25 Ways to Save $100 This Month Without Feeling It

By Anthony Vion

Edited  by Doug Garfinkel

Things are tight. You don’t have to tell me.

Everything seems to be costing more these days and the bills keep piling up.

But I have some good news. You don’t need another job to see more green at the end of the month. You just have to start doing some things a little differently.

I’m not talking about colossal give-ups or hours of work. Just little stuff that could get you an extra hundred bucks or more every single month.

Ready?

1. Stop Paying ATM fees

This is just bananas people still do this.

The average out of network ATM Fee is $4.86! So, if you’re running out to the 7-11, Quick Stop or other “convenience” store to take out 20 bucks, you are “conveniently” giving them a nice chunk of it.

When you need to take out money, do it from YOUR bank’s atm. Otherwise you are getting banged for fees twice, once from the place you’re taking money out from and a second time from your bank, just for getting YOUR MONEY!

2. For The Love Of God, Stop Getting Food Delivered

My daughter kills me with this. She once ordered a shake and had it delivered. Just a shake. $28. Are you out of your mind?

You love the convenience of ordering food right from your phone. I get it.

But what you shouldn’t love is that delivery fees range anywhere from $2.00-$7.99 depending on what time it is and how far away you are.

Then, service fees between 10-15% are tacked on. And God knows how many other fees.

If you are doing this multiple times every week, you could stop reading here and you’ll already save the $100 this month. Do yourself a favor. Get up off the couch and pick up your food.

3. Or Better Yet, Cook At Home

I’m the shopper of the family and my wife is the cook. Together, we make delicious meals every day for a family of 4 for UNDER $15.

From chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes and asparagus to burgers and fries to anything else you can think of. Everyone eats for $15 or less. That same meal at a restaurant is over 5 times that much. Can you already smell the savings coming in?

You don’t have to be a gourmet chef or cook every meal at home. If you want to start small, try it a few times a month at first. It won’t take you long to start seeing the difference.

4. Make Your Own Coffee At Home

You can get a package of 12 coffee pods on sale at the supermarket for $2.99.

If you’re buying coffee out every morning at $5.00 a pop, do the math.

12 x $5.00= $60.00

You can pocket over $57.00 right there (and that’s just for half the month).

5. Stock Up When Things Are On Sale

Taking that coffee pods example from above, regular price is $4.99. I get as many as I can when they’re on sale for $2.99. Usually, it’s a limit of 4 per variety.

So, say I get 8 packages at $2.00 off each.

8 x $2 = $16 more in my pocket. That’s free money.

6. Ditch The Bottled Water

A case of water (24 bottles) averages around $4.99. And most households probably go through 4-5 a month.

And don’t get me started if you’re buying single bottles of water for $2 a pop or so.

Water from the fridge or tap is free or at least included in your water bill you’re already paying anyway.

7. Bring Reusable Bags To The Grocery Store

OK, a smaller one here but it all adds up.

My brother-in-law was staying with us for a month and went to a store that charges 33 cents for a cloth bag. He probably went 10 times using 2 bags each time.

.33 x 2 x 10 = $6.66 for the month.

Even if you shop where bags are 5 cents each, that’s more money that should stay in your pocket. Keep some bags in your car or by the front door so you remember them.

8. Buy Generic Brands

There’s a store by me, Lidl, where the store brands are either just as good or better than the fancy pants brand names. And they are a fraction of the price.

Next time you’re at the grocery store, do a side-by-side comparison. It will be eye-opening for sure.

9. Use Coupons

Most grocery stores have their own digital coupons. Get the app and check it out if you don’t have it already. Otherwise, you are paying more for the same stuff than other people. That got your attention.

Also, sign up for email lists for all the stores you shop at. I’m always getting 25% off this and 10% off that offers that I use.

10. Cancel Some Subscriptions

Do you really need Netflix, Prime, Hulu, Paramount+ and all the other subscriptions you are paying for each and every month?

Keep the top 2 you watch and then watch the savings roll on in

11. Never Pay Shipping Charges

Before you click the Buy Now button, most sites have offers and codes for free shipping. Be sure to do a google search for that. If you don’t, you’re probably throwing $5.99 or so out the window with every purchase.

12. Use Cash Back And Rewards Credit Cards

For me, almost everything goes on Amex because I love the Rewards Points that I rack up.

Check out what other cards offer though because it may be better. 3 years ago, I switched to using a different card for gas because I get 5X Rewards Points with it.

It’s like getting money to spend money. Another win-win.

13. Stop Paying Interest On Credit Cards

Before you make that purchase, ask yourself if you will be able to pay it off at the end of the month.

If you can’t, maybe rethink it. Otherwise, you’ll be throwing a lot of money, maybe even hundreds of dollars, into a black hole every single month.

14. Download Cash Back Apps

In addition to getting cash back with credit cards, there are other apps out there that will give you free money just for using them.

Some of my favorites are Ibotta and Fetch for receipts and Upside for gas. I probably save $25.00 a month for just a few minutes of my time.

15. Buy Whole Produce, Not Pre-Cut

This is another pet peeve of mine. People spend more than double the price for convenience.

For a few extra minutes of preparing, you can save up to $20.00 a month by just cutting your fruits and vegetables yourself.

16. Shop At Multiple Grocery Stores

I used to do all my food shopping at one grocery store and spent around $400.00 a week.

5 years ago, I realized that prices for certain items are MUCH LOWER at stores like Aldi and Lidl.

I went from paying over $4.00 for a dozen eggs to $1.67. Over $5.00 for a gallon of milk to $2.37.

And now I have them competing against each other. One week, chicken breast is cheaper at store A, the next week, it’s cheaper at store B. And I get the best deal.

My average weekly grocery bill is around $200.00 now. HUGE difference.

17. Make A Grocery List And Stick To It

I spend about 10 minutes a week going through the circulars and deals for 3 different food stores. I make a list of the sale items and things we need.

Stick to your list and you won’t be overinflating your bill with impulse buys.

18. Stack Coupons And Sale Items

The old double dip! I’m always getting the items on sale, but it feels even better when you can throw a coupon on top of it.

19. Buy In Bulk

The more you buy of certain items, the more money you save! For paper goods, cleaning supplies and some meats, places like Costco, BJs and other warehouse stores are going to save you money month in and month out.

20. Pack A Lunch

The sandwich you just bought at a deli or chain store for lunch cost you about three or four times as much as it would have if you made it at home.

Buy your own cold cuts and rolls and you could save up to $30.00 a week.

Or even better…

21. Eat Leftovers

Whatever you had for dinner last night will make a great lunch today at zero extra cost.

22. Revisit Those Auto-Renew Subscriptions

Subscribe and Save offers are great with big upfront savings, but if you already have more than you need, skip the upcoming delivery. Instant savings.

Or better yet, you may even find you’re still paying for things you don’t use anymore. So, cancel them outright and save even more.

23. Use The Library For Books And Movies

Stop buying books and renting movies. You can get them FREE at your local library. And you’ll be surprised at how good the selection probably is.

24. Turn Off Lights And TV When You Go Out

Unless you own stock in the electric company, you are throwing away money every month when you walk out the door and leave the lights and TV on.

Flip the switch and lower your bill.

25. Lower The Heat Or Raise The AC

Just a couple of degrees either way will save you money every month. A simple change and you won’t even feel it.

(Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only. The advice given isn’t a guarantee for specific money savings.)