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It is a New Year and a new you.
At least, it will be by the time you read this post.
Many resolutions involve finances.
Since the mission of Adding Pennies is to put money back in your pocket, we thought we would compile a list of things you can do to save for the New Year.
More money means you can do more important things like put extra money toward retirement, retire early, pay off debt, pay for kids’ college, or build an emergency fund.
The things on this list are not big things.
They are simple, easy things that you can start right now.
If you try several of them, you should save a lot.
Most are things that people tend to waste money on.
Try them all, but make sure to only try one at a time.
We grouped them by categories.
Here are 30 easy things you can do to put money back in your pocket in 2020.
Buying food away from home
People spend as much on food away from home as food prepared at home according to statistics.
That is a pretty big number.
This includes everything from buying lunch everyday to swinging into the drugstore to buy something small for $2.
This is the first category we will start with because again it is huge.
You should enjoy yourself (have your latte every now and then), but cut costs.
1. Have a plan for breakfast
Breakfast means to break fast.
It is the first meal of the day.
Whether you have prepared overnight oats or make egg muffin tins ahead of time; you must know what you will eat.
If you don’t, you will either hit the drive thru or be famished by lunch.
If you are famished, you will more than likely hit a vending machine or equivalent.
Basically, it will cost of if you are not prepared for breakfast.
2. Brown bag lunch
Lunch is expensive.
If you spend five dollars on lunch all five days, that is $25 a week, $100 per month, or $1200 a year.
Could you use an extra $1200 a year?
Of course you could.
Most people spend more than five dollars on lunch, so it may be around $2000 or more a year.
That is a lot of money.
What is worst is some people don’t even enjoy their lunch.
With a good cookbook or online blog and some simple recipes; you can have a cheaper and healthier lunch that is delicious.
Personally, I get recipes from EatingWell.com.
With some staples like vegetables, whole grains, frozen chicken breasts; you can have a cheap, easy, delicious meal.
If you love eating lunch out, you can still eat lunch out. Just cut back on the amount of days.
You will still save money even if you eat lunch out one to two days a week instead of all five days.
3. Eat out only for special occasions
I am a Foodie.
In fact, I will have a post coming up on how I spend as little as $50/month and eat at restaurants once a week.
First, I do that by preparing all my meals at home.
Restaurants are for special occasions.
Special occasions are once a week or less for me.
Maybe they are more for you.
Secondly, when I eat out, I stick to the lunch special.
I just had lunch at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants the other day.
It was $10 before taxes.
If I had bought the dinner equivalent, it would have been almost $20 after taxes.
I think they give you more food, but most people are eating oversized portions that are not needed.
Lastly, I have water instead of soft drinks as my beverage.
The main thing is to think of meals as special occasions again.
4. Make coffee at home
If coffee is your thing, and it makes your day; then ignore this.
Managing finances is not about misery.
It is about having more money to do the things you want and building wealth.
The last time I bought Starbucks, it came to over $4.
It has been a long time.
Maybe it is $5 now.
Nothing wrong with an occasional cup of Joe out, but if you won’t notice, make your coffee at home.
If coffee is your thing, then ignore this tip.
Even cutting back on how much you buy coffee, can save you some money.
If you buy coffee every day, buying it half that amount will save you something.
5. Avoid snacks away from home
Most snacks are ultra-processed, unhealthy food with excess sugar and weird ingredients.
Save your money and your health.
Buying expensive convenience store and vending machines snacks is expensive.
Even when you only spend a dollar, that could be an extra $100 per month if you do that multiple times a day.
What could you do with $100 a month?
For healthy snacks, use MyPlate and buy fruits, vegetables, nuts, cheese, etc.
I read a lot about health and nutrition, so I think this is best.
Again, whatever works fo you though.
Prepare everything at home and package it yourself in zip lock bags.
Avoiding snacks will not only help you have good health, you will also save money.
6. Avoid beverages like soda
Soda is expensive.
A long time ago, I was a soda person.
I even bought soda at the health food store to have my “healthy” soda with Stevia and no sugar.
This was a very expensive habit after I did the math.
I think it came to about $50 a month.
That was ridiculous.
If you spent one dollar a day on soda, that would be $30 a month.
Most people probably spend more than that.
Juice is expensive too and no health beverage.
Drink just plain water.
After I trained my palate to drink water, I never looked back.
Most beverages are just cravings for sugar, so you will save your health too.
Groceries
Groceries are another category to save money on.
People spend a lot of money, and they don’t have too.
Here are some ways to save on groceries:
7. Use apps like Ibotta, Checkout 51, etc
These apps are modern day digital coupons.
If you hate paper coupons, these apps are easy to use.
They just require a smartphone.
Most just require that you take a picture of your receipt.
The best approach is to combine these with sales and paper coupons.
Honestly, I have not gotten around to paper coupons, so when I do you can learn with me.
I know using the combination is the best way to maximize savings though.
RELATED: 9 Free Apps That Will Pay You To Scan Grocery Store Receipts
8. Use grocery store apps like Kroger, Target, etc
I love the Kroger and Target app.
Grocery store apps are great.
I happen to shop at multiple stores.
I have saved a lot using store apps.
You can combine these with apps like Ibotta.
9. Use coupons
Like I said earlier, I have not used paper coupons yet, but plan to have a post soon when I try them.
Again, I know I will save money when I do without doing anything extreme like you may have seen on television.
People have had the wrong perception of coupons.
Maybe they still do.
My problem was time and how many newspapers one site told me to buy.
I have learned more since then.
Coupons are not for weird people who slow the checkout line to save fifty cents.
They can actually put some money back in your pocket.
Coupons used to be frowned upon like frugality in general.
Things are about real wealth now.
Anything that puts money back in your pocket builds real wealth.
