance tracking apps. These mobile apps help you save and track your money, your payments and your investments. Budgeting apps help you create and customize your budget and make it easy to follow your budget on the go. Some finance tracking apps also come with extra features and benefits, such as a free credit report, payment transferring and account alert systems. A few apps also have features that offer spending habit insights and suggestions on where to cut spending. Many of these apps can be used at no charge, though some have optional premium features for a fee.
Other finance tracking apps include savings and payment apps, such as Acorns and Prism. These apps have different functionalities from budgeting apps, like bill payments, investment making and personalized financial advice from experts. Finance tracking apps are great tools for savings money and keeping track of daily and monthly expenses.
Coupons
Also referred to as “couponing”, clipping coupons has been a long-time favorite of those who like to save money on groceries and household items. Clipping coupons is traditionally done by collecting newspaper inserts, fliers and coupon booklets, but there are now more options for couponing. Searching for coupons is easy, and they can come as printable coupons, digital coupons or coupon codes.
The easiest way to clip coupons is by using coupon apps such as Grocery iQ and Coupon Sherpa. These types of apps do not require coupons to be printed, saving shoppers money and time they would otherwise spend printing and cutting coupons before a shopping trip. These apps have some added benefits, such as the ability to check for coupons while shopping in-store. If a shopper is unsure an item they want to purchase has a coupon, he or she can check the app for one as they shop. They also remove the need for organization that is needed to keep track of paper coupons. Coupons that are no longer needed or have expired are easy to remove if they are not removed by the app automatically. It is also easy to manage coupon limitations on coupon apps, as most will remove coupons that have already been used or alert the shopper when they have reached the amount of times the coupon can be used.
Online Deals
Another way to save money on purchases is by finding online deals. There are plenty of websites and apps available that help shoppers find online sales, rebates and coupon codes. Some websites, like Ebates, offer cash back deals while helping shoppers find any coupons that might apply to their purchase. These websites typically have accompanying apps for both Android and iOS. Once a certain amount of cash value is accumulated in the account, individuals can request a check or a gift card for whatever amount they would like to withdraw from the account.
Other apps, like Ibotta and ShopKick, offer cash back or rebates on purchases made in-store after a shopper uploads a copy of his or her receipt. These apps work similarly to coupon apps, as users still need to add rebates and offers they would like to use. However, unlike coupons, the savings are not instant. The savings accumulate in the user’s account as they would with a cash back app. A shopper can withdraw their savings from the app once they have reached the app’s minimum withdrawal balance.
Paid Surveys
When budgeting and saving money is not enough, making a little extra cash on the side can be helpful. One way to do this is by completing paid surveys. Paid surveys take relatively little time to complete, typically being finished in 5 to 20 minutes. Though these surveys offer small amounts of money as compensation, longer surveys tend to pay a little more than the shorter ones. Signing up for accounts with multiple survey companies is the best way to access the different benefits each company offers while maximizing your earnings.
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