How to save when you financially can’t?

Does anyone else try to budget, but living off a single income and not able to? Any tips??

Look for a second income, so that you can have enough to same.

Qmee

Try some side hustles

To save, you need to be spending less than you earn. If you're spending more than you earn, you need to either reduce your spending or increase your income.

Get another job?

I hope you don't mind the long post, but you asked… :)

I lost my job a few months ago and started doing Clickworker and Neevo online to earn a little extra money. It's very sporadic–sometimes I've earned $20/hour and sometimes $2/hour, and there's usually never more than a few minutes' work at a time. Still, I've earned about $800 from them since May. It's easy, you can work whenever you have a minute, and you don't have to do anything you don't want to.

I also downloaded Ibotta and have saved about $250 on groceries since August. I don't buy a lot of name-brand stuff, but sometimes I can combine their offers with store sales and coupons or offers on Shoply, Fetch, or Shopkick to get things super cheap or even free. I got 4 jars of Vero Gusto pasta sauce free yesterday, and I actually got paid 70 cents to buy my favorite instant coffee last week, for example.

I average about $50/month on Swagbucks just from running their videos or other little offers or from their Shoply app. I also just started Shopkick and Fetch and have already cashed out about $20 in Amazon GCs in the last month.

Meal planning helps, too. Cooking from scratch is usually cheaper and healthier than buying packaged, prepared food. I check the weekly ads for my grocery stores, see what's on sale, and then figure out what I'm going to make for the next week. I have a list of our favorite recipes, and I figured out approximately how much it costs to make each one. That way, I can budget more easily, or make the more expensive ones when the ingredients are on sale. Also, if there is a discount grocery (the ones that sell food that's close to the expiration date) near you, go there! I can't believe how cheap the food is, and I've never gotten anything that was stale or rotten.

The best thing I've done over many years is not be a consumer. We don't have a lot of income, but we also have zero debt, and it's because we just don't buy a lot. Don't fall for all the advertising telling you that you NEED this or that. For example, you can use baking soda and white vinegar to clean almost anything, and it's a lot cheaper than buying all the special cleaners at the store. I've found tons of little ways to re-use or repair things I already have and buy everything second hand. Honestly, you can afford much better quality items that last longer if you can find them from an estate sale or a thrift store. I keep a list of things I need or would like to have but can't afford and am on a mailing list for estate sales in my area, then I go to the ones that list items I'm looking for. Garage sales are great in the summer, too. When I want to buy something new, I think about how much it costs and how long I would have to work at $X/hour to get it. Is it worth 3 hours of my life? I also taught my kids that buying used things is better for the environment. They've always gotten a mix of used and new gifts for Xmas and birthdays and never cared. They were just happy they got what they wanted.

Good luck, Jessica! I know it's hard, and I hope things change for you and your family!

I have alot of trouble not splurging here and there. I don't do it much but I can't affected rd to at all… I probably need to up my income…?

Thanks for sharing that’s very useful and helpful information @Melanie K.

@Stacie S., thanks! I was wondering if anyone really wants advice or if they are just trying to earn points by commenting. I forgot to add that Craigslist, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace are good places to buy used items and to sell your unwanted stuff. There are also some great groups on Facebook that you can join to get ideas and support. I belong to a zero-waste group for vegans that I love, but there are other groups for general thrift, frugal meal-planning, etc., that can be helpful and inspiring.

From the small amount of money that you have. You can give up some wants and use that money for your need of bringing up your savings.

I am so surprised to find myself with 200 9n savings. It may not be alot of money for some. Its a big deal for me.

I hope you don't mind the long post, but you asked… :)

I lost my job a few months ago and started doing Clickworker and Neevo online to earn a little extra money. It's very sporadic–sometimes I've earned $20/hour and sometimes $2/hour, and there's usually never more than a few minutes' work at a time. Still, I've earned about $800 from them since May. It's easy, you can work whenever you have a minute, and you don't have to do anything you don't want to.

I also downloaded Ibotta and have saved about $250 on groceries since August. I don't buy a lot of name-brand stuff, but sometimes I can combine their offers with store sales and coupons or offers on Shoply, Fetch, or Shopkick to get things super cheap or even free. I got 4 jars of Vero Gusto pasta sauce free yesterday, and I actually got paid 70 cents to buy my favorite instant coffee last week, for example.

I average about $50/month on Swagbucks just from running their videos or other little offers or from their Shoply app. I also just started Shopkick and Fetch and have already cashed out about $20 in Amazon GCs in the last month.

