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Saving Money On Utility Bills

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Right now everybody wants to know about saving money on utility bills. The Texas winter weather debacle is a powerful reminder that it’s a very good idea to make sure your home is not robbing you of hard-earned money. The spikes in natural gas demand drove prices higher and people were suddenly forced to reckon with thousand-dollar-and-up utility bills.

When the power comes back on for these people, it’s entirely likely they’ll be wanting to learn how they can save money in the future with their utility bills, having been badly burned by things they didn’t see coming.

Taking Stock Of The Home

After the initial shock of that dissipates, many homeowners and renters alike–myself included–want to double down on the efficiency of their homes to avoid losing money for preventable reasons.

My own version of this started by checking all my windows. Sure enough, mine were drafty. And it was below freezing outside when I checked, so you can imaging how that must have felt–realizing I’d been letting money literally blow away because of poorly sealed up windows.

Once I fixed that, I started looking at other things around the house; that drippy faucet suddenly had my full attention. The fact that my fridge needs to be turned up VERY high to keep my food cold means either I’ve got an overstuffed fridge (sometimes I do) OR a unit that needs to be maintained properly.

One area I was already thankfully squared away in? My thermostat. It’s one of the “smart” thermostats which have programmable timers and other functions designed to increase the energy efficiency of the home. This is an investment well worth making. If you have a “dumb” thermostat and own your own home, seriously consider one of these.

Saving Money On Utility Bills With Gadgets

One of the last things I did after fiddling with my already-fancy environmental controls (fancy for ME, this is one of the typical systems and not a “Cadillac of A/C and heating”) I immediately made the rounds of the house cleaning out the ductwork and grills, closing some and opening others to help maximize the airflow where it’s needed.

One thing I am glad I don’t have to change–most of my appliances are already those with Energy Star ratings. This is a good thing.

I don’t have any numbers to give you regarding how much all of this might save me–after all, this is a project I embarked on in the last week or two at the time of this writing. But the whole exercise left me feeling like my efficiency was on the rise and my money-wasting problems where the utilities are concerned are–with a bit of luck–fading in the background.

If you have never taken stock of your home in this way, don’t delay–you could be spending a lot more than you think unnecessarily.

If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. 

Check out these helpful tools to help you save more. For investing advice, visit The Motley Fool.

How I Saved Money By Moving to a Rural Area

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I’m lucky to be able to work from home, which gives me the freedom and flexibility to move wherever I want. Recently my partner and I packed up our Boston apartment and moved to a rural area in Michigan to enjoy a slower pace of life. 

As an added plus, moving to the country has already saved us a significant amount of money. Because the cost of living is lower and there isn’t as much to do as in the city, we’ve been going out a lot less and investing more of our hard-earned money. 

Here are all the financial benefits I’ve experienced since moving to the country. 

Lower Cost of Living 

I knew that living in the city was expensive, but I didn’t know just how much money we’d save by moving to a lower cost of living area. 

Instead of renting, we were able to buy a house that was triple the size of our old apartment. It’s also on 10 acres of beautiful forested land. 

Our mortgage payment is a whopping $650 less than our rent was back in Boston. So not only do we have more space, but also more cash in our pockets every month. 

Surprisingly, the savings don’t stop there. Our car insurance payment is also lower, and we’ve noticed that groceries and restaurant meals are more affordable too. 

Fewer Places to Eat and Shop 

Although eating out is more affordable here in the country than in Boston, we’ve noticed that we’re not going out to eat as much. 

There are far fewer restaurants and places to shop here. To get to a mall, we have to drive two and a half hours, and we’ve only discovered a few restaurants we really enjoy. 

With less to do in town, we’ve been finding ways to entertain ourselves at home instead, which has already saved us a couple hundred dollars. 

Utilities 

Our house has a wood-burning furnace as well as a central heating system. The previous owners were kind enough to leave behind firewood from the property for us so we could start using our furnace right away. 

By burning wood from our land instead of relying on our central heating system, we’re going to save at least a few hundred dollars on our heating bill this winter. 

