55 Ways to Save Money Without Coupons

What happens when a spontaneous non-saving spender and a penny-pinching coupon using saver fall in love? Well, this story could end up one of two ways; resentment with a dash of disaster or compromise with a heavy dose of commitment. Although our story is far from complete (thank God), we’ve learned a ton from our opposite money habits!

As with most marriages, we’ve had, um, shall I say just a few growing pains? They say opposites attract, and my oh my how we are completely opposite. I’m a talker, he is not. He’s quiet, I am not. I like to shop, he does not. And of course, I’m the spender, he is not; at least when we first got together. We absolutely have moved further away from our own spending habits and toward the other’s, which has made for good compromises.

I’m not sure I ever used a coupon a day in my life before meeting Ken. And on the contrary, it was a rare occasion that Ken would go out to dinner without a coupon! I’m happy to report that on our first date, there was no coupon used! Although I have learned to use coupons in the last 13 years, it’s not my favorite way to save money. So I’ve come up with some of our favorite ways as a family to save money!

Many of these won’t seem like a big deal, but great impact is often made a little bit over time. Also, many of these easy ways to save money are also better for the earth, or your mental and physical health; BONUS!

1. Use military/AARP discount: When Ken joined the military, this was the last thing I asked for. It made me very uncomfortable to ask for a discount and actually took about 3 years of being encouraged to actually pull out my military ID. Most places offer 10% and although 10% on a $40 dinner bill doesn’t seem like much, if you eat out once a month, that’s almost $50 a year! So don’t be afraid to ask. As Ken always tells me, it’s there for a reason, so it’s okay to ask and use it!

2. Ditch the gym membership: Ken and I met at the gym and it was almost love at first curl…after he asked me out three times (thank God he was persistent). It might go without saying that the gym was a big part of our lives; we went 5-7 days a week and loved it! However, when we moved to the country, our view of driving to the gym changed. We looked at the time and consequently the money on gas we were spending on the gym; $75/month for a family membership, plus 20 minutes one way to get there. I’m not about to get into how much gas costs, but obviously there’s money spent on that too. Fitness is still very much a part of our lives, but we just do it at home now! We stream workouts through Beachbody, have a pullup bar and a treadmill and, yes, there’s some cost with the equipment upfront, but instead of spending $75/month plus, time, gas and aggravation, we spend $8.25/month to stream workouts in the comfort of our home and love it.

3. Ditch cable: I’ve heard that people pay well over $100 for cable every month. As for us, we haven’t had cable since Ken worked for TiVo and we got a giant discount. There are so many other options for watching TV now that no one should be spending that much on it. You could get an antennae and get all the local channels. Then of course there’s Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Prime to name a few. I love watching my favorite network (ABC, NBC, CBS) shows online. The trick to this one is you just have to wait a week to watch each show! I’m sure the list of options goes on, but we don’t watch a ton of TV, so I’m not an expert on this. I can tell you that when I do have access to TV, I simply become lazy and don’t want to do anything, so this one’s better for your health too!

4. Opt for an alternative cell service: This is something that completely and totally gets under my skin: the amount we spend on phones. I’m about to sound real old-fashioned, but I remember having a house phone for $25/month and that was it. Now, well, now we all know how much cell phones and service cost; it’s ridiculous. So although times they are a changing, I refuse to spend $100 plus on a phone a month. So with Ken’s due diligence (and spreadsheets), we have phone service through Google FI. With this service, you only pay for data and service when you use it. You connect to Wi-Fi where ever possible and then connect to different cell towers while traveling or just away from WIFI; it’s simply brilliant! We’ve been able to keep our two cell phones to about $50/month (combined).

5. Cut out the creamer: Okay, so don’t laugh at this, but that stuff is expensive and truly offers zero value. Yes, I like a creamy cup of coffee just as much as the next person, but I don’t miss it when I don’t have it. Say you buy a creamer every week for about $3. That adds up to $156/year! Also, do I have to tell you, cutting out creamer is better for your waistline?

6. No more paper products: It was shortly after we married that I bought my first cloth napkins. They were on clearance at Bed Bath and Beyond and I thought it was worth a try to cut out paper towels and napkins. If it didn’t work, I was only out a few bucks. Nearly 12 years, we’re still using cloth napkins and saving our bank account and the environment. Here’s a conservative example: say you use one roll of paper towel per week (52 rolls). That’s about 8 packages of Bounty per year at $18.68/package. Cutting out paper towel alone, could save you about $161/year. Think about the cost of paper napkins also!

