Personal Insights

10 ways to save money: Smart savings tips

Looking for ideas on how to save money? Find easy, money-saving tips that you can apply today.

Are you facing too much month and too little paycheck?

Do you aspire to a big goal such as a new car, a house, or a dream vacation—only to be frustrated by your progress?

Trust us, we’ve all been there. Saving money isn’t easy.

But take heart. Saving money is squarely within your reach. What it takes is a little planning, a little awareness, and some savvy money moves.

Here are 10 ways to get started making small steps that can add up to big results over time.

Start applying these ways to save money:

1. Create a budget

It’s hard to save money if you don’t know where it’s going.

A monthly budget is more than your plan for the income you’re earning. It’s a record of what you spent, too. Over time, use your budget to replace guesswork with fact, compare theory with reality, and adjust expectations and behavior over time. The more you stick to your budget, the more you’ll save.

Creating a budget need not be hard or tedious. In fact, here are two options to make it easy: Our incredibly easy online budget calculator or our worksheet for a more hands-on approach to tracking your expenses. Plus our mobile app has powerful budgeting tools, too.

It doesn’t matter which method you prefer. What’s most important is consistency so budgeting becomes a habit. You’ll gain a clearer picture of what you’re spending and what you can cut out.

2. Set savings goals

A new car in the driveway. Your dream home. Life without debt. Retirement.

All are fantastic goals. But the difference between a goal and a dream is a plan and sticking to that plan every day.

When working towards a savings goal—whether short- or long-term—it’s important to know exactly how much you need to save.

Regions’ savings calculator is a great tool that can help. Set your target, factor in interest rates and monthly payments, and see how long it will take to reach your goal. Even better, you can use our calculator to play ‘What if?’ and refine your planning.

3. Eliminate your debt

The more you pay to service your debt, the less money you save. It’s really that simple.

Your credit card statement will provide you with a breakdown of how much you pay in interest alone. That’s money that could go to other things.

Or consider your mortgage. Your payment could be significantly lower each month through refinancing, especially if your home’s equity has grown enough over time to eliminate the requirement for private mortgage insurance (PMI).

Whatever form it takes, cutting debt should be Priority Number One. Consider these debt-reducing strategies. We’ve also created a debt repayment calculator you can use to enter different amounts to see the impact over time.

4. Pay yourself first

If you’re only saving what’s left over at the end of the month, you will have a hard time saving. That’s why your first money move with every paycheck should be to feed your savings and investments.

The beauty of this strategy? Whether it’s $50, $100, or 10% of your paycheck, chances are you’ll never miss it.

The best way to save? Make it automatic. With direct deposit paychecks, you can designate part of your pay to go into a separate savings account. Do that and watch your savings rack up over time without lifting a finger.

Or if you’d like to make a game of it, here’s a hands-on approach: The Regions’ 52-Week Savings Challenge, a goal-oriented way to amass your financial reserve. Meet your weekly goals and you’ll have a tidy sum this time next year.

And be thanking yourself for doing it.

5. Take a staycation

Everybody could use a getaway from time to time. The idea is even more tempting when people you know flaunt their trips to exotic locations on social media.

But if saving money is your destination, consider shelving those travel plans for another time. Airline tickets, fancy hotels, and tropical beaches can wreck budgets in a big way.

This is not a “no” to travel but to scaling back those plans until reaching your savings goals. After all, it’s entirely possible to take rewarding trips without breaking the bank.

Chances are, you’ll find fun and interesting destinations close to home or a short drive away. And a staycation where you turn off the phone, ignore the email, and sleep late can turn out to be just as refreshing as jetting off to the islands—especially if you’re not coming home to a big credit-card balance.

6. Unsubscribe and save

Streaming subscriptions. The extras on your phone bill. Those apps you downloaded and never use. That gym you never visit.

Individually, none of these expenses amount to much—ten dollars here, forty dollars there. Yet, total them up and it could be the death of a thousand cuts for your money. Hundreds, even thousands of your dollars could be evaporating into thin air without even noticing it.

Ready to stop the bleeding? A good place to start might be to unsubscribe and save.

Consider which ones you really need and cancel the rest. Chances are you’ll never miss them. And you can welcome that cash back to your account where it belongs.

7. Reduce utility bills

It arrives in your mail month after month. Especially during the summer or winter, you might open that envelope from the electric company with more than a little dread.

Fortunately, there are all kinds of ways, big and small, you can lower those bills. Some might be as easy as turning the dial of the thermostat up or down depending on the season. Others might involve a little do-it-yourself activity over a free weekend.

If your air conditioning or heater is working nonstop during the summer or winter, turning on a fan or donning a sweatshirt is an easy way to save.

At the same time, a little home improvement could make a big difference. Installing a smart thermostat makes it easier to regulate energy usage, especially when you’re not at home. Or caulking windows to stop drafts. And if your power bills are sky-high in summer or winter, take a close look at the insulation in your attic.

One other thing to try? If spikes in utility costs make it hard for you to budget, levelized billings might help. The power company takes your average use over the past 12 months and then bills you that same amount each month. Call your utility provider today to discuss your options.

8. Pack your lunch

Five days a week, 52 weeks a year, you have a sterling opportunity to save money by packing your own lunch before work instead of eating out.

Digest these numbers: $10 on lunch every day equals $50 a week. That’s $200 a month, $2,400 a year. We bet you can think of better uses for that money.

Whether it’s a ham sandwich or leftovers from last night’s dinner, bringing your lunch from home instead ensures piping hot savings every month.

Even if you only take your lunch three or four times a week, you’re still super sizing your savings over time.

Think of ways you can treat lunches out and other small experience as an occasional reward instead of a daily expense.

9. Get more from your savings accounts

Money has an interesting property to it. When managed correctly, it can grow on its own without your having to do anything at all.

Maintaining a savings account separate from your checking account not only acts as a deterrent from spending it. It also creates the opportunity for interest, and maybe even savings bonuses. If you’re ready to start saving, take 5 minutes and get to know your options. The great part is you can have as many as you need.

If you’re ready for your money to work even harder for you over the long haul, this might be a good time to consider a certificate of deposit account or money market account. These products typically offer a higher interest rate than standard savings accounts.

Before choosing a particular account , make sure you understand its terms. That way you can decide which account best meets your unique needs.

10. Know your money habits

You’re bombarded with advertising messages every day that encourage us to buy now and pay later or to buy and save.

But this is where self-awareness, and protecting your hard-earned money, comes in.

Always ask yourself, ‘Do I really need this?’ before making that purchase.

After all, saving money is as much a matter of sense as it is dollars. Being deliberate and intentional about each purchase will pay off.

Ways to save money: A quick recap and what to do next

None of our 10 foolproof ways to help you save will make a dramatic difference overnight. But if done steadily and consistently, they’ll slowly but surely add up to big savings over time and that will put you one step further in your personalized path to financial confidence and wellbeing.

If you have even bigger goals, then maybe it’s time to have a conversation with a pro. If you’re ready to take that big step to a more rewarding life, make an appointment with one of our bankers to develop a Regions Greenprint® plan designed specifically for you. They will help you build a plan — and the financial confidence — to reach the milestones that matter most to you.

Four things to do:

1. Learn more about creating a budget to meet your savings goals.
2. If you want to get a jump on your savings, open a savings account online today.
3. Need help deciding between account types? Find the account that best aligns with your savings goals.
4. Make an appointment to talk to a Regions banker today and create a personalized Regions Greenprint® plan to help you achieve your financial goals in three easy steps.