4 Easy Money-Saving Methods That Will Add Exactly $3K to Your Savings This Year

Promised yourself to save more and spend less in 2018? In order to actually achieve this goal, you’ll have to be realistic. Instead of hoping to save a million, calculate how much money you can put aside every day, week or month and take advantage of ways to make extra cash. Today, we’ll help you to come up with an easy, painless, and most importantly – a successful strategy.

1. Save $3 a Day: $1,095

If you’ll put aside $3 a day, you’ll have $1,095 by the end of the year. To make this easier, download a savings app that will do it automatically.

In fact, you could “kill two birds with one stone” and use this method to get rid of some bad habits, too! For example, you could collect money that you would spend on drinks after work, or that third cup of coffee you really don’t need.

If you’re ready to save more aggressively, then you could try saving $20 per week. This way, you would end up with $1,040!

BONUS TIP: Don’t like the idea of tightening your budget? You don’t have to. There are plenty of easy ways to make money online. In fact, you could make those three dollars in just a few minutes! Take a look at our favorite, tired & true survey sites:

• Ipsos i-Say – One of the best on the web, Ipsos i-Say offers impressive rewards and quick payments. Their surveys are fun, easy and definitely well-paid. Click here to sign up.
• InboxDollars – get your $3 for watching short videos, playing games, scrolling the web and even shopping online. Try it today and get $5 just for signing up!
• SurveyJunkie – 2000 points on SurveyJunkie is equivalent to $20, which doesn’t take long to collect. Some users shared that they’re making $45 in one hour! Now add that to your savings account every week and you’ll get to keep both – your spending habits and saving promises! Click here to start.

Balance: $1,095

2. Roundup Your Purchases: $500

If you’re getting serious about saving, then I highly recommend downloading Qapital. It’s absolutely free and VERY useful.

You set a savings goal and implement a “roundup method,” which means that every time you’re buying a cup of coffee for, let’s say $2.35, Qapital will round up that amount to the next dollar ($3) and transfer 65 cents into your savings account.

It’s probably the easiest way to save money – you could have $500 by the end of the year (or even more!).

Balance: $1,595

3. Prepare Home-Cooked Meals: $572

We all enjoy going out for dinners and lunches. But in one day, you could prep enough food for the whole week!

And I’m not saying that you should quit going out for good. Choose one day when you’ll treat yourself to lunch – Friday, for example.

The approximate cost of going out to lunch is $11. So, if you’ll eat a home-cooked meal one day per week, you could save $572 in a year (or more!). If you’ll do that twice a week, the number will naturally double.

To get into this new habit, take a look this beginner’s guide to meal planning.

Balance: $2,167

4. Earn Some Easy Money on the Side: $1,040

If you don’t mind waking up early or taking evening walks, then you could use these healthy habits to earn some easy cash. I’m talking about dog-walking jobs!

Who would say no to some friendly company and an extra $20 for every walk? If you’ll schedule to do this one day per week, you’ll make $1,040 by the end of 2018!

For pet-care jobs, go to sites like TaskRabbit, Rover, Wag, and Care.com.

Sometimes, you can find cat-sitting jobs, which are way easier. The only thing you have to do is pour some food into the bowl and clean the litter.

Balance: $3,207

MORE WAYS TO SAVE

Congratulations! We’ve reached the promised amount – $3K! Now, let’s discuss a few alternatives in case some of the methods aren’t working for you.

• For fast cash, join TaskRabbit. That’s where people create listings for simple tasks that they don’t have the skills or time to complete. For example – mow the lawn, paint the house or do some grocery shopping. Obviously, everything you’ll earn should go towards your saving goal.
• Use Trim to cancel unused subscriptions and negotiate your bills. It’s a free app that analyzes your spending habits and credit card charges. Started using your friend’s Netflix? Ask Trim to cancel your subscription and put aside $8 for savings. Click here to give it a try.
• Increase your income or cut your spending. If you can’t afford to put money aside TODAY, then you need to change a thing or two about your finances. Do whatever it takes – save your receipts, calculate how much money you spend on lunch, or consider quitting an expensive habit. Check this article for the best budgeting apps and personal finance tools. To increase your income, go back to method no. 1 and take advantage of money-making websites.

Good luck!

This article is provided by CheapGenius. CheapGenius is an ImproveBudget content partner offering advice and tips on how to save and make extra money. Read the original article on CheapGenius. Copyright 2018.