We also have an artesian well, which is common for rural homes. Because we get our water from the well instead of the city, we no longer have a water bill and are saving about $50 per month. 

Gardening 

Although there’s still snow on the ground, we’re already preparing for the gardening season by planning out our vegetable patch and purchasing seeds. My partner plans to grow 80% or more of our produce this summer and preserve it for the year ahead. 

Before we moved here, we shopped at Whole Foods and spent a lot of money on food—around $600 a month. By purchasing organic seeds and growing our own healthy, organic produce instead, I anticipate that we’re going to reduce our food bill by $400 per month or more. 

Moving to a rural area definitely isn’t for everyone. But thanks to my remote job as a freelance writer, my partner and I were able to make our dream of moving to the country for a more relaxed lifestyle a reality. 

And in the process, we’ve saved hundreds of dollars in the short time we’ve been here. In the long run, moving to the country may turn out to be one of the best financial decisions we’ve ever made.

20 Saving Money Quotes For 2021

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saving money quotes

Quotations, whether from famous people or accidentally uttered from the mouths of babes, provide a succinct description that captures our interest. As a result, it’s nice to collect quotations that we can refer back to again and again. Collected carefully, they remind us of the things that matter to us. If saving money is one of your goals for 2021, then you might want to choose a few of the saving money quotes below to copy out and place where you can see it regularly throughout your day. While it’s easy to find the most common quotes (“a penny saved is a penny earned”), we’ve tried to give you a range of different thoughts that can inspire you to look at saving money in new ways.

1. On Starting Saving Now, Intentionally

“DIG deep–get deliberate, inspired, and going.” – Brene Brown. Outline your exact intentions for saving money in 2021. Then make a step-by-step plan that can can keep you inspired. Then simply start!

2. On Limiting Instant Gratification

“Because money permits a constant stream of luxuries and indulgences, it can take away their savor, and by permitting instant gratification, money shortcuts the happiness of anticipation. Scrimping, saving, imagining, planning, hoping–these stages enlarge the happiness we feel.” – Gretchen Rubin. If you want to start saving money, it helps a lot to think about it as a pleasure or gift to yourself, rather than as a form of deprivation.

3. On Figuring Out Your Own Money Balance

“Fewer items does not make everyone happier; it’s about finding the balance of items that makes you feel the most comfortable — and the same thing applies to your wealth.” – Marie Kondo. You might want to find work that you love and also make a lot of money. While these things are not mutually exclusive, you have to find your own balance. What does saving money mean to you in comparison with other work and financial goals.

4. If You Had a Rough Financial Year in 2020

“Instead of letting your hardships and failures discourage or exhaust you, let them inspire you. Let them make you even hungrier to succeed.” – Michelle Obama. Many people struggled to save money in 2020. It’s okay. Start 2021 with refreshed perspective and hunger to succeed.

5. If You Need to Refocus on Saving Money

“I’ve become convinced that our lives are shaped less by the mistakes we make than when we make them. There is less elasticity now. Less time to bounce back. And so I heed the urgent whisper and move with greater and greater deliberation.” – Dani Shapiro. If you’re starting 2021 feeling like things are all still the same as 2020, then you might be tempted to let the year slip away without financial focus. Don’t do it. Consider the need to save money as an urgent whisper that you must heed.

6. On Being Gentle With Yourself

“I think I could learn a little patience with myself if I took a view of myself that included concepts like dormancy (instead of laziness), seed planting (instead of just scattered), gestation (instead of doing-something-right-this-second).” – Julia Cameron. This is, again, about reframing things so that you can approach your money-saving goals with a positive mindset.

7. On Going Back to the Basics

“Before you can think out of the box, you have to start with a box.” – Twyla Tharp, who also said, “If you only do what you know and do it very, very well, chances are that you won’t fail. You’ll just stagnate, and your work will get less and less interesting, and that’s failure by erosion.” First, go back to the basics of budgeting, saving a certain percentage of your earnings, etc. Then when you’ve stabilized that part of your life, get creative about saving money.

