Make Money

34 Money Hacks That Will Change Your Life

by Maria @ Call It Adventure

Check these awesome money hacks that will make a huge difference in your finances. Start saving money to reach you financial goals!

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Recently I read a book by Lawrence Levy called To Pixar and Beyond. The book tells the story of Pixar’s extraordinary and unique way to success. There was a great saying, and I’d like to share with you:

No matter what cards you have. What matters is what you’re gonna do with them.

This is brilliant. Just think about it. A lot of people have resources such as time, money, knowledge, whatever you can think of, and they don’t use them or don’t use them efficiently.

On the contrary, some people have minimal resources, and they use them so smart that these resources keep on growing and giving back.

All of us work hard to make money. Some of us work really-really hard. Nevertheless, some unexpected expenses can hit us hard. And I’m not even talking about getting a bigger house or going on that dream vacation.

Therefore it all comes down to smart money management.

There are many ways to save money, spend less, and manage your budget smart so that you’ll find yourself in a much better financial position.

Let’s get started with easy money hacks that can change your life right away and save you a lot of money.

Related posts:

34 Smart money hacks to save you a lot

1. Spend less than you earn

Rule number one is to spend less than you earn. That way you’ll be able to invest the rest into new opportunities and save for the future.

If you can’t implement this money hack, revise your expenses. You can cut expenses that are not crucial, sell things you don’t need, downgrade your car and house. Or you can find a second job or a side hustle.

Do whatever it takes to spend less than you earn.

You can find a lot of tips on how to do that.

An excellent first step would be realize how much you make and how much you spend.

2. Practice frugal lifestyle

Frugal lifestyle is a smart way of using accessible resources and spend money smart. It can be anything from money management to getting rid of unhealthy and costly habits.

Being frugal doesn’t mean being cheap. It means smart and responsible for the resources you have. Remember the saying from the beginning of the post? It matters how you use what you have.

Find out how to live a frugal life in my post about frugal life.

3. Financial self-education

A real money hack is to know how money work and what to do with finances. Start financial-self education to take control of your finances.

Invest in yourself so that you can create a better financial future.

For example, you can start with Dave Ramsey Baby Steps. It is a money management system that leads to a secure financial situation.

Along with implementing Dave Ramsey Baby Steps you can read easy and apprehensible personal finance books.

Here are my favorite personal finance books that are very easy to read and nevertheless, very educational:

4. Set financial goals

Having financial goals is like having a map. If you don’t have any, how would you know where are you now and what is the next milestone? Take some time to write down how much you want to make, how much you need for retirement, how much you need to save, etc.

5. Budget everything

Budget everything from grocery expenses to purchasing a new phone.

More about budgeting here: The Ultimate Guide How to Budget Money Effectively

If it is not budgeted this period of time, budget it for the next one. For example, budget travel expenses for the next season or new year and try to stay within the budget. That money hack will ensure that you don’t overspend and spend money rationally.

There are a lot of tools that help to budget. For example, I use Mint. You can create different budgets in Mint for housing, gas, groceries, and even coffee shops. At the end of a month, you can revise the expenses to improve the spending. Moreover, every time you overspend Mint sends a notification.

6. Incorporate meal planning

Cooking at home saves a lot, but you need to plan beforehand. Create a meal plan, set groceries, restaurants budget at stick to it. You’ll be surprised by how less you spend on groceries and food when it is planned vs when you shop impulsively with no goal.

7. Shop with a list

Most people impulsively buy a lot of things they don’t need. Usually, 30% of your cart is extras that you don’t need. Therefore, create a shopping list. No matter what you’re shopping for. You can shop for groceries, household items, clothing, etc. If you don’t have a list you may end up buying more than you actually need.

8. Find a side hustle

There are money-saving hacks, and there are money-making hacks. One thing is to build financial wealth by saving money. The other is to find smart ways to make extra cash. There are no limits to what side hustle you should choose. It can be a second job, a weekend job, or a remote job. You can even sell crafts and make extra cash with it. Some people start a Youtube channel, some blog, and make six figures.

Research the options and head to my post How to Make Money Blogging | Big Little Secret to Success.

9. Get paid to walk

Use Sweatcoin app that tracks steps and gives rewards for it. You won’t make a fortune, but it is all about using the resources we have, remember?

Check my Sweatcoin review.

10. Get paid to shop

Use Ibotta, a free rewards program to get cashback at on everyday purchases. Ibotta is a free mobile app.

Learn how does Ibotta work in my Honest Ibotta Review 2020.

11. Get paid for your opinions

There are a lot of opportunities to take part in surveys and online focus groups and make money.

My favorite platform is Survey Junkie, which is a research platform that pays for participation in surveys.

Check my Survey Junkie review to find out how to make money by sharing your opinion.

12. Get paid for playing online games

Sometimes we’d like to take a break from money hacking and relax. Well, guess what. You can hack the leisure as well. Use Swagbucks for playing online games and more.

Learn how to make money with Swagbucks and implement this money hack.

13. Challenge your expenses

Hack your expenses. Challenge every one of them. Do you really need it? I bet you can cut some expenses and therefore save more.

14. Check you credit cards

We all own several credit cards. Sometimes we (me for sure) tend to forget paying them. Moreover,  some of them can have a high rate. Make a list of all your credit cards and revise them.

