Cutting expenses and saving money is at the top of many minds right now as inflation continues to plague us. Here are my top recommendations for where and how to cut costs in a sustainable way without ruining your life.

saving money: coins and pen on a notebook — *Image:* *@kharp* *on Unsplash*

Last week, I went to Aldi and found that the price of their apple cider gallons had increased from $3.49 two years ago to $5.99. That’s a HUGE price increase in just two years. As I stood there staring at the price, all of the demoralizing feelings hit me in the face at once.

Inflation is like a thousand little microaggressions that on their own aren’t a huge deal, but then one thing happens and it sets off an outsized reaction because it’s really about the experiences collectively instead of the one little thing.

The apple cider was what set me off. (Don’t worry, the tantrum was all in my head.) My family loves apple cider and will drink more than I can possibly bring home, but all of a sudden I felt the impact of all of the higher prices and was like “nope, I’m not doing it—I’m not paying that much.”

The point of this story is not that you should give up things you (and your family) love. Nor is it to say that you shouldn’t buy apple cider or anything else that has gone up in price.

I’m telling you this story to highlight that things are just kind of bad right now and many of us are feeling the pressure and having to make hard decisions.

If you find that your finances are stretched thin and you worry about making ends meet, know that you are not alone and it is not your fault. (And if you’re not in this position, realize how darn lucky you are!)

While we can’t control inflation or the stock market, we do have control over how we choose to use our money and other resources. There are things you can do to lessen the impact of crappy financial conditions.

But once you realize that you’re going to have to make some tough decisions and cut back on things, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start. You might be tempted to go all in and cut back on anything and everything, but this is not a sustainable (or even effective) way of going about it. It’s far better to start with a few items or changes you can make that won’t cause such a huge change in your life that you won’t stick to it.

If I were in a position where I needed to cut expenses, here are the things I would do (all of which are things I actually do):

1. Shop around for home and auto insurance

Insurance costs have a way of creeping up year to year. Luckily, it is fairly easy to find a lower cost by periodically shopping around. Ask people you know for recommendations and then contact their insurance agent to ask for a quote. Alternatively, you could try negotiating a lower price with your current agent, though this tends to be less effective than shopping around.

This is first on my list because I hear so many people who save a significant amount when they try it, and that was true for me as well. Plus, it has NO impact on your lifestyle once you make the switch!

2. Switch to a cheaper cell phone plan

If you have money coming out of your ears, love the bells and whistles of expensive cell phone plans, and are too lazy to shop around, by all means keep paying! But switching to a cheaper cell phone plan can make a significant difference in your budget.

Ask yourself what you really need from your cell phone plan. Are you actually using any of the features you get? How much data do you actually use? How much would you use if you used Wi-Fi at home instead of your phone’s data? And finally, is the extra money you’re paying (above what a “cheap” plan would cost) worth it for the extra benefits you get?

Cheap cell phone plans have come a long way and are definitely worth checking out as an option if you find that your expensive plan isn’t worth the extra cost.

3. Evaluate your fun activities

Don’t feel like you need to completely give up going to concerts, sporting events, plays, or other fun activities. But ask yourself:

Could I go slightly less frequently?

Could I find a less expensive alternative that gives me a similar experience?

Again, don’t give up every fun thing in your life, but make sure you’re being intentional about how often and what activities you choose. Find ways of getting the same experience for less or stop going to the things that don’t bring you quite as much enjoyment.

4. Fill your time with free activities

How often do you spend money on activities simply because you’re looking for something to do? Or because that’s what you’ve always done? Maybe you go to the zoo or attend sporting events or festivals/fairs simply because you always have and it’s a good way to fill your time.

Spend a little extra time looking for free activities in your area. Visit some parks or natural areas that you’ve never been to. It’s easier than you might think to make a list of free or cheap things to do near you. When you add some of these to your schedule, you might find that you have less time that needs to be filled with more expensive activities.

When you do this, it becomes easier to skip things that cost money. You won’t feel as much of a sense of loss as you would if you suddenly decided to stop going to whatever thing it was that you had been doing.

5. Reduce grocery costs by doing at least some shopping at a cheaper store, buying store brands, or stocking up on staples that are on sale

If you grew up in the era of store brand crackers tasting like cardboard, you might be reluctant to try out store brands, but things have changed, my friend. Some store brand items even beat their pricier alternatives in taste tests.

Another option is shopping at a cheaper store for at least some of your items. Check out Aldi if you have one near you (I love Aldi). Or stock up at the dollar store on items where the quality doesn’t matter as much.

(Side note: be careful with joining Costco because you think you’re going to save money. You can save money at Costco, but you have to be careful with what and how much you buy. More on that another time…)

6. Try grocery delivery or pickup

But grocery delivery costs money! How can that save me money?!?! Yes, it’s true that grocery delivery costs extra. However, it can actually save you money because people who order online tend to buy fewer things.

Be honest, when you go to the store, how many things do you come home with that weren’t on your list or were impulse buys that you wouldn’t have purchased if you hadn’t just walked by and seen it?

Uh huh, I thought so.

You know yourself well enough to know the extent to which you do this. And if you find that you do this a lot, ordering your groceries online or for pickup might help you buy fewer items overall.

7. Eat out less

People tend to eat out for one of two reasons:

They’re looking for social interaction or a particular experience.
They don’t have the time, energy, or ingredients to cook a meal at home.

There’s nothing wrong with eating out if you have the money for it. Just make sure to set aside money for eating out in your budget, and enjoy yourself!

The problem with eating out comes when we a.) don’t have enough money for it, and b.) are doing it mindlessly, without intention, and because we feel like we don’t have an alternative.

I get it. It’s hard. This is one of the most common struggles busy families face. Planning and making meals every night is challenging. Just thinking about it makes you want to bury your face in the pillows or hide in your closet. The mental energy required to figure out what to make, how to fit it into the schedule, and get all of the ingredients makes you tired and you still have to actually make the meal.

And the guilt that women in particular feel when they can’t accomplish what seems like it should be a simple task! We face an immense amount of pressure to fill all of these roles in addition to being the perfect parent, advancing our careers, or even taking care of those little tyrants all day long. We feel like we’re supposed to do it all.

And that doesn’t even include the financial pressure.

So if you find yourself in a situation where you’re going out to eat a lot, but you’re going out because it’s easier rather than because you just want the experience, here’s what I recommend:

Stop feeling guilty and/or ashamed. Those feelings aren’t serving you.
Don’t go cold turkey and give up eating out altogether
Don’t feel like you have to replace eating out with elaborate home-cooked meals. There are plenty of in-between options
Think about reducing the number of times you eat out and/or the cost of each eating out experience (by going someplace cheaper, for example)
Take advantage of prepared, or easy-to-prepare, meals from grocery stores. This could be things like Trader Joe’s orange chicken from the freezer section or food from the grocery store deli.
Try a meal delivery service. They may not be cheaper than making an entire meal at home, but they are certainly cheaper than eating out. (Read more: Are meal subscription boxes worth it?)
When you do cook, make extra and freeze some for later. Soups, chili, lasagna, spaghetti sauce, and pot pies all freeze well and can provide you with an extra easy meal.

Saving money doesn’t have to be a daunting or totally demoralizing task. Get started with one or two things that are easy and will have a larger impact. Don’t try to make huge, drastic changes all at once (it won’t work). And don’t simply take everything that brings you joy out of your life. The key is to make intentional choices by cutting out things that you don’t really care about to free up money for the things that bring you joy.

And as for the apple cider—I may still buy some now and then as a special treat, but my family won’t be downing it like water this year.

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