30 Legit Free Money Hacks For Easily Making & Saving Money

There are certainly legit free money hacks