Simple, Everyday Ways to Spend Less

If you're brainstorming ways to save more money, it can be helpful to look at the challenge from the flip side: how can you spend less? Indeed, the two approaches go hand-in-hand. If you're looking for easy ways to curb everyday spending, here are some daily expense-cutting suggestions that you may have overlooked but can help you save more, bit by bit.

• Make lunch/coffee/snacks at home. Here's where investing in a quality coffeemaker might actually help slash spending in the long run if you're picky about your brew.

• Keep (and stick to) a shopping list to help avoid impulse purchases.

• Learn to make some often-purchased or expensive food dishes from scratch—it's probably easier than you think.

• Get in the habit of meal planning (opens in a new window) to make the most of your food budget, leftovers and time.

• Write down every purchase, down to chewing gum or lottery tickets, in a notebook so you can see exactly where your money goes and help identify what you can cut out.

• Use coupons and coupon apps, and frequent stores that offer price matching, such as Real Canadian Superstore (opens in a new window).®

• Sign up for customer rewards programs such as PC Optimum (opens in a new window) to take advantage of deals and perks. Worried about being inundated by emails? Set up a separate email account that you can check regularly for savings before you shop.

• Make your own greeting cards and gifts.

• Wait 30 days before deciding on a big purchase. This will buy you time to consider whether you *really* need to buy it.

• Give children and adults alike the gift of your time in place of expensive presents or outings. Similarly, entertain at home instead of going out for a costly evening with friends. Time for a potluck dinner (opens in a new window)!

• Turn out the lights when you leave a room.

• Try replacing some foods and products with generic brands, which are sometimes made by the same manufacturers as their brand-name counterparts.

• Keep your vehicle's tires properly inflated to improve gas mileage.

• Grow some of your own food.

• Unplug idle appliances to slash the unseen power drain.

• Get organized. Knowing what tools, food, clothes, and so on that you have on hand will help avoid duplicate purchases.

• Use your public library.

• Learn to make basic repairs on clothing and in your home.

• Design your garden using trimmings from friends' and family members’ plants instead of making costly visits to garden centres.

• Cancel unused subscriptions, memberships and cable channels.

• Take your reusable bags to the supermarket.

What other simple daily changes can you come up with?