8. On Doing What Works For You

“You do not have to be good./ You do not have to walk on your knees/ for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting./ You only have to let the soft animal of your body/ love what it loves.” – Mary Oliver. Saving money isn’t a chore. It’s an opportunity. But only if you figure out the ways to do it that really resonate with your own life and values. Don’t start with the hardest things; start with what you love. For example, if you value the environment, find ways to save energy at home, which will also save you money. And take the steps that are easiest first. They do make a difference.

9. On Having an Eye Towards the Future

“Accept that someday what pains you now will surely pain you less.” – Cheryl Strayed. This is good advice whether it’s for getting through a heartbreak or accepting some of the uncomfortable limitations of saving money. If you want to really tighten the purse strings, you might choose to let go of some of your favorite pastimes and other money-suckers. It will feel better tomorrow than it does today.

10. On Paying Yourself First and Treating Yourself After

“Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what is left after saving.” – Warren Buffett. Back to those basics: pay yourself first. Set a savings goal. If you have some leftover, it’s okay to treat yourself, because you have met your goal.

A bonus related quote with a similar sentiment:

“We are not to judge thrift solely by the test of saving or spending.  If one spends what he should prudently save, that certainly is to be deplored.  But if one saves what he should prudently spend, that is not necessarily to be commended.  A wise balance between the two is the desired end.”  – Owen D. Young 

11. Practice Gratitude

“I am grateful for what I am and have. My thanksgiving is perpetual. It is surprising how contented one can be with nothing definite,—only a sense of existence.” – Thoreau. The more you can focus on being thankful for the things that you have, the more likely you are to stick to your saving money goals. After all, you’re not going to spend on impulse buys if you’re satisfied with what you have.

12. More on Gratitude

Because it will truly make a difference in your approach to saving money.

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” — Oprah Winfrey

13. On Accepting Your Present Reality

“To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is. – Thích Nhất Hạnh. It’s all too easy to let yourself get really overwhelmed with negative thoughts about the trials and tribulations of saving money. Alternatively, you can overestimate how great things will be “tomorrow.” Instead, start right where you are today. Do an honest assessment of your finances and see where you’re at with saving money right now.

14. More on Mindfulness

“Look past your thoughts, so you may drink the pure nectar of This Moment.” – Rumi. Being in the present means practicing mindfulness. This can help greatly as we accept our present reality for what it is. There is something wonderful happening right now if you pay attention.

15. On Accepting The Ups and Downs

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Jon Kabat-Zinn. 2020 showed us that there are going to be unexpected things in our lives. We can save and plan and plot out our financial futures. And we should. But things might change on us. And that’s okay. We can figure this out.

16. On Starting Over

“That’s life: starting over, one breath at a time.” – Sharon Salzberg. No matter what your savings and financial goals were in 2020, you’re not there anymore. Start today. Where are you in 2021?

17. On Being Generous

“When we have plenty of money or blankets, we give them away to other chiefs and people, and by and by they return them with interest, and our hearts feel good. Our way of giving is our bank.”  – Chief Maquinna, Nootka. Saving money is an important personal goal. But don’t let it become so much your focus that you fail to be generous in the times when it is appropriate to do so.

18. More on Generosity

“That’s what I consider true generosity: You give your all and yet you always feel as if it costs you nothing.” — Simone de Beauvoir

19. Getting Clear About Your Saving Goals

“The goal of an emergency fund is to bail you from going to jail while your savings account is about buying you more options. The role of investing is to give you more time freedom.”  ― David Angway

20. Know Your Beliefs, So That You Can Live By Your Values

“Your beliefs become your thoughts / Your thoughts become your words / Your words become your actions / Your actions become your habits / Your habits become your values / Your values become your destiny.”
― Gandhi

What are your beliefs about saving money? Do the inner work to figure out your beliefs so that your thoughts, words, actions, habits, and values can align with them.

