10 Surprising Life Hacks to Save (and Make) You Money!

In which we discuss 10 surprising life hacks to save money--on food, on rent, and much more!

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Created by:
Emma Mills & T. Michael (Mike) Martin
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Directed and Edited by:
T. Michael Martin

Written by:
Alan Lastufka
& T.Michael Martin

Executive Producers:
Hank & John Green

[marism]

0:33 Drink more water
1:04 Buy in bulk
1:20 Use a rewards cars
1:36 Use cash
1:52 Pay your mortgage when you get paid
2:23 Get a roommate
2:36 Use the library
2:57 Have a no spend day
3:14 Brew your own coffee
3:27 Get a lower price

[benaaronmusic]

Don't smoke, do drugs or alcohol.
That will save your life and your money. :)

[RisWish]

Sadly, this is pretty US-centric... I live in Germany and coupons aren't really a thing here, neither are credit cards that give discounts or free water in restaurants. I'd love to use my local library, but I prefer to read English books, which they do offer but only classics and such. Mortgage payments work differently here too. I really like the idea of this channel, it's frustrating that most videos don't apply to other countries though. I am aware that making those videos more "international" would mean a lot more research, but y'know, it's food for thought.

[TactownGirl]

The best response I've heard to the typical money saving tips was "If you think I'm spending 7 dollars a day on coffee, you already think I have more money then I do."

Which applies to only one of these tips, the rest were really useful so thanks guys!

[lauraireson]

I'm a student and I like to cook in bulk and then freeze the extra. It saves me money per meal and means that I save time cooking on busy days. It also reduces the times that I need to eat out because it's late and I don't have any food, and I have healthy food on those days.

[daracaex]

Never pay with coins. Always use whole bills when paying with cash. Take those coins and stow them somewhere. Next time you need a little extra, take the lot down to the bank (never a machine; those charge extra) and turn it into a little extra spending money.

[cloversandspades]

Shop for clothes off season and be patient in waiting for sales! Sometimes the waiting game is best... You won't be making any rash and unfortunately expensive decisions!

[reckonerwheel]

I've had my ups and downs financially, so here's a few things I've done:

- Purchase grocery store gifts cards... for yourself! Like the "pay with cash" tip, it makes you extra aware of how much you're spending and can keep you within your budget.

- Use less shampoo & conditioner. I managed to train my hair from needing a daily wash to only needing a wash every 3-4 days. Saves on the water bill too and makes your hair healthier. Depends on your hair type, of course!

- Take public transportation. Possible to do if you're not crunched for time or doing major shopping. You save on gas by just taking a bus a couple times a week. It can also make you a little more productive -- I spend my bus rides writing!

- Cancel the data plan on your phone. Some busy folks really need it, but life is completely manageable without it if you've got a computer/tablet at home anyway. Plus, more and more places have free wi-fi so it's not that inconvenient.

- Printing -- see if the local university/college sells printing cards. Sometimes printing at schools is cheaper than the local library.

- Keep a small thermos of water with you so you don't find yourself buying a bottle of water from a vending machine.

- A classic tip from my grandma: Instead of purchasing tupperware, save emptied butter/sour cream/whatever containers to use instead. Same goes for glass jars!

[netnet]

Call you cable/credit card/phone/whatever company and say that you want to terminate service. They'll offer you a deal to keep you as a costumer. Do this every 6 months.

[DavidKempe]

My advice: make a spreadsheet of ALL of your expenses and have columns to break those expenses into their weekly, monthly and yearly costs. That way, you can put aside money each payslip so bills and occasions don't hurt when they come about. And you'll also see where you could trim your costs.

[drumsofautumn]

Actually #4 does not work for me at all. Carrying around cash makes me spend money on random things I don't need. A snack from the bakery, soda from the little supermarket next door or any other useless items I stumble upon. It also makes me eat more fast food.