Meal planning helps, too. Cooking from scratch is usually cheaper and healthier than buying packaged, prepared food. I check the weekly ads for my grocery stores, see what's on sale, and then figure out what I'm going to make for the next week. I have a list of our favorite recipes, and I figured out approximately how much it costs to make each one. That way, I can budget more easily, or make the more expensive ones when the ingredients are on sale. Also, if there is a discount grocery (the ones that sell food that's close to the expiration date) near you, go there! I can't believe how cheap the food is, and I've never gotten anything that was stale or rotten.

The best thing I've done over many years is not be a consumer. We don't have a lot of income, but we also have zero debt, and it's because we just don't buy a lot. Don't fall for all the advertising telling you that you NEED this or that. For example, you can use baking soda and white vinegar to clean almost anything, and it's a lot cheaper than buying all the special cleaners at the store. I've found tons of little ways to re-use or repair things I already have and buy everything second hand. Honestly, you can afford much better quality items that last longer if you can find them from an estate sale or a thrift store. I keep a list of things I need or would like to have but can't afford and am on a mailing list for estate sales in my area, then I go to the ones that list items I'm looking for. Garage sales are great in the summer, too. When I want to buy something new, I think about how much it costs and how long I would have to work at $X/hour to get it. Is it worth 3 hours of my life? I also taught my kids that buying used things is better for the environment. They've always gotten a mix of used and new gifts for Xmas and birthdays and never cared. They were just happy they got what they wanted.

Good luck, Jessica! I know it's hard, and I hope things change for you and your family!

Great ways to save/earn money! Thanks for the tips.

Prob to help & get points. I take care of my family of 5 and mother who just retired. I do the baby steps & finally on baby step 2 after starting last October. This includes a garnishment that takes 25% of my check and no overtime. You can do it if you work fulltime and focus on just one thing. Everybody maybe able to multitask but I chose 1 thing at a time until done.

I can not believe that I have saved almost 300 in this last month. Coming to this app has really helped me.

I opened a savings account that was just for "found" money. I started with all the change in my purse and laying around the house. Then anytime I would find money on the ground, have loose change, or was gifted birthday money or anything I would put it in the account. Before that, I would round up that money to take to the store for a candy bar or splurge, so it helped being in an account that I did not look at or access on the regular. It took me a long time, but after a year and a half I had $150. After that, I started doing little things like when I got a $1/hr raise at work, I calculated the difference and put that difference into the account every month. By making it a habit even with literal pennies, it adds up and takes time, but gets easier to find.

Stuff not just clutters the house. It also clutter your mind. Not bringing stuff in the house in the first place is the best decision.

I'm right there with you.
@melanie k I read your comment and that's helpful, I'm definitely going to try some of what you said you do!

Believe in yourself!

.

I am trying to buy groceries with Instacart to control my impulse buying.

Following

Tips from my personal experience:

Throw all your loose change in a jar and let it accumulate. Also, every dollar bill I get goes in another jar, and I let them sit. (I know bills are hard to see and let them sit, so I have a very small mouth jug that I put them in, so if I find myself thinking I want to spend them, I actually have to take ALOT of time to retrieve them from this jar, and it is awful)

All my extra money I get from Ibotta, rebates, refunds, winnings from drawings, or surveys goes into my savings account. It's not a ton, but it helps.

Any coupons I use at stores, I add those up and put that money into my savings, as if I would have never used a coupon.

I shop discount shelves, sales and stores for things I NEED. NOT THINGS I WANT. Those are things I save for.

I sell things we don't use and put that money into our savings account.

I cook at home most of the time. Going out to eat is a treat for my family. When I make dinner, it is always enough for 2 meals during the week. If there isn't then one night we do a buffet of all we had during the week.

I try to match sales with coupons and rebates and Ibotta and checkout51 deals. I always scan my receipts on Fetch. I use the gift cards to buy more products either for household necessity or food we need.

There are ways to save even when you THINK you can't afford to do it. Every single scenario people are throwing out here works. If you try just one and stick to it, you will see the difference. You just have to buckle down and believe in your ability to become a saver.
Look around you right now and choose 1 item and say, I can do without that in my life. Sell it … put the money in savings. Do this once a day or if that's to much of a commitment, try once a week. It works. You just have to commit and hold yourself accountable not to spend your savings.

I hope this helps. Good luck and we are all cheering for you!!

I

Make a commitment towards consistency