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If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. If you want to be able to customize your blog on your own domain and need hosting service, we recommend trying BlueHost. They offer powerful hosting services for $3.95/month!

How to Stop Paying Money for Others

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paying money for others

Do you regularly find yourself paying money for others? There are several scenarios in which this problem might occur. However, you can deal with all of them by implementing two key tricks. And the best part about these tricks is that they don’t require the other people to make changes; it’s stuff that you can do yourself.

Scenarios When You Might Be Paying Money For Others

When are the times that you are paying money for others? Here are some common scenarios:

  • Your name is on a lease or utility bill. Therefore, you pay the bill and others are then supposed to pay their half to you. However, they don’t always pay you. As a result, you’re paying the entire cost for others.
  • The check comes at a restaurant or other shared event. Somehow the total doesn’t add up. You pay the extra to resolve the problem.
  • The check comes at a restaurant or other shared event. You say, “I’ve got this.” You do this more often than not.
  • You’ve offered to share your streaming services with others. Then you want to cancel or downgrade. However, you feel guilty for nipping their services in the bud. Therefore you just keep paying.

These are just a few of the scenarios that play out where you might find yourself paying for others. Brainstorm a list of others that apply to your own life. The more you know about the situation, the easier it’s going to be to resolve.

2 Key Things You Can Do To Stop Paying Money For Others

Each of these situations is different. However, they share a common denominator: you. You have choices. You can make changes. Therefore, it’s up to you to figure out what to do. And there are two key things that you can begin doing right now:

1. Work Through Your Own Money Issues

Many of us have psychological and emotional issues about money. We have received messages from our families and our culture that affect the way we deal with financial issues. This shows up in all sorts of ways. However, it especially shows up in our relationships. If you’re having problems paying money for others, then chances are that there is some underlying emotional stuff coming up for you that’s making it hard for you to set appropriate boundaries.

For example, if you’re the one at the table who always pays extra to settle a shared check, then dig deep to figure out why that is. How were financial conflicts handled in your family? Are you avoiding conflict because it’s a trigger for you? If so, what can you do differently in these situations to feel safe without having to foot the bill?

Conflict avoidance could be at the root of issues like covering rent for roommates as well. On the other hand, perhaps money represents security to you. Is that why you chose to be the leaseholder? If so, then what can you do differently to feel secure without people taking advantage of that?

Similarly, if you always pick up the check at a shared event, then it’s worth asking yourself why that is. What do you feel that it says about you that you pay for everyone? Is it a self-esteem issue? Is it a belief that you’re responsible? What’s going on underneath?

2. Learn to Talk About Money

This goes hand in hand with working through your own money issues. Once you know what’s going on with yourself, the other aspect is learning to properly communicate that information to others. Talking about money isn’t easy. But you can learn to do so with practice.

Start by discussing money issues with the people you find it easiest to do so with. They’ll help you strengthen your skills. You can even work with a therapist to help you learn to set boundaries and communicate them to others.

Obviously it helps if the other person will join in the conversation with you, but if all you ever reach is the goal of communicating your feelings then you’re still doing great. It will still help you stop paying for others when you don’t want to.

Additional Tips to Reduce The Problem of Paying for Others

Working on your own underlying issues, including learning better money communication, is truly the way to resolve this problem forever. But, of course, that might take some time. Here are some tips and tricks that you can implement in the meantime to minimize the problem in your life:

  • Promise yourself that you’ll always say no first if someone asks you to pay. You can always change your mind and decide to pay later if that’s a choice you consciously want to make. Saying no (or saying that you need to think about it) will help buy you some time.
  • Make use of apps like Venmo. People can instantly pay you right from their phone. Therefore, you should ask that they do so in appropriate situations such as when splitting a bill.
  • Set up weekly or monthly money meetings. Whether these are family meetings or get-togethers with roommates, this is a way to address financial issues. Sometimes just setting aside the time to talk resolves the issues. Once it becomes a habit, it will be easier for everyone.
  • Ask someone you love to hold you accountable. For example, if you always say, “we’ve got this” at the restaurant, ask your spouse to remind you not to do that. Ask for support in letting the situation unfold as it will.
  • Set a budget that includes paying for others. If you enjoy paying sometimes, then work that into your budget. Don’t exceed it. Monitor it closely.
  • Let everyone in your life know that you’re working on your personal finances. Say outright to everyone, “hey I’m just trying really hard to save money right now.” You can say this during a neutral time so that they know it’s not about them. This helps set the stage for all future conversations about money.