[mausmalone]

My wife and I did #5 with our mortgage - they actually offered it as an automatic repayment option. Eventually though we figured out that the extra little bit we were paying each month was _practically_ the same as what we _would_ be paying on a much shorter mortgage.

So I would add the advice - if you try #5 and it turns out your budget can handle the extra mortgage payments, AND if interest rates are low enough, take a look at refinancing to a much lower term. We cut 15 years off our mortgage that way.

[Akwatypus]

I find it hilarious that the coffee thing is considered a "life hack" in the US. "Unbelievable, you don't need to rely on overpriced coffee shops and Starbucks!"

In Finland people drink coffee more than in any other country, and everyone owns a coffee machine. Everyone brews their own coffee - presenting it as a life hack to us would be met with hearty laughter. :'D "Yeah, we know."

Sure, we have coffee shops and automated coffee machines with different flavours like everywhere else, but many times people can just bring a thermos if the machines aren't free like in many companies.

[kalenproductions]

This is a small one, but I find keeping a change jar helps a bit. Even if you're only tossing in a couple of quarters a day it adds up really quickly (and as a Canadian, I can toss $1 and $2 coins in too!)

[pieter]

My favorite money saving tip for groceries: many large supermarket chains here in Canada have "15% off Tuesdays". The first Tuesday of the month you get 15% off if you spend a minimum amount ($50) and have their loyalty card. The best day to buy non-perishable food, laundry detergent and such items, and really stock up on fresh fruit, veggies and so on. You don't need a large household to really save a lot. No coupons needed; just some planning.

[Dcnr]

I'm 17 but I have a plan somewhat. I dont have a job but might have one soon. We have a rental house where the rent is $700 a month but ill probably be at my parents for awhile. Because just living at your parents house for awhile saves money altogether lol. But the plan is once I move into the rental house, I divide the money evenly between several things like Bills, savings, 401K, Sunday church, X-Mas gifts, and much more.

[tessat]

My husband has always paid ahead on the mortgage. This gave us a terrific amount of equity and allowed us to avoid a "jumbo loan" (more than $600K, I think) when we bought our new house. Remember to indicate on the extra payment that it is "for repayment of principle." Some lenders will just apply it to the interest first if you don't specify. Check and make sure or make sure when you apply for a mortgage that there is no penalty for early repayment.

My husband also had a roommate for the first few years after he bought his first house. The roommate did household repairs! He also got up early and went our for doughnuts on the weekends. We really missed the doughnut fairy when he moved away.

[ianshay]

I save money by cooking. Restaurants are for special occasions and social events only. Two co-workers and I take turns cooking in order to save work and have a variety of food. We hold each other accountable and we're all saving money compared to eating out.

I like to keep alcohol and mixers at home because if you are going to drink, home is relatively cheaper than going to a bar. If friends want to go to a bar, I offer to host instead. Sometimes it's literally cheaper for me to mix drinks for everyone than it would be for me to buy a couple drinks just for myself at a bar. Better yet, ask friends to bring something to mix or drink, and you're definitely saving money.

[idnwiw]

Buying in bulk can also be a huge money sink: With groceries, only buy what you are absolutly sure you want to eat before it goes bad - throwing away food not only costs you money but increases your carbon foodprint a lot and is a huge waste on drinking water. Also with other stuff I find myself "wasting" it more if I have huge amounts at home. A bigger shampoo bottle for some reason is inducing me to use bigger amounts of product per hair wash. I not only harm my hair and the environment more, but also lose the money I thought I safed on price/liter.

[KelciDComics]

About the "latte factor" - it doesn't have to be coffee. It can be anything you spend money on without realizing it that you don't absolutely need. For me, for the longest time, it was buying craft supplies I never ended up using. So I cut that from my budget and made a rule that if I HAD to buy something from the craft store, it had to be with the $20 cash I kept in my pocket for frivolous spending. It cut my purchases WAY down and now I only get things I use