1. Coffee. Coffee is one of my vices, so this is a hard one to give up. Instead of Starbucks, Peet’s, or Philz coffee everyday I’ve started to make my own cold brews, pour overs, and lattes at home more often. I’ve been able to cut down my visits to coffeeshops to just once a week now. When I brew my own drinks, I get to have as much as I want and make it to taste just how I like it. $5 a day at the coffee shop = $140 a month! Buying and brewing everything myself is about half the cost.

2. Only watching movies on Tuesdays. At the Century Theatre near our house we only watch movies on Tuesdays because it’s only $5 all day. Regular days costs about $13 per movie.

3. Packing Your Own Lunch. It’s almost always cheaper to make your own lunch when going to work or school. A decent meal at the cafeteria or local restaurant can cost you $7-10 on average. Buying the ingredients in bulk, cooking it yourself, and bringing it to work brings the cost down to around $3-5 a meal.

4. Staying in for Date Nights. Some nights we just like to stay in for date night. Cooking together, cuddling up for a movie, or just reading our individual books on the couch are some of the nice, but still personal, ways to enjoy a date night. #netflixandchill #hugsandhulu. Biggest plus? We get to stay in our pajamas and snuggle in front of the tube 😉

7. Spending time at the library. On the weekends, one of our favorite things to do is wake up early, stuff both of our backpacks with books and notes, and head to the library to get some studying done . Coffee shops are great study spots too but we get tempted to buy overpriced coffee and snacks. At the library, I love being around books and being around other people who are also learning and studying. And hey, it’s free!

8. Borrowing media from the library. Libraries aren’t just just for books! You can borrow cd’s, audiobooks, and movies from the library too. All for free, just don’t forget to turn them in on time.

9. Buying second hand. Macklemore said it best in this Thrift Shop song:

“I am stunting and flossin’ and saving my money; And I’m hella happy; that’s a bargain!”

Whether it’s from a garage sale or going to the thrift store, I’ve become really fond of shopping second hand at the local thrift stores. There are lots of items of good quality and that have only been gently used. It’s not uncommon to find great items for only a few bucks!

10. Visiting family. Family first right? With such busy lives it’s important to say hello to family you haven’t seen in while. Paying a visit to your parents, grandparents, or siblings not only strengthens your relationships with them, but more often than not you’ll likely be met with that freshly cooked home made meal you miss so much! I love to visit both of my wonderful, beautiful (I know you two are reading this!) sisters often. It’s great to catch up and play with their kids.

11. Borrow, Don’t Buy. Maybe there’s a peculiar item that you need for a small house project but you don’t own. Screw driver? Ladder? Drill? It’s tempting to immediately hop onto Amazon.com and buy it for cheap, but fight that temptation! Borrow from a friend or family member instead. Recently we went on a camping trip and I borrowed my brother in law’s bike rack. It would have cost a few hundred bucks to buy a rack but luckily we were able to borrow it for just a weekend with no added costs. Every dollar you save from borrowing instead of buying will begin to add up. Your better-off-and-slightly-richer future self will thank you.

I hope my tips help you all out in saving an extra few bucks. What do you do to save money?