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If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started. If you want to be able to customize your blog on your own domain and need hosting service, we recommend trying BlueHost. They offer powerful hosting services for $3.95/month!

Saving Money: Learning From Parental Mistakes

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saving money

Learning about saving money from parental mistakes is not always the most fun thing to do, but when I look back over my own personal journey it’s obvious that I took the earliest cues from my mom and dad–for better or worse, and had to evolve from there. But what kind of parental mistakes are we talking about here?

There are the obvious ones–treating credit cards like an ATM, running up too much debt on one card and being unable to dig out completely without help, things like that. But the real education I got about saving money came from taking a tough and critical look at how I was raised and the money examples I was given along the way.

Here are the five things I have learned by doing this:

  1. The nature of money and saving has changed dramatically since I was in high school back in the 1980s. It was changing in my parents’ early life together too, but the ability to adapt to a changing financial landscape is key to weathering those changes and have money left in the bank in the meantime. Adapt and survive.
  2. It’s not enough to save money–you have to save money with a purpose. You remain committed to goals that are clearly defined and lose your resolve faster when you don’t.
  3. Sometimes you have to make a game of your financial goals and treat them accordingly. In the same way you “Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200” in the game Monopoly, you’ll need to establish firm rules for the game (money challenges, saving challenges, etc.) and stick to them like they were written in stone.
  4. You have to anticipate problems along the way that may set you back financially rather than treating every new problem like a completely unanticipated disaster.
  5. You have to explain your money management strategy to the entire family and in terms they can understand and support.

Number five is especially important–or at least it was for me. When I was little, some of the most detailed financial advice I got was “You gotta pay yourself first.” Which I understood in general terms, but I didn’t know what that truly meant. If someone had taken the time to explain to me that you have to anticipate a flat tire, last-minute dentist visit, a cut in job hours, etc. by saving up for such things, it would have made a lot more sense to me in a pragmatic way.

Explaining these things clearly for spouses and children makes the difference between actually making progress in your financial planning with the support of your family and treading water with everyone asking why they don’t go out to eat anymore.

Making the plans? Crucial. But explaining how the plan works and getting everyone affected by them on board? That requires some additional thinking time. But it’s well worth the effort–especially when you’re trying to get the kids on board with a lifestyle change involving a more frugal approach to life.

Bonus : Giving technologies that help me save more a try. Here are some savings apps that are useful and worth a try.

AppFess and minimum:Best for:
Digit30-day free trial period. $5 per month Setting aside automatically
Acorns$1 per monthSpare change investing.
Qapital$3 membershipLetting you set rules to automate savings.

 

 

28 Gift Ideas That Save Money For The Recipient

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28 Gift Ideas That Save Money For The Recipient

With the holidays approaching, it’s time to think about Christmas shopping. We always talk about ways to save money on gifts, from hitting the sales to drawing names out of a hat. That’s all well and good, but these strategies only save money for the buyer. How about turning the savings around this year and buying gifts that save money for their recipients?

Particularly in a down economy, gifts that help the recipient save money are much appreciated. You can still save money when buying most of these items if you use the tried-and-true shopping methods. But the bonus is that the following gift ideas also help the recipients save money over the long term. Who can argue with a gift that saves them money?

So, with no further ado, here are 28 gift ideas that save money for the recipient:

1. Gift Cards

Always a staple of the holidays, a well-considered gift card saves your recipient money. After all, they won’t have to dip into their own funds to purchase something that they want or need. They’ll use the card instead.

