The start of the year marks a new chapter in the book of You, which makes this the perfect time to achieve your goals — specifically, saving goals! We could all use a little budget stretching to make our money go further, so here are 14 tips to try in 2023 and beyond.

1. Spring clean your expenses

Decide which expenses to cut back on. Are you really using all five of your streaming subscriptions regularly? How often are you ordering in or going out for coffee? Decide what’s worth keeping in your budget and what’s gotta go to start making a change.

2. Plan, Plan, Plan 

Create your budget at the beginning of the year, thinking ahead to slowly set money aside for minor and major purchases you plan to make. Meal planning is another way to save money in the short term and that adds up long term. Check out of blog post for simple tips and tricks: Can Meal Planning Save You Money? Yes! And Here’s How

3. Price match for groceries

Become familiar with price matching/price guarantee policies at your local retailers. Simply put, price matching is when a retailer honors to match the price of a product if you find it at a lower cost at a competitor’s store. This can be an effective way to shave dollars off your weekly grocery bill.

4. Shop the weekly flyers

Flyers, weekly ads, circulars — whatever you call them, these golden nuggets of information will help you save big! You can use the Flipp app or visit Flipp.com to quickly find sales nearby and plan your weekly shopping. Don’t forget to stock up on non-perishable pantry and household items when they go on sale. To build your stockpiling strategy, we recommend reading How To Build Your Money-Saving Stockpile.

5. Get strategic with coupons

Knowing when to cash in coupons is just as important as finding them. The best time to use a coupon is when an item is on sale. This way, you can combine a coupon with a store deal to maximize your savings. Learn more extreme couponing tips from the couponing queen herself: Jen Morris Shares Secret Tips to Save BIG on Groceries 

6. Be less brand loyal 

We all have our go-to brands, but one simple savings hack is to buy items on sale, especially when it comes to grocery shopping. This doesn’t mean you have to stop buying your favorite brands altogether, but we encourage you to branch out and try some cheaper alternatives. You may even find a new fave!

7. Shop at several stores

Shopping at one store may seem more convenient, but we recommend shopping at several different stores if you want to get everything on your list for the best price. For example, personal care items like shampoo and toothpaste are generally cheaper at the pharmacy compared to the grocery store. 

Make affordable grocery swaps

8. Make affordable grocery swaps

Make small changes to your shopping list, like buying whole fruit instead of chopped, or frozen veggies instead of fresh. You can even add a few vegetarian meals to your weekly rotation, given that meat is usually the most expensive item on the shopping list. For more grocery swaps, check out our post 12 Budget-Friendly Grocery Swaps To Lower Your Bill.

9. Rack up those reward points

Most stores have loyalty programs, and nearly all major credit cards offer reward perks, so don’t forget to take advantage of them. Use your points to pay for essentials like groceries or redeem them for gift cards from stores that you already shop at.

10. Buy only what you need 

Wasting food equals wasting money, so make sure to only buy what you need for the week or two between grocery trips. For more tips, we recommend reading 6 Fridge Organization Hacks to Help Minimize Food Waste.

11. Start a rainy day fund 

The best thing we can do to stay on top of our finances is to expect the unexpected. A rainy day fund is a smaller version of an emergency fund — savings that you put aside to cover smaller, unexpected expenses, typically around $700–$2,500. Check out 5 Tips To Start Your Rainy Day Fund.

12. Stay on top of credit card fees 

Avoid credit card fees by only spending what have, using your credit card as you would your debit card. To avoid paying interest, pay off your card in full each billing cycle. Even if the minimum payment is all you can afford, make it your priority each month to avoid late fees. Create a calendar reminder so you don’t forget.

13. Look around for new service providers 

Monthly bills like phone, internet, and insurance can quickly add up. We recommend looking for new service providers, for example, phone companies will have deals for new customers that might be worth switching over. You can also try negotiating your rates with your current provider, as they’ll usually try to do everything in their power to keep you.

14. Reward yourself to stay motivated

Reward yourself for your savings milestones. You deserve it! A reward doesn’t have to mean something big or out of budget, but it can be something to look forward to. Simple treats like ordering food from your favorite restaurant or buying a new piece of clothing will help you stay motivated.

Are you ready to start putting these into practice in 2023? This is only the beginning, so be kind to yourself and take your goals one step at a time. We’ll be right here supporting your journey with all the weekly deals you’ll need. Happy saving!

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