5 Unconventional Ways to Save Money This Year

Thursday, July 9, 2020, 6:00 AM | Leave Comment

No matter your financial goals, everyone would like to have more money in savings.

Additionally, the current state of the world means many of us have more free time.

If you’re inventive and courageous, you can take steps to make, and save, a bit more money this year.

1. Do a Family No-Spend

   Carefully inventory all of your cupboards and storage containers, then seal up your wallet tight for two weeks. Don’t spend any money until you’re totally out of an item. Doing a no-spend as a family can teach your clan some remarkable things.

   For example,

   • you’ll be amazed at how much stuff you currently have

   • you’ll be amazed at how little you really need

   • you’ll learn new and creative ways to use the things you’ve already got

   • you’ll understand that weekly shopping is mostly habitual, not always necessary

   • frugality becomes creative when you can’t add to your stash.

   At the end of your no-spend, you can expand your money savings in more traditional ways. As you’ll have cash, you can go back to cash when you do need to shop. We spend more when we use a credit card because it doesn’t hurt until we open the bill. Go back to cash and see what you’ll save.

2. Surveys and Contests

   There are many people who find cheap entertainment and make some money participating in consumer surveys and giveaways. For example, those living in Canada can find great steals by participating in Canadian contests and giveaways. You can do many of these on your phone, so you can survey and play from almost anywhere.

   Be careful when taking surveys for free stuff; often, the object is free but they will want your credit card for shipping and handling, and often these fees exceed the cost of the free object. Never give over your credit card number.

3. Start a Food Truck

   Do you have a snack treat that can’t be beaten? Something healthier than the standard fare, like the delicious and unique ice cream treats available from Kings of Pop, who produce an avocado pop that is to die for?

   Find someone who owns a food truck and see if you can rent a section of their freezer or cooler to store and sell your wares. Even if you only work during the summer months, you can create your healthy, custom summer treat and build up a following. You can further spread your unique offerings by sharing your recipes on refrigerator magnets, which are incredibly cheap to make and which you could sell to your fans.

4. Scavenge

   Scavenging can take several forms. You can dumpster dive for food if you’re desperate and brave, but remember to glove up and dig with a stick, not your hands. You can also get to the grocery store in the first 15 minutes after it opens and stock up on whatever is deeply discounted. Milk that’s close to its use-by date can be frozen to extend the life, and eggs that need to be used up can be boiled for egg salad sandwiches for a couple of days. Many coffee shops need to clear out day-old pastries early in the morning, so be sure to stop by and check if anything is discounted on your morning walk.

   You can also scavenge and re-sell items. If your neighborhood allows yard sales, visit the sale sites at the end of the last day. Many unsold items will be put on the curb with a “Free!” sign. Take these items home, clean them up, and either put them to use or sell them on a platform like Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, or Poshmark.

5. Sell Your Personal Inventory

   If you’re decluttering anyway, post the items you want to get rid of on the same platforms you’d sell scavenged items. You can also sell your physical person, including

   • plasma

   • sperm or eggs

   • skin, as a Professional Cuddler

   • physique, as an artist’s model

   Again, stay within your comfort zone. However, if you have the time and are interested in inventive ways to make and save money, there are organizations that will pay you for your secretions.

Making and saving a bit of extra money will take discipline. If you take the money you earn from a side hustle or scavenging sale and buy an expensive take-out meal, you haven’t really saved. Set a family goal for that side hustle money and get everyone in on the savings process.

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