Try to get a card to a store you know the recipient loves or shops frequently and that carries useful stuff. Cards to stores that carry only expensive “dream” merchandise aren’t really money-savers, because the recipient is locked into buying something frivolous when they might have preferred to spend the money on something useful or “every day.”

To save your recipient money, stick to bigger stores like Target, Walmart, grocery stores, large department stores, large bed and bath stores, or clothing stores. At those places, your recipients can either get something they need or splurge on something fun and they will have lots of choices. And, with the lower prices at many of these stores, your gift will go further.

If you have credit card rewards points then you might be able to use them to purchase gift cards. Therefore, you save money for yourself as well as for the gift recipient.

Want to make it more personal? Write a beautiful letter explaining why you chose this gift.

2. Magazine Subscriptions

Do you know someone who enjoys getting print magazines? Or even digital ones? If so, then offer to pay for the membership for one year. This is an affordable gift for you and yet saves them money to spend on something else.

3. Pay for a Service

Does your recipient hate to clean? Spring for a cleaning service. Hate to cook? Give them a gift certificate to a service like Schwanns that delivers prepared meals. Hate to mow the lawn? Give them the gift of a landscaping service.

If they already have such services, offer to pick up the tab for a few months. Items such as these not only relieve the burden from people who don’t like or can’t do these things, but they save them money because they don’t have to pay for the service themselves.

Moreover, it saves them time. Time can be financially valuable as well.

And if you want to save money, you might offer to perform the service yourself, rather than hiring someone else to do it.

4. Buy What They Need

Rather than blindly hunting for the “perfect gift,” ask your recipients what they need. Then get it for them.

If they need clothes, try a gift card to a retailer that sells many styles. Or offer to go shopping with them.

If they need food, get a gift card to a grocery store. Alternatively, sign them up to receive fresh farm food delivery on your tab.

If they need a hobby or office supplies, either get a gift card or fill a box with several items. If they need household supplies like cleaners, toiletries, or linens, get a gift card to a big-box store, or create a gift basket with several items.

Gifts that meet a need are just as appreciated (if not more so) than the doo-dad that you thought was “so cute” that you had to buy it. And getting them what they need means they won’t have to spend their own money to buy it.

Don’t worry about seeming impersonal by asking someone what they need. Most people are grateful.

5. Gift Them a Night Out

Give the person the gift of a night out. That might mean paying for dinner and a movie. It could mean getting them a hotel room. Or it might simply mean babysitting their children while they go do something that they enjoy. Combine gift cards and services to create a special night out.

6. Offer to Pay For a Sitter

If your recipients have kids, offer to pick up the tab for a babysitter for a night or two. If they have pets, pay the pet sitter.

Sometimes people want to go out, but don’t want to spring for a babysitter so they stay home. Give them the chance to go out without having to pay for a sitter themselves.

Alternatively, offer to be their sitter. Let them drop the kids/dogs off with you and enjoy a night in without them.

7. Reusable Water Bottles

Your recipients won’t have to spend money on bottled water anymore if you get them a good quality, reusable water bottle with a built-in filtration system. If they don’t mind the taste of tap water but buy bottled water for its portability, you can get a reusable water bottle without filtration for a little less money.

This will also be a good reminder for them to drink more water. If they do, then you’re contributing to their overall health. Furthermore, that can save health costs down the line.

8. Set up a Savings Account

This can be especially good for kids or grandkids. Open an account (making sure to get any bonuses for opening a new account) and seed it with a little money. Even if nothing more is ever added to it, it will still gain some interest.

You can add money to it each holiday to keep your gift growing. Alternatively, you could gift savings bonds or shares of stocks to help your recipients gain a bit of money.

This not only gives the outright gift of money. It also helps set the tone for saving for the future. That’s an educational gift that could last a lifetime.

