Spending money for your basic needs such as food, gas, and rent are valid and unavoidable–but there are ways to lower your overall spending so can put more money towards retirement, a house, investments, or your emergency fund. Here are activities you can add to your day to help you save more money toward your long-term financial goals. You don’t have to give up your daily coffee, but you do stand to save big by making it yourself. If you’re a coffee enthusiast who wants the taste of a cafe, spring for a quality coffee machine. Personal finance blogger Jim Wang calls this the “upgrade and save” strategy—while a quality drip coffee maker or Nespresso machine might cost you more upfront, you will save more in the long run by making coffee you love at home. If you already have a coffee maker at home and are not on the market for a new one, a milk frother, like this Zulay Milk Frother ($14.99, amazon.com), can really up your at-home coffee game by giving you the frothy, foamy goodness of a latte or cappuccino at a fraction of the cost. Another energy-saving habit is to do do your laundry in cold water, and hanging your clothes to dry. “You’ll save up to 90 percent of the energy the washing machine uses,” says Tanya Peterson, consumer finance expert and vice president of brand at Freedom Financial Network. “A dryer is likely the highest-energy use of any appliance besides your furnace,” says Peterson. She says savings could be $150 or more each year depending on the model of your appliances and how much laundry you do. Unplugging your energy-draining devices every day is a financially and environmentally sustainable habit. “Saving money is hard if you don’t know where your money is going,” says Zen. Make sure you track every dollar that you’re spending—“even $0.50 for a parking meter counts,” says Zen. Not knowing how much money is going in and out can lead to financial anxiety—tracking your daily spending can help you get a true picture of your money and help you make more smarter money decisions on the go. Zen recommends waiting 30 days to buy an item, no matter how big or small it may be. “The 30-day rule can help you reduce impulsive spending and save more money as you become better at identifying your wants versus your needs,” explains Zen. Instead of setting aside some weekend in the future for all the decluttering you need to do, breaking it down and making it a daily habit is a lot less daunting—and is a good way to get yourself to actually do it. You’ll save money and know that you use everything you own, and won’t spend money on something you might already have at home. RELATED: How to Declutter Every Room in Your Home—Fast “Limit yourself to one trip a week for groceries,” says Jenna Lofton, certified financial advisor and founder of stock trading guide Stock Hitter. Lofton suggests taking advantage of grocery coupons and buying foods in bulk to save more money at the grocery store. Once you have your groceries, make a habit of setting time aside each week to prep your meals in advance. “Take a look at the grocery flyer or your local store app to see what’s on sale and create a meal plan for the week accordingly, focusing on low-cost meals,” says Zen. She says planning her family’s meals saves them $400 each month on their grocery bill. This doesn’t mean you have to stop dining out altogether—putting more effort into planning meals at home with occasional meals out at restaurants (such as on the weekends) can still help you save money on food. Whether you get to $1,000 or not, putting aside the $5 bills in a jar can serve as a visual representation of your daily savings. It might seem like an insignificant amount to many, but collecting $5 in a jar can show the value of saving—and motivate you to keep going.
