Small ways to save money for a month?

[Anonymous]

Long story short, I will be without income for about three weeks while I transition into a new job. I have the new job secured, but I can’t stay at my toxic workplace anymore. I have savings to cover things but I’d love it if I could dip into it as little as possible.

I have to have internet and phone, but I can and have already cut my streaming services for the month. I don’t know what else I can do, other than not eating out, going out, etc., that will help. So I guess I’m looking for small changes I could make.

[Anonymous]

Call car insurance to see if you can get a better rate
Eat out less
Meal prep more
Eat less meat
Buy off brand groceries at big box stores

[Anonymous]

In addition to the PP:

Drive as little as possible to save on gas money and potentially parking.

Look into different meal deliveries (like hello fresh) that offer very low costs for the first couple of boxes. (I like Hello Fresh and still order them about once every 6ish weeks but started under similar circumstances.)

Look at getting protein from mostly non-meat sources like beans, cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs, milk etc.

Shop your pantry/freezer and create meals around what's already on hand.

[Anonymous]

No Starbucks and no avocado toast. It’s like you haven’t been listening to the finance gurus at all.

[Anonymous]

Look up blogs/websites that are about frugal cooking/eating. You can save an incredible amount if you start eating really inexpensive things like rice and beans and french omelets, and with the right recipes you might enjoy your food even more than you did before.

[Anonymous]

If you have a standard phone plan, look into prepaid phone plans. I have Verizon prepaid. It's the same service, but way cheaper. Like $30/month.

[Anonymous]

Eat Ramen noodles for one meal a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Call car insurance to see if you can get a better rate
Eat out less
Meal prep more
Eat less meat
Buy off brand groceries at big box stores

Thanks! I recently saw a TikTok that compared some items/pricing at Aldi and I think that will be my first change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In addition to the PP:

Drive as little as possible to save on gas money and potentially parking.

Look into different meal deliveries (like hello fresh) that offer very low costs for the first couple of boxes. (I like Hello Fresh and still order them about once every 6ish weeks but started under similar circumstances.)

Look at getting protein from mostly non-meat sources like beans, cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs, milk etc.

Shop your pantry/freezer and create meals around what's already on hand.

Great tip on Hello Fresh. I already have an account with them but might see what starter deals the others have going on right now. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No Starbucks and no avocado toast. It’s like you haven’t been listening to the finance gurus at all.

The answer to all my problems! Lol

[Anonymous]

Use your library card for entertainment--some library cards grant you access to streaming, some have lending libraries of stuff like tools.

Take advantage of the time off and do free stuff. Pack your own food and a water bottle. a lot of the theaters have free or "pay-what-you-want" shows some days a month, e.g. woolley mammoth, kennedy center has free performances almost every day at 6 pm, there's jazz in the sculpture garden (although super crowded)

dc pools are free for residents, and DPR in general has free activities, including weekly free vegetable giveaways

[Anonymous]

A lot of your expenses are probably fixed. I’d look at ways to bring in money during this time. Can you sell clothes you aren’t wearing to consignment or on Poshmark? Sell any furniture or other larger items? Do some delivery or Uber shifts?

[Anonymous]

Agree with bringing in cash. Can you babysit or dog-sit on weekends?

[Anonymous]

Use a credit card for a month, and borrow from your 401(k) if you forecast being out of cash for more than a month.


Once you get over the hump, start saving money and stop spending your entire paycheck.

Sign up to work doordash/Uber/etc

[Anonymous]

Anything in your closet that you want to get rid of? Set up a poshmark account and do that. Even if you don't make a ton of money it will keep you busy and if you make a little money then all the better!