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How do you save money on a budget? Well, you have to be intentional, but it’s not as hard as you may think. Here are 9 tips to help you save while staying on budget:

1 – Pay with cash. Sounds simple enough, right? But, most of us use our debit cards rather than actual cash. One consumer payment study with 1000 people found that only 12% prefer cash over debit and credit cards. You can save money on a budget by paying with cash. There’s something about seeing and feeling the money leave my hands that’s more real – and more painful, than using my cards. And, yes, it’s a pain to go to the ATM and take money out. But, going to the ATM requires you to actually think about what’s in your account and how much you’re spending versus the convenience of swiping your card.

2 – Keep the change. So, you go to the store and the total comes to $10.33. Instead of searching your purse for 33 cents, use only paper money. If you give the clerk $11, you’ll get back 67 cents. Take the 67 cents and keep it in a large water bottle or coin jar. Even if that’s all you spend in the day, you’ll have saved almost a dollar. Keeping the change is an easy way to save money while on a budget. You’ll be surprised how quickly those nickels and pennies add up!

3 – Pay with face bills. Similar to #2, but pay only with $5 bills and up. Save your one dollar bills. If the total was $7.33, instead of giving exact change, pay with a 10 dollar bill. In addition to tossing the coins in the jar, toss your ones, as well. That’s $2.67. It takes some getting used to, but if you keep at it, you can definitely save more money than you think. At the end of the year, I often use the money in my water bottle for gifts or to take trips.

4 – Take your lunch to work. How much do you spend on lunch each week? If you eat out every day, it’s probably $7 – $10. That’s easily $50 per week and $200 per month. You can save money and stay on budget by taking your lunch to work. I take my lunch to work every day because I don’t get enough time for lunch to go out without rushing. Also, there aren’t any healthy options near my job. Fast food is usually unhealthy and can get expensive. When you cook, order groceries, or get takeout, consider your lunch for the next week. Plan to take your lunch for one week and see how much money you save.

5 – Make a list before you go. I order my groceries online, but I still make a list. If you make a list, you’re being intentional about what you plan to purchase, which helps you avoid impulsive buys. To save money while on a budget, I made a list of what I needed before going to the store. Next to each item, I estimated the cost. Then, I took the amount I needed in cash. Having the cash forced me to stay on budget and avoid overspending. On average, I spent 50% less when I made a list and used cash.

6 – Plan weekly meals. You’ve had a long day at work. You leave your job later than expected. Plus, your kid needs help with homework. It’s so easy to just run by a drive-thru! But, as soon as you do, there goes the budget. If you want to save money while on a budget, you have to plan. As you make your weekly grocery list, plan at least three meals for the week. Then, make two of those meals on Sunday. Cook so you have leftovers for a couple of days. Then, plan for an easy dish (i.e. tacos) mid-week. If you’re going to eat out, make it intentional. Buy food that affords you leftovers for the next day versus a drive-thru meal at almost the same price.

7 – Buy only what you need. In my 20s, I was definitely an emotional shopper. I bought stuff to make me feel better and it did – temporarily. But, most of it just hung in my closet unused, with tags still on it. Now, I try to buy what I need when I need it. If I’m going to a wedding and I need a dress, I’ll buy one. Otherwise, I do without it. Just because those shoes give you life doesn’t mean you need them. You can cut back on spending and save money just by taking a serious look at how you shop.

8 – Shop with coupons. Most retailers and manufacturers offer coupons or discounts. I rarely buy clothes without a coupon because most stores send them to frequent customers. Or, you can just download one to your phone. Why pay more money than you need to pay? Most restaurants send coupons in the mail or offer a coupon on your next purchase for completing a quick survey. With retail stores, like Express or New York & Company, you can pair your coupon with a reward certificate for added savings. At other stores, like Dollar General, you can match manufacturer coupons with store coupons for super savings. Checkout my article on how to save big at Dollar General for more savings tips!