9. Warehouse Club Membership

If your recipient lives near a popular warehouse club such as Sam’s, Costco, or BJ’s, then buy them a membership. They’ll save money on food, household items, and gas (if the club has a station) and they won’t have to pay the membership fee. That’s a gift that can truly go a long way. They’ll get things that they need all year long at a lower price thanks to you.

10. Pay For Streaming Services

What streaming services does your gift recipient use? Whether it’s Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Audible, or some other form of pay-by-the-month entertainment, you can pay that bill for them.

If you want to save money, see about adding them to your existing accounts.

presents

11. Reusable Shopping Bags

Many places now charge customers for using paper or plastic bags in the store. Therefore, you can save people money by giving them reusable shopping bags. Make them yourself if you knit, crochet, or sew. Alternatively, purchase them inexpensively. If you’re giving them another gift as well, use this as the gift bag.

12. Gifts for the Couponer

If you know someone who is into (or wants to be into) couponing, then you have several gift choices.

First, you can get them a subscription to the local Sunday paper if they don’t already have one. This is a great source of coupons even in digital times.

Second, you can purchase a membership for them at a coupon/shopping website.

Third, you can buy them an organizational system for their coupons, such as a binder and pockets, recipe box, or divided filing pouch.

Alternatively, you could write out or print out all of your favorite couponing tips and put them into a journal for the person to learn from.

13. Seeds / Materials for a Window or Container Garden

If your recipient has a green thumb (or just wants to reduce their grocery costs), then consider setting them up with some pots, dirt and seeds/starter plants to grow their own vegetables or herbs.

Many plants can easily grow in containers in small spaces, so even those with limited space can grow at least a few things.

If they aren’t as handy with plants but are interested in the idea, try getting them a starter kit that does a lot of the work for you. A ready-to-grow herb garden or mushroom farm is a great start.

14. A Good Cookbook

Maybe your recipient eats out a lot because they, “Just don’t know what to fix.” A good cookbook can solve that problem. Moreover, it can save the recipient hundreds in dining out / ordering in costs.

Ideally, the recipes should be easy and quick to prepare. Plus, they should require only simple, easy to find ingredients, and utensils. Otherwise, the recipient will quickly get frustrated and spend more money on equipment and ingredients than they would have by continuing to eat out.

An alternative to the cookbook, of course, is a meal subscription plan.

15. Books About Saving Money

If your recipient is looking for ways to save money, then they may be interested in books about saving money. If you already have some in your personal library, then you can save money by gifting those. Add a nice message written in the front of the book to personalize the gift.

16. Fans, Window AC’s, and/or Space Heaters

Heating and cooling costs are usually the biggest components of an energy bill. Therefore, finding ways to help the person reduce those costs is a huge money-saving gift.

Portable fans, window air conditioners, and space heaters allow you to heat and cool just the rooms you are occupying, rather than cooling or heating the whole house. Therefore, they save a ton of money. Some of these items have gotten so fancy that they make great gifts.

You can also buy decorative ceiling fans and offer to pay for the installation (or do it yourself). With heating and cooling costs going through the roof, a chance to save a few bucks is a welcome gift.

Alternatively, you might offer to pay for a home energy audit, smart temperature controls, or other tools that will teach the person to reduce their home energy bills.

For example, get them a programmable thermostat. Why waste the money to heat or cool an empty house? Set it up once, and a programmable thermostat does the job without someone having to remember to turn the temperature up and down all the time.

17. Reusable Lunch Tote

A chic lunch tote and accessories (including sandwich boxes, utensils, thermos/bottle, and napkins) make bringing lunch to work or school fun. If you have people in your life who are still going to work / school during COVID times, then they may find it really hard to figure out the lunch situation. This can help!

18. Cloth Napkins / Towels

You can eliminate the need for your recipient to buy paper napkins and paper towels by giving them attractive cloth substitutes. Many sizes and designs are available to suit different styles and tastes. Moreover, they can be tossed in the wash with the regular laundry, so they don’t add much to the chore load.

19. Rechargeable Batteries with Charger

Your gift recipient will never have to buy batteries again if you get them this gift. Purchase one or more common battery sizes (such as AA).