15. Refinance loans

If you have a student loan or a mortgage, shop once in a while for lower rates. In a long run you can save thousands of hundreds of dollars upon refinance. At least I did.

16. Set up auto transfers to a saving account

Make saving effortless. You can ask your employer to issue a salary to multiple accounts. Or you can set up auto transfers to a saving account.

17. Shop around for new insurance

You may be surprised how easily you can lower insurance costs by making several costs and comparing different offers.

18. Research before making any purchase

Before making any purchase, check how to save money. Sometimes you can buy slightly used items that are way cheaper. Or you can wait for a seasonal sale. Usually, retailers have great sales on Black Fridays or around Christmas.

19. Cancel gym membership

Many people overrate gym membership. Unless you’re a professional bodybuilder, you can work out at home. I use free Trainity app to stay healthy and in shape. You can go an extra mile and create your own work out plan that doesn’t include expensive gym membership.

20. Cancel TV subscriptions

Netflix, Hulu, or any other TV subscription is a pricey way to spend your free time. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars per year to media providers, spend the time TV free. Talk with you family, play board games, read, whatever you may think of. There are so many free things to do that will benefit you instead of a media provider that will only charge you.

21. Stop buying books

Local libraries are priceless resources among money hacks. As a person who reads a lot, I saved hundreds of dollars when I joined the local library and started to borrow books instead of buying them. Moreover, you can borrow even ebook, that makes it so much easier.

22. Stop going to movies

I just love movies! Did you know that you can rent movies in a library? An average AMC movie ticket price is $12. You can easily save a hundred for your budget if you rent movies from a library for free.

23. Take advantage of 401k

If your employer matches 401k, just take it. To sum it up, consider the employer matching free money.

Managing investment accounts and preparing for retirement is a whole different story. Here is a great book about how to invest smart and prepare for retirement, called Power to Zero, by David McKnight. I’ve mentioned it before and telling you about it now. I just love it. You can check it to understand how investment account works and how to take advantage of them.

24. Invest spare change

For all those who don’t have a lot of money to invest in investment accounts, use Acorns, an automated investment tool to invest spare change. You won’t notice it, but little by little, you’ll have an investment account.

25. Use your own containers for take out

Did you know that restaurants offer discounts if you use your own containers? I didn’t. I started using my own containers as one of the frugal life tips. Guess what, being frugal paid back! I noticed that all of the restaurants give discounts. Moreover, they treat you much better and can offer perks, because you’re a responsible consumer.

26. Use your own coffee cup

Starbucks and other coffee shops give discounts when you bring a reusable container. You may not notice it, but check the receipt, and you’ll see 10cents discount for sure.

27. Make your own coffee

Go an extra mile. Brew coffee at home and put it in a thermo cup.

I used to be a frequent Starbucks client. No doubt that It is great when you’re on the go. But think of how much time (not even talking about money here) does it take to buy a cup of coffee from a coffee shop, even if you order in advance. Ordering, parking, waiting in a line, picking up. Just too much comparing to brewing coffee at home.

I learned it hard way by wasting precious time in coffee shops. The time is even more precious in the morning when every minute counts.

So I gave up on morning coffee from coffee shops to save time and money.

Here is how my mornings look: I wake up, brew coffee, do some yoga while its brewing and do my morning routine.

I found out that it not only saves money but also saves time. Which I value the most.

28. Make your own gifts

There are so many things that you can do with your own hands, and that will have bigger value compared to something you buy. Put some soul into a gift.

Check these 12 easy crafts ideas to find out some inspiration.

29. Challenge your home expenses

Most of the time, home expenses, rent, and mortgage, are the biggest expenses, among others. Audit your housing. Do you have what you actually need, or can you downgrade with no life quality loss and save?

30. Challenge your car expenses

The same as with home expenses, check how much you spend for owning or leasing the car. Can you choose a cheaper alternative and cut expenses?

31. Ask for a raise

Great workers are highly valued. Improve your skills, create a pitch, and ask for a raise.

The worst that can happen is you hear no. But if you worked hard enough, you might get a raise.

For example, I was spending everything that I was making. I improved my skills, made a pinch, and asked for a raise. Guess what, I got more than I asked! Now I try to spend as usual and the difference goes to saving.

Upon implementing this money hack, try to put the raise on a separate savings account.

32. Shop online and subscribe to get %10 discount

When you shop online and opt into a newsletter most of the retailers give 10-15% discount. Try this hack next time you’re ready to buy something online or offline. Just go online and subscribe to a newsletter and order an item with a discount.

33. Travel smart

Hack the travel and save hundreds. Use travel hacks to travel the world on a budget.

34. Create a passive income source

One of the most important money hacks is to make money work. It is possible by creating a passive income. There are many passive income sources.

For example, I created this blog as some sort of passive income. It still requires a lot of work, but I hope to make six figures next year by working four hours per week.

Here I share my success story How to Make Money Blogging | Big Little Secret to Success.

Conclusion

No doubt that it can be overwhelming to improve so many things at once. Take little steps to implement money hacks into your life. Think of it as a new lifestyle that will lead you to a better and wealthier life. Focus your attention on a couple of money hacks and try to master them. When you master them, move to a new money hack. That will ensure you make the best of your time and resources. Therefore you’ll save more and feel good about it.