9 – Earn rewards. Like coupons, most stores now have free rewards programs. If you’re going to buy from the store anyway, you might as well earn points toward free stuff. Clothing stores like Kohls, New York & Company, and Express send rewards based on purchases. But, most restaurants like Carrabba’s, P.F. Chang’s, Papa Johns, and Pizza Hut also offer rewards programs. Before ordering, sign up for the rewards program and earn points to use toward free food. If you shop online, sign up for Ebates. You get cash back for online purchases and they send your money quarterly. I get an average of $50 cash back every quarter on items I was going to purchase anyway.

You can easily save money on a budget by being intentional about your spending. Just apply these simple tips and continue to live your best life in balance!

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As a mom, I’m always looking for a way to save time and money.  Of course, you expect to pay less at the dollar store.  But, what if you could get even deeper discounts? With just a little planning you can pay half of what you’re paying for essentials at The Dollar General Store.

1 – Sign up for a Dollar General Store account.  It just requires your name, email, and phone number.  By signing up, you get access to manufacturer coupons, as well as, Dollar General coupons.  You can digitally clip coupons to your Dollar General account on your phone.  When you’re at the register, simply enter your phone number and your digital coupons will download.

2 – Shop Saturday.  Every Saturday, Dollar General offers $5 off $25, pre-tax.  This coupon appears at the end of your receipt.  But, it’s also available in your account.  So, if you haven’t shopped at Dollar General in the last week or you lost your coupon, you can always access one through your account.  On special occasions, they may offer the coupon for use on Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday.  But, it is always offered on Saturday.  When there is a minimum purchase price, try to stay as close to the minimum as possible to get the biggest savings.

3 – Know the store deals. Dollar General frequently offers deals on essential items like cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, and toilet paper.  For example, if you buy $10 worth of Lysol products, you get $2 off instantly.  If the Lysol Cleanser is $2.50, I can buy 4 and get them for $8 after the $2 is taken off at the register.

They often offer $5 off when you buy $25 worth of Gain products.  You can buy Gain laundry detergent, Gain Flings, Gain fabric softener, Swiffer refills with Gain scent, Gain dryer sheets, or Febreze with Gain scent.  If it says Gain, it qualifies for the coupon.  Beware – You usually can’t use the $5 off $25 store coupon with the $5 off.  But, you can use other coupons with it. Always check the store’s coupon policy.

4 – Plan ahead.  To save time, make your list prior to going to the store.  Research the deals online or in the weekly ad.  Have a plan of attack.  Get your coupons together and try to match the to the deals being offered.  Just know, some store deals, such as the $2 off Lysol products, may not be prominently advertised in the weekly ad.  So, keep an eye out for deals in the store.

5 – Pair manufacturer and store coupons.  To get your deepest discounts, pair manufacturer coupons with store coupons and/or store deals.  You can get manufacturer coupons in the newspaper, print them out using sites like coupons.com, or clip them digitally in your Dollar General Store account. You should try to have a coupon for each item on your list.  See below for two examples of how you would pair the coupons to get deeper discounts.

Example 2 – Using $5 off $25 purchase (pretax) Dollar General Store Coupon

In the first example, I used items I would normally purchase.  If you follow steps 1-5 in the chart, you can save 60%.  I gave an approximation of the item price, including a sale price for Tide Pods and Gain Flings.  Your savings can be even greater if additional items in the store are on sale.

Example 2 – Using $5 off when you purchase $25 worth of Gain products (pretax)

In the second example, I used items I would normally purchase.  If you follow steps 1-4 in the chart, you can save almost 60%.  I gave an approximation of the item price.  But, your savings can be even greater if the items in the store are on sale.

Based on the examples, you can see the importance of pairing the manufacturer coupons with the store coupons.  Why pay more when you can easily pay less for the essentials?  Follow these simple steps to get deep discounts at Dollar General and continue to live your best life in balance!

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