Have you noticed that many of the items that your gift recipients money also help save the planet? Good things help in more ways than one!

20. Gas

Most gas stations now sell gift cards that can be used for their “brand” of fuel at any participating station. Therefore, you can get a gas gift card for someone. Or you might simply offer to take the car out, fill it up, get it detailed, and return it ready to go.

21. Reusable Air Filters

These tend to do a better job than the cheap air filters, plus you can reuse them over and over again with just a simple wash to keep them clean. You’ll save your recipient’s money both in energy costs (these make air systems run more efficiently) and in the cost of replacement filters.

22. CFLs or LEDs

They don’t make a very sexy gift, but CFLs use about 75% less energy than regular bulbs and last ten times longer. Your gift recipient will save on energy costs as well as the cost of bulbs over the long term. Brightening up their home with nice lights that last a long time is a gift that keeps on giving all year long.

23. Low-Flow Devices

Low-flow faucets and showerheads save money on the water bills. These devices have come a long way and now come in massaging and other fancy varieties that make good gifts.

24. Supplies For Their Hobby

What does your gift recipient love to do in their spare time? Buy them the supplies to support that hobby. For example, get yarn for a knitter or crocheter. If you know someone who scrapbooks, purchase tape and papers for them.

Of course, if you’re not sure what supplies they like, you might get them a gift card to a craft supply store instead.

This gift shows that you know them and value their interests. Moreover, it saves them money on doing something that they love.

25. A Paid Day Off

Many people don’t get paid for the days that they don’t go to work. Some people have a job that has very limited paid vacation or sick days. Other people work for themselves, are stay-at-home parents, or otherwise don’t have the option to take a paid day off. Therefore, any time they need to “call in sick” they feel guilty and stressed.

Make up some personalized coupons to give them a paid day off. Pay their salary for X amount of days during the year to give them the stress-free option of taking a day to themselves.

26. Education

Give someone the gift of an education. This could mean starting a college fund. However, it might also mean paying for some professional development courses that a friend has always wanted to take. It might simply mean paying for a few online workshops to boost someone’s resume. You’ll save the cost of the classes. Moreover, with better education, they might earn more down the line.

27. Donate to Charity in Their Name

Do you know someone who always loves to give to others? Perhaps they can’t do that this year. Maybe they don’t have the extra money that they usually spend. Or perhaps they usually volunteer in person but COVID has limited their options. Save money and stress by donating to their favorite charity in their name. For example, this year people in my support network are donating to Dressember to help me fight human trafficking.

28. Create a Themed Basket

Some of my best gifts have been big boxes or gift baskets filled with items that have a theme. For example, I once got a gift basket full of nothing but pet supplies. It was all stuff I would have bought at some point, but it saved me the money and time on doing so.

I’ve given boxes filled with office supplies to people who have their own businesses and gift baskets of cleaning supplies and household goods to people buying new homes. I’ve given gifts of toiletries and toiletry totes to kids going away to college and boxes filled with “green” items to those looking to change their lifestyles. You can make gift baskets for new babies with diapers, wipes, tissue, and other supplies. Useful items can be grouped and packaged in interesting and attractive ways to make great, creative gifts.

It’s great to give something like this because, if it’s all things the recipient would have bought at some point, it saves them the money. Plus, it recognizes something important happening in a person’s life right now.

Why Buy Gifts That Save Money For The Recipient

These ideas aren’t only for Christmas. Gifts that save money are welcome on birthdays, graduations, baby showers, and other occasions, as well.

To come up with gifts that save your recipient’s money, think of the things that you spend money on, and then come up with a creative way to make that a gift. Chances are your recipient has to spend money on that category or item as well, and will be relieved to avoid or reduce the expense.

I much prefer a gift that helps me save money over receiving another knick-knack that I have no need for and have to clean. Don’t you? It’s great to think of ways to save money on your gift-giving, but if your gifts can save your recipient’s money at the same time, you’ll be doing them a great service.

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