Real wealth is what matters.
That is measured in your net worth.
Don’t neglect coupons as something that can put money back in your pocket.
10. Buy items on sale
Know the sales cycle and shop during sales.
Make sure to stock up.
Use sales ads to see what is on sale.
Again, when you combine sales with the other methods you save more.
Stock up when there is a sale again.
Even meat can be frozen.
RELATED: 12 Ways To Save Money On Goceries
Money Management
11. Choose a bank or credit union with less fees
Bank fees can add up.
That is money you can have.
Do your research and choose carefully.
I personally use a credit union, but I am not sure if everyone can do this.
12. Get a high yielding saving account
There are many high yielding savings account out there.
Regular savings account really give you nothing.
So find a high yielding savings account.
13. Get a bank bonuses
Bank bonuses can pay you thousands a year.
You will have to pay taxes on them, but it is still free money.
For instance, Chase offers $300-$500 to sign up for a new saving or checking.
If you get both, that is at least $600 or more.
It may look inconvenient, but in actuality it is easy.
14. Use a rewards card (if you will pay your balance in full)
Rewards cards get you free money on spending you would do anyway.
This only works if you pay your balance in full though.
If you can pay your balance in full, this is free money.
15. Use a cashback portals
This is free money too if you shop online.
I did not shop online much in the past, but I now manage to buy things online that I only used to buy in the store like contact lens supplies.
I then pick them up in the store.
Most people shop online, so this is simply leaving money on the table.
RELATED: Why You Should Use A Cashback Site For Your Onlin Shopping
Clothing
16. Shop at discount stores like Ross, T.J. Maxx, and Marshalls
I love these stores.
I get my Calvin Klein, Ann Klein, or other designer clothing for cheap.
I love fashion and read several magazines (for free or cheap of course).
There is always a bargain to be had at these stores.
Before these stores existed and when I knew little about money, I used to only shop at department stores.
These discount stores have revolutionized shopping.
Again, you get designer clothes cheap.
Who can beat that?
17. Buy on sale
If you shop at department stores like Macys and Belk, make sure it always a sale item.
These stores run frequent sales.
There really is no need to pay full price.
RELATED: 10 Ways To Never Pay Full Price For Anything
Gas
18. Buy cheaper gas
I love the Kroger program. By shopping there, you get free points for gas.
A trick to get more Kroger points is to get cashback at the register.
The entire purchase counts.
So if you spent $10 and got $50 back, you purchase would read $60 giving you more points.
This may have changed since I hear Kroger started charging for cash back.
Walmart, Mapco, and Marathon are great cheap gas stations too.
19. Use gas rewards programs
I am just learning these.
I used to ignore them because they only said they discounted ten cents per gallon off gas.
After reading the reviews, I see this can get $10-$20 back a month.
So use a rewards program.
20. Drive less or strategically
If you live in a place with public transportation, drive less.
Some workplaces even have carpools.
If you live close enough to work, ride a bike.
If you have to drive, do so strategically to spend as little gas as possible.
Travel
21. Do a staycation
A staycation is where you stay in your own city or a place near by and tour it.
Because I get lots of free hotels, I have even used a small amount of points to stay overnight in my own city.
A staycation could even include places in your state or bordering state.
This saves a lot on gas.
I recommend not staying overnight to save more though.
For example, I live about two hours from Nashville, Tennessee.
That is an easy day trip that I can do without staying overnight.
22. Get a deal on a flight
Flight deals can be great.
You can get round trip tickets for as low as $100.
I hear you can get even better than that on discount carriers like Frontier and Spirit.
23. Use a rewards card for travel
Reward cards for travel can get you your next free trip.
If you love travel and can pay your balance in full, you should consider a travel rewards card.
If you put your normal spending like groceries on the card and pay it off with cash; you should be able to get at least a free flight each year, if not more.
Check out our sister site, Travel Points 101 .
That is my other blog.
Why spend on travel if you don’t have to?
Misc
24. Do your own hair
A lot of things with hair care can be done by you.
I don’t know about this for men, but this is definitely true for women.
26. Save on entertainment
Entertainment is something that everyone can save on.
Most cities have so many free events.
You can go to the park.
If you live in a major city, you can walk around the city center for free.
Whenever I visit Chicago or N.Y.C., I usually do most things for free.
I may pay for a major attractions, but I do a lot of free things too.
If you like movies, see an early show or go to a discount theatre.
27. Take time making a purchase
If you take your time, (like a month), you may find it is not something you need or want.
This allows you to fully think through your purchase.
This will stop impulse purchases.
28. Go over your spending and see things to change
If you have not done this, for one month, track everything you spend.
I did this before I started brown bagging lunch and saw the insane amount of money I was spending.
I have been brown bagging every since.
I only bought cafeteria food at work.
My workplace has a cheap cafeteria, but it still adds up.
29. Don’t spend on magazines
I had magazines subscriptions for years.
I actually love magazines.
That was a ridiculous amount of money and paper.
You can go to discount sites and pay less.
Swagbucks even has “Discover” offers for magazines for $2. Use our link here to sign up.
You can read them at the library for free too.
You can also even read them at the bookstore for free while you are at the mall.
I did not even have time to read those magazines.
What a waste of money.
30. Don’t ever pay an ATM fee
ATM fees are fees that no longer make sense.
You can choose a large bank or credit union.
You can also do what I do is this post here.
Summary
There are millions of ways to put money back in your pocket
Putting money back in your pocket is the mission of Adding Pennies.
A penny may seem small, but it adds up.
Try some of these tips (preferably all).
Everyone’s personal preferences are different.
So if you don’t like some, ignore them.
These are just things that most people could save a lot of money on.
Try one or a couple at a time for greater success.
Like anything, changing too many things at one time usually leads to failure.
Happy New Year!