Picture c/o Wikimedia Commons

Saving money doesn’t have to be all about hitting you where it hurts, pulling teeth and giving you a one-two punch right to the baby maker. Saving money can be easy and painless when you use a few quick tricks.

1. Call your service providers and ask for a lower rate
A simple phone call to your service providers could help you to save money on all kinds of bills– cable, Internet, maybe even rent! And don’t forget to call your bank to get overdraft fees and other outrageous bank fees leveraged too. Just make sure you always have a plan for the conversations, so they go your way. Above all, remain calm and prepare to walk away, if necessary. You don’t really need cable anyway. (Ramit Sethi from I will Teach You To be Rich has some great scripts for those phone calls.) This is a once a year trick that can save you thousands over your lifetime.

2. Only spend cash and save your change
By using cash you’ll get a better grip on how much you are spending. And by never spending change, you’ll easily save a bit of money each night. It’s money that you’ll never miss and you can easily save for a rainy day or a sunny one!

3. Reward your saving
I know it sounds counterintuitive, but to create a habit we need to reward ourselves, at least at first. To make a habit stick we have to give ourselves that reward. Lately I’ve ben reading The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. Duhigg references a study where participants were asked to workout. One group was asked to reward themselves with a bit of chocolate after each workout. The group that rewarded themselves stuck with the workouts and after 6 weeks (or so) didn’t even need the chocolate anymore. They had made working out into a habit. The group without the reward wasn’t so successful. Now you don’t have to reward every little bit of savings, but make a small goal and once you hit that goal, reward yourself with something small that you enjoy. And don’t feel guilty about it! It won’t work if it’s a reward covered in guilt!

4. Set an alarm or calendar reminder to check your bank account everyday
Checking your bank account every day can help you get a grip on your spending and savings. By setting a daily alarm or calendar reminder to check your account, you’ve automated your reminder and you have no excuse to delay checking your account.

5. Take care of yourself
When we’re tired, stressed out or have case of the blahs, we don’t make good decisions. We have decision fatigue and eating that sleeve of Oreos or buying those designer shoes seems like a really good idea. Stop and recognize your feelings before you make a purchase. If you’re feeling tired or stressed out, meditate or take a nap, then come back to your potential purchase.

6. Automate savings
Automating savings is one of my favorite tricks. Once a month, my bank automatically draws out of my checking account and puts it into another bank as savings. I don’t even miss the money and it happens automatically so I don’t have a chance to back out!

7. Unsubscribe to junk mail and email
Unsubscribe to retailer emails through Unroll Me and junk snail mail through Catalog Choice. The junk mail will never even make it to your mailbox or inbox, taking away the temptation before it happens! It’s also a great tip to keep down clutter.

What are your favorite painless ways to save money? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie