21 Super Easy Financial Hacks That’ll Make You Wonder Why You Didn’t Think of Them Sooner!

To achieve financial freedom, it is important to adopt a mindset of consistently working towards increasing your income and reducing expenses. This involves setting achievable financial goals, creating a budget and investing in assets that generate passive income.

A Redditor asked, what is your best financial life hack? and here are the best ones:

1. Packing Lunch

Not spending on lunch everyday adds up quickly.  “Bringing pack lunch, or always have a snack in my bag,” said one.

Another added, “Seriously! Carrying around some almonds or a clif bar has gotten me through many days where I thought I’d only be out and about for an hour, and it turns into more, and I need to eat. I can now eat when I get home vs. getting anything or expensive food when out.”

 

2. Adjust Your Broke

It is always important to keep adjusting the level for yourself. “Adjust what you think your zero is. Everyone has that “oh god, I’m broke” number– I just inflated mine, so I think I’m broke when I’m not. If I have $1000 in my bank account, I treat it like $0. $1050 is treated like I have only $50. It’s weird, but it’s been working so far.” shared one.

“Set a new zero. My checking account has $531. $500 is my 0, so I only have 31 to spend/save as I please.” added another

 

3. Live Below Your Means

A user shared, “Living below your means. I’ve done this since I got my first part-time job at 14 or 15 years old.

Just pretend you’re more broke than you are and live that way. Eventually, it will feel normal. I wear jeans and shorts until holes form and t-shirts where some are 20 years old. Shoes until they’re falling apart and wholly flattened down.

My work allows me to wear comfortable clothing like jeans, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. So, my clothing needs are very inexpensive.”

 

4. Drink Water

5. Make Coffee At Home

“Add tea and coffee made at home. It drives me nuts when we’re heading out of town, and my wife wants to grab an $8 coffee she could have made at home for a $0.20” shared one.

 

6. No Food Delivery Apps on Phone

“Uninstall GrubHub and door dash from your phone,” shared one.

“I stopped using their services when I realized I’m paying double for convenience.” added another

 

7. Make An Actual Budget

8. Think You Are Giving Advice To A Second Person

“Think of your future self as a different person you need to help. Every time you’re able to save back even $1, it helps your future self out.” shared one.

 

9. Pay Yourself First

“Automate your savings to pay yourself first.” shared one.

 

10. Keep Spending The Same When Income Goes Up.

“Seems like a concept that’s lost on many people. I explained to my SIL that just because your income goes up doesn’t mean your spending should increase commensurately. She replied, “but that’s just what people do.” No words.” shared one.

 

11. Make A Grocery List

“Eat before you go to the store and always make a list and stick with it.” shared one.

 

12. Stop Drinking Everyday

“I’m three years sober. I started thinking the other day, “What if I had spent just $10 a day on booze?” which is crazy because it was a LOT more than that.” shared one.

 

13. Use the Library

“Use the library for books, CDs, DVDs, and audiobooks.” shared one.

 

14. Ask Before You Buy

“Minimize your fixed costs. Before you spend, get in the habit of asking if the purchase will increase your well-being or if it is an impulsive buy.” shared one.

 

15. Always Bring Your Own Water

“Always bring your own water bottle!! I’ve had to live off refills for 6 months and saved a lot of money,” shared one.

 

16. Cook

“cook my own meals….not eat out,” shared one.

Another adds, “Our biggest money saver is cooking our meals at home. We bake bread 3-4 days a week ($0.50/ loaf) and grow lettuce, peas, cucumbers, and herbs by a window all winter.”

 

17. Pay Credit Cards On Time

“Pay your credit cards in full every month. Don’t overspend. No exceptions.” shared one.

 

18. Use Reward Points

“Get a credit card with good rewards and route every purchase through it. Pay it off in full each month and enjoy your free money.” shared one.

 

19. Meal Prep

“Meal prep!

I cook a big batch of chili & lemon pepper chicken on lazy Sundays. Store all that in Tupperware in my fridge. Then I just cook some rice or boil potatoes etc., as needed.

This means I can buy my food in bulk since I cook it all in one go, and less food gets wasted. I still eat & cook smaller different meals occasionally, but 75% of my meals throughout the week are like this.

As an added bonus, I’m less inclined to order takeout because I’ve got meals in my fridge I can just heat up if I’m lazy. I’ve found that it’s not really the takeout food I want; I just don’t want to have to cook.” shared one.

 

20. Buy in bulk

“Buy in bulk, especially for dry store foods like lentils, beans, rice, and pasta. I like to go to Asian and Polish stores for big bags of ingredients and for cheap spices. I used to also shop at local Mexican shops back home. Great for good cuts of meat and fresh food.” shared one.

 

21. Get a side hustle

Having a side hustle can provide an additional source of income, help you achieve your financial goals faster, and provide opportunities for personal and professional growth. You can check out some of the best work from home jobs here.

This article originally appeared here.