7 Ways to Save Money Without Realizing It (2024)

Saving money doesn’t have to be an arduous task.

When we have a large savings goal in mind, the idea of saving anything at all becomes completely overwhelming. But with a few simple saving hacks, you’ll save money before you even notice.

Here are 7 ways to save money without realizing it.

1) Automate your Savings

The easiest way to save money without realizing it is to automate your savings.

Every week, I automatically have money put into my savings account. Automating my savings is not only easy, but it helps me to reach my savings goals much faster. With my savings account automated, I am able to save money I might otherwise be tempted to spend if I had to do a manual transfer.

Whether it’s your goal to save $10 a week or $1,000 a month, automating your savings is the easiest way to meet your goals.

2) Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Being conscious about what you use and how you use it can go a long way into saving money. Instead of heading out to buy every little thing you need, keep reduce, reuse, and recycle in mind.

Reduce your usage of things that cost money. Turn off the lights, forgo seconds at dinner, and skip the shopping trip. This mindset can go a long way in saving you money.

Reuse whatever you can. Can you breathe new life into old clothing to reuse it? Are you able to switch to reusable baggies instead of expensive plastic Ziplock bags? These are just a couple of examples of how to save money by reusing what you already have.

And finally, recycle. When you’re thinking about getting rid of something, consider if there if you can repurpose it before throwing it out. For example, I use old t-shirts as cleaning rags, raggedy blankets become the dog’s bed, and I refurnish old furniture into something new.

This might seem frivolous and frugal, but when you shift your mindset to start thinking like this, you’ll realize how much you save.

3) Use Digit

Digit is an app that you connect to your checking account. Every few days, it sneakily transfers some money (usually $5-50) from your checking account into a secure Digit savings account.

The app uses algorithms to figure how much you can afford to save, and has a no-overdraft guarantee. For people who tend to spend money before they can save it, digit is a great way to trick yourself into saving money. Plus, it’s fun!

4) Re-evaluate your Hobbies

It’s a good thing to have hobbies and interests, but many people find time don’t have enough time for all their hobbies.

Evaluate yourself to figure out which hobbies you truly enjoy and which ones you can cut back on. Many hobbies require a lot of expensive equipment or memberships that will cost you year-round, while you might only indulge in this hobby once or twice a year.

Take a look to see if you can cut a golf membership, magazine subscription, or sell equipment from hobbies you no longer have time for or don’t fully enjoy.

5) Switch to Lower-Maintenance Clothes

If you have to dress business professional for work, you likely are a frequent visitor of the dry cleaners.

Make the switch to lower-maintenance clothes. Look for clothes labeled as “stain-resistant”, “wrinkle-resistant”, and that aren’t “dry-clean only”.

Not only will you save a ton of money, but you’ll save yourself a lot of time and effort, too!

6) Save your Coins

Remember when you were young and put all your coins in the piggy bank?

Use a stylish container as an adult piggy bank and add all your loose change to it. though it doesn’t require much effort, you might be surprised at how quickly this adds up!

As an added bonus, you have one place for all your loose change so it isn’t weight down your purse or pockets.

Editor’s note: My wife does something somewhat similar to boost savings, but ties it to a specific action. Each time she posts on instagram she puts $2 in a jar. We use the spare money for dates or doing something fun on vacation. This can work for Facebook posts, tweets, or any other social media action. Give it a try!

7) Make Extra Money

Since we are all about side hustles here at Young Adult Money, we will always advocate finding ways to make extra money.

Whether you choose to work a second job, start blogging for income, or freelance writing, increasing your income while refusing to succumb to lifestyle inflation is a sure way to save more money quickly.

Live off your full-time income and save whatever you make on the side. By doing this, you’ll motivate yourself to work harder to save even more money.
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In all, the easiest way to save money is when you don’t even realize you’re doing it. Make a few lifestyle changes and put the difference into savings and you’re on your way to financial freedom.

What do you do to creatively or automatically save money?