18 Ways To Save Money In 2018

Ready to take control of your finances this year? Start with these 18 tips and challenge yourself to save money in as many ways as possible over the next 12 months.

1. When you go to the grocery store each week, ask for $10 back in cash and tuck it away. At the end of the year, you'll have $520 saved up.

2. Choose one indulgent purchase you make on a regular basis and give it up. Add that money to an emergency fund or put it toward your credit card debt.

3. Challenge yourself to spend one week using up the food in your freezer and pantry - no trip to the grocery store unless it's absolutely necessary.

4. Do one thing for yourself that you normally have someone else do: your nails, your oil change or your snow shoveling.

5. Shop around for better insurance, television, Internet and phone deals. You don't have to stay with one provider just because you've always had them.

6. Call those providers and see if they can reduce your bill. They may have better rates than you have now, or you can always let them know that you're thinking about leaving them. This can motivate them to strike a deal.

7. Switch to LED bulbs as your old ones burn out.

8. Take advantage of your local library instead of downloading or buying books, movies and music.

9. Never pay full price for anything. Stores run too many sales for you to pay retail. Joining emailing lists or having coupons mailed makes this even easier.

10. Plan a garden space to plant in the spring, including the produce you use the most or spend the most on at the store.

11. Restrict yourself to one or two shopping trips per week instead of running out every day to pick up one or two things (which turn into eight or 10 once you get there).

12. Sort through each room of your house and collect as many things as you can for a yard sale. Start now and you'll have a significant pile of stuff that you can get rid of come the summer garage sale season.

13. Try those apps that let you sell things you don't need. People in your area will see them, and you can get rid of them with next to no hassle.

14. Do a staycation this year instead of leaving town. You can learn more about your city and still get to sleep in your own beds.

15. Suspend your gym membership and work out at home for a couple of months. You might find it fits your daily schedule better, or you can always start up again this spring.

16. Invite your friends over for coffee and snacks instead of going out somewhere. Take turns hosting and you'll save even more.

17. Read one book of financial advice each month, then begin applying the tips that work best for you.

18. Know where your money goes each month and keep tracking of your spending habits. You'll see where you're spending the most and you can plug the holes so your finances don't wander off on their own.

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