7. Opt for cloth diapers: If you’re anything like I was, this one made you throw up a little in your mouth. I never thought I could do this, but when we were expecting Ivy (our first) and realized the cost of diapers, our eyeballs pretty much popped out of our heads. I researched cloth diapering and the best ones and made out first order. We used cloth diapers at home, but did opt for disposables for travelling. It’s not nearly as hard as you might think after you get a good system down. Although cloth diapering worked like a charm for Ivy, our son’s bum was a bit more sensitive and we didn’t have as much success with this. It’s certainly worth some research and thought though!

8. Hang it up: I absolutely love hanging my clothes on a clothesline during the summer months. Not only do clothes, dry faster and smell nice, but there’s something super relaxing about the act of using a clothesline too. Maybe it’s the fresh air and sunshine? At any rate, obviously this is going to save on your energy bill.

9. Turn off lights: This one literally haunts me from my childhood, but my parents knew what they were talking about. I can still hear my dad telling me to turn off lights! Even with the advent of LED lights that save a ton of money compared to incandescent, it still costs money! So, this one’s simple, if you’re not in the room, the light is off! You could even install motion detectors for closets or other spaces where lights get forgotten.

10. Curb your cigarette habit: for real you guys! With a pack costing about $6, whether you savor a pack for a week or huff one down in a day, that’s a potential savings of $312-$2190 per year! WHAT?? You could go on vacation if you currently smoke a pack a day and quit (and you’d feel better…just sayin’)!

11. Curb the alcohol: There’s so many different variables for this one, considering all the different types of libations out there, so let’s keep it simple. If you buy a 12 pack of Bud Light every week, that’s roughly $545/year! Now, now, don’t get your panties in a bunch, I’m not telling you to stop drinking, rather consider the cost for “winding down” in the evening or drinking while being social. I can tell you from personal experience that you can wind down and be social without drinking…and I still smile while doing it too!

12. Turn the heat down just a couple degrees: I have no numbers for you on this one, but I have to believe that turning your heater down to 68 during the day and 62 at night adds up! And trust me, you can acclimate. I have what’s called Raynaud’s Syndrome which means I am very sensitive to the cold and I do just fine with our house that temp!

13. Carpool: Sure, this isn’t always doable but when it is, do it!!

14. Combine trips in town or to stores: Even though I’ve always been a planner, when we lived in town it was completely normal for me to take multiple trips to the store because I forgot something. In retrospect, I wasted a lot of time and money doing that. Now that we live 13 miles from town, I have to think twice about running back in town to get butter…simply put, I can do without it until the next trip into town.

15. Eat leftovers: Honestly though, leftover night is my favorite night for dinner! Not only do I not have to cook, but did I say I don’t have to cook? I’m blown away when I meet people who don’t eat leftovers! This is just a huge saver…the alternative? To throw out our groceries. You’re basically throwing away money.

16. Pack your lunch to work: This is where those leftovers can come in handy! Or you could just pack a good ole fashioned cold lunch. At any rate, skipping the fast food or the restaurant during the work week could save up to $2000 a year, not to mention probably inches on your waistline!

17. Make your coffee at home: As a reformed drive thru coffee junkie, I can honestly say this is one of my favorite things! Especially since I have a coffee maker that’s awake before I am. I mean, what’s better than a programmable coffee maker; a fresh hot cup-a-joe waiting for me as I stumble from my slumber. The average price for your favorite pick me up is currently $4.30. That’s about $1500/ year!

18. Only use credit cards with no fees: This is frankly, a no brainer simply because there are so many options out there that offer no annual fee.

19. Pay off your credit card monthly: This is absolutely something I learned from my smarty-pants hubby. When I met him, not only was I paying high interest rates on credit cards, but I also was missing payments, which landed me a credit score of 430…yup, not a typo. Through our marriage, I’ve learned how to be smarter about money and paying off your credit card every month is the number one rule! Live within your means. Yes, there are times life makes it tough to pay off those balances, but check out the interest you’re paying and think about what else you could spend that money on! Now, I’m happy to report my credit score is 800!

20. It’s all about the score: Trust me when I tell you that having a higher credit score, opens more doors (figuratively speaking). You can get a better interest rate on loans, better deals on other credit cards and obviously bragging rights! Just kidding on the ladder, but for real, I’m speaking from experience. I’ve also cut out a whole bunch of anxiety surrounding my score. I’m no longer worried if I’ll get denied for something and be embarrassed.

21. Cut out the sugary drinks: Ken used to drink a few diet Pepsi’s a day. Not only is this pretty terrible for your health but I hated shopping and spending money on the cases. About 10 years ago, we invested in a Soda Stream and the rest, as they say is bubbly history.

22. Use an online shopping service: I love online shopping services because it cuts out my impulse buys. I am a huge fan of shopping local and try to any chance I get. Luckily, one of our local grocery stores provides a service called Click List where I can order online and then go pick up my groceries. My other favorite online shopping club is Melaleuca. Not only do I cut out the toxins from cleaners, makeup and other household goods, but they come right to my door and I can avoid places that I’ll impulse buy, like Walgreens.

23. Don't shop while hungry: I’ve made this mistake too many times to count and then all I do is buy a whole bunch of crap I don’t need and shouldn’t eat. Not to mention I completely forget what’s on my list because I can’t focus due to being hangry!

24. Shop end of season sales for next year: This is one of my favorite things to do, especially with growing kids. In fact, we just bought winter coats for next year and got them for a fraction of the cost. Don’t forget to buy a size up, because your kid is most likely not going to stop growing!

25. Make eating out a treat rather than a habit: We try to keep our eating out as a family to once a month. This saves money for obvious reasons, but for real, you will appreciate it more also!

26. Unplug energy guzzling appliances: This is absolutely nothing I did before my lovely husband graced me with his presence. He routinely unplugs electronics and appliances that we don’t use on a daily basis. This includes things like, sound system, receiver for the TV or Blu-ray player.

27. Don't just use coupons because you have them: I was notorious for this one! I’d get a coupon in the mail and just feel compelled to use it, even if it wasn’t something I needed. You’re not saving money, if you’re buying something you don’t need!

28. Use credit cards to your advantage: We are always on the lookout for credit cards that work for us; think, cash back, airline miles or hotel rewards or even a huge discount to open a new one…whatever works for your life. But watch the annual fees. Some of the fees are not worth the rewards! P.S. pay them off in full.

29. Buy big ticket items during holiday sale weekends: You know the typical holiday weekends like Presidents Day or Memorial Day. There are always sales on big ticket items, so if you need furniture or a big appliance, then try to hold off until the holiday sale! Also, many times, the big stores offer zero percent interest for a year, so you could pay off your big ticket item over time without interest!! BONUS!

30. Eat healthy, get plenty of rest and exercise: Health care should really be more about prevention. If you’re eating healthy and exercising, then there’s a good chance you could avoid many health problems and trips to the docs (i.e copays and prescriptions)

31. Go for quality: This might sound counterintuitive, but we’ve learned the hard way that in many cases, you get what you pay for. We’ve gone “cheap” on a few items like shoes, tools and appliances that have ended up breaking too soon. Sometimes it’s better to spend more money up front, rather than risk replacing something time and time again.

32. Pay your bills on time (avoid late fees): Listen, life happens, right? But when you can, paying your bills on time is just a no brainer. Schedule them in your calendar, put them on autopay and if you know (or think) you’re gonna be late, call the company; you might be surprised that they’ll work with you on avoiding a penalty.

33. Avoid name brands when it makes sense: It doesn’t always pay to buy a knock off, but seriously there are many times, you’re simply buying a symbol instead of a product.

34. Shop consignment and second hand: This was an awesome way for us to save money through both of my pregnancies. I hated the idea of paying full price for something that I was only going to wear for a few months. Bonus: after I wore them, I even sold them back to the consignment shop!

35. Support your friends businesses but don't feel pressured to buy all the time: There are so many amazing at home businesses that people work these days and I LOVE to support them! But this was a something I got carried away with, buying stuff I didn’t need just to support them. There’s other ways to support businesses!

36. Un-booby trap your inbox: It’s virtually impossible not to be tempted by all the sale and special “deal” emails I get from all my favorite stores. I want to know what sales are current for when I want to shop but don’t want them popping up on my phone multiple times a day. For this reason, I either unsubscribe or make a rule in my inbox to automatically move them to another folder so I don’t see them. This way, when I actually need to shop for something, I can open my “coupon” folder and see who has the best deals!

37. Ignore the Jones's: This one is forever tricky, especially with the constant bombardment from social media. I can say that it’s tough for us because we drive two fairly uncool cars, when compared to ones that our neighbors or friends have. So it’s tempting to want a nicer car; however, you want to know what makes our cars super cool? They’re paid off, plus when we did have a car payment, it was a reasonable amount. So ignore what others buy and stay the course on your financial path.

38. Use the same bath towel all week: I love this one because it means less work for me!! I only wash 4 towels a week (one for each family member). Saves on water, electricity and my time!

39. Have an abundant mindset: I hope the law of attraction is not a secret to you. What you focus on, you get more of. If you’re focusing on the stuff you can’t afford, instead of all the stuff you can afford (even if it’s just the bare-essentials), then you are guaranteed to get MORE of the stuff you can’t afford.

40. Be thankful: An attitude of gratitude brings happiness…and happiness is just good for your overall health. This of course, doesn’t just equal a happier you, but a healthier you too; less doctors visits and medicine.

41. Ditch the shaving cream: This one’s for the ladies; gents, I know how sensitive your face is! I realize this might seem like one of those silly things, but seriously, unless your skin is ultra-sensitive, you simply need lubricant for your shaving. This one could save you $60/year. I used to buy the cheapest condition to replace shaving cream, but I have learned that my legs are just fine with regular soap. The only time I’ve come across a problem is if the bathroom is cold. And in that case, I don’t think shaving cream would have made a difference. Apply lotion right out of the shower and you will be silky smooth!

42. Meal plan: This one is like a pot of gold! Not only do I spend a lot less money when I plan our meals, but we also waste significantly less food each week too!

43. Pack snacks: Whenever we leave the house, whether it’s a short trip in town or a road trip, I pack snacks from our house. This turns out to be better for your health, saves time and money. There will be no spontaneous trips to fast food or a convenience store.

44. Picnic: This one makes for a fun family experience and is cheaper than eating out! One of our favorite things to do in the summer is meet Ken on his lunch break for a picnic. Everyone gets fresh air and a quality experience.

45. Reusable water bottle: On the rare occasion that I lose my head and leave the house without my water bottle, I more or less, panic internally. It’s become such a habit for me that I’m lost without it. This one is good for the environment and your pocketbook. If you always have your water bottle with you, you’ll be less tempted to stop to buy a sugary drink. I currently love the stainless steel bottles because they seem to last longer and are way easier to clean!

46. Water cooler in the car: So you bring your water bottle with you, but what happens when it runs out? I finally got smart on this one last summer. We bought a small watercooler and keep it in the back of our car and voila, I never have to search for somewhere to fill up my bottle or break down and buy a drink! Just be careful to place it where it won’t tip over. I made this mistake and lost nearly all of my water…inside my car.

47. Chill out on Christmas and other gift giving holidays: I love love love birthdays and Christmas. Growing up, my parents always made them feel special. As a married couple, there have been a couple of holidays we’ve gone overboard on presents, but those have not been the most memorable holidays. The most memorable are the ones we’ve been together and just been present (no pun intended). Make holidays about the experience, not the things we get. I also find it incredibly disingenuous to search for presents for people just for the sake of getting them something. I only buy gifts from people when I see something special. Last year, we spent about $200 on Christmas presents.

48. Make your own cards: Sorry Hallmark, but this is a slam dunk if you have kids! Who doesn’t love a homemade card from a kid? For every holiday, we have our kids make cards. Not only does it save money but it’s an experience our kids love having together. For a family of four, including birthdays and the major holidays, we save $50/year.

49. Reuse gift bags and tissue paper: I absolutely channel my grandmother with this one and I love it! We reuse the pretty gift bags and tissue paper from any gifts we receive. You could also forgo all wrapping and use newspaper or paper bags and have your kids draw on that!

50. Reusable sandwich/snack bags: I’ve always hated plastic zip lock bags. I know they’re incredibly bad for the environment, but they also cost money. I do still use them, but not for everything. It was only last year that I started buying reusable lunch bags, and although I love them, I don’t quite have enough for every occasion that they’re needed. Also, consider washing plastic bags if you haven’t gotten your reusable arsenal up to par.

51. Wash your car at home: This is another one of those things that work with kids! It’s a great experience to spend time with them washing the car, but it also, saves a few bucks and waters the lawn too!

52. Winterize your house: Find the drafty spots in your home and take care of them! We love blow-in insulation for the attic as well as caulking around windows and doors. Electrical outlets are another drafty spot. We cover the ones we don’t use, with clear packing tape; works like a charm and no one can see it! There’s so many products on the market to help with winterizing your home; use them so you’re not heating the whole damn neighborhood.

53. Let it shine let it shine, let it shine: The best heating element? The sun! This costs no money and lifts your spirits too! During the winter, we always open the currents on the sunniest windows to help warm the house. As soon as the sun starts to move, we close up the curtains to keep the heat in.

54. Close curtains on hot days: We don’t have air-conditioning so this one is important to us just so we don’t roast on the hottest days; however, if you’re one of the lucky ones with AC, make sure you close your curtains so the sun is not working against your AC bill! If you’re like us, with no AC, close your windows during the day and open them at night, so the house cools down.

55. Watch movies at home: We view watching movies at the theatre as a treat, just like eating out. Besides saving money, we love that we don’t encounter rude moviegoers. Plus we can stay in our PJ’s and pause the movie whenever we want for potty or popcorn breaks! We made one of our rooms into a theatre that Ken built himself. The projector and screen has paid for itself!

Saving money and living within your means does not have to hurt or feel like you’re being deprived. We have so many conveniences and gadgets and things we can totally live without and still lead an awesome life! After all, life is what you make of it, there’s just no sense going in debt for the things that don’t matter! Obviously the above list is not going to fit all families, so pay attention to your family’s habits and see where you could save a few bones.

I’d love to hear some of the ways you and your family save money and live within your means.