15 Realistic Ways to Save an Extra $1,000 | MONEY

We’ve written articles about the importance of saving money, but if you live paycheck to paycheck it’s hard to figure out how to step on the saving path by setting aside $1,000 as a start. Money.com had an article about 15 Totally Realistic Ways to Come Up with an Extra $1,000 that we thought may have some good tips for you.

About these tips they say,

The fact is, many of us can find fairly painless ways to come up with small change which, added together, become real money.

In other words, none of these ideas is necessarily going to net you an extra $1,000—though some of them really might. But that’s why we’re giving you 15: Pick a few and give it a try. You won’t just be getting smarter about your spending—you’ll be getting richer.

So here is their list of the 15 ideas, with some commentary on each tip. For Money.com’s full explanations for each tip, click the link at the bottom of this article.

1. Cut the (cable) cord. We recently did this at our house and saved $50 a month. We bought an antenna for $9 and are able to get all the local channels like NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, CW and PBS. In addition, we’ve subscribed to Netflix for several years. Cutting cable will save us $600 a year.
2. Dial back your data. This one is in regards to smartphones. Figure out how much data you (and others on your plan) really use on average and find a cell phone plan that saves you money.  A year ago we switched cell phone companies and went from 3 smartphones and one regular phone for $280 a month to 5 smartphones for $100 a month on Cricket. Do the math. That’s $2,160 a year! That is why we have a link to Cricket on our website. We were spending $110 with Cricket, but recently realized that the one person on the higher data plan wasn’t using that much, so changed him to a lower data plan, saving an additional $120 a year.
3. Stop subscriptions you don’t use. Stop paying for the gym you’re not going to or cancel the magazine you never read.
4. Stop over-insuring your car…If your car is old and not worth much, stop paying for collision coverage. They also say,“If your premium… is more than 10% of the value of your vehicle, you may want to consider dropping collision and comprehensive coverage,” quote site Epiq Agency advises.
5. …and over-paying for insurance. Three-quarters of drivers don’t shop around for car insurance when their policy comes up for renewal. It could cost you.
6. Create a no-spending day. Pick one day a week where you don’t spend anything: no stops at the vending machine, no takeout dinner, no browsing sales online, and so on. Spend zero money.
7. Don’t go into debt over “unexpected” expenses. These are budget killers! Don’t be one of those who have to tap into their savings or borrow money if something unexpected comes up. Most “unexpected” expenses really aren’t unexpected. They are just not planned for. You know you will need new car tires at some point. Or your fridge may go out. Plan for it.
8. Have a garage sale. It can put money in your pocket. See our article about it. And find out if your community requires a permit.
9. Get a programmable thermostat. This can save up to 15% off your energy bill.
10. Use a cash-back credit card. This only applies if you pay off your credit card every month. From the article: “If you revolve a balance, no rewards in the world are going to offset the interest you’re paying. If you don’t pay off your balance every month, you should seek out the card with the lowest APR, not the best rewards.” There are many credit cards out there that pay back anywhere from 1-5%. If you don’t currently have one, look into it.
11. Switch to takeout. Yes, eating out is a budget buster. But if you switch to takeout you save the 15-20% tip. And may not be tempted to get that dessert that looks so good, which is another savings bonus–to your wallet AND your waistline!
12. Keep your tires inflated. Properly inflated tires will save you $112 a year or more by improving your gas mileage and preventing your tires from premature wear.
13. Skip bottled water. A gallon of tap water costs about half a penny.
14. Sell your old phones. There are trade-in programs and places where you can sell secondhand phones. You can also save money by buying a secondhand phone.
15. Go vegetarian one day a week. Beef prices have really gone up a lot! Yes, fresh produce can be expensive too. But beans, peas and lentils are pretty cheap.

So, want to save an extra $1,000? Take a look at this list, pick a few and give it a try.

Click here for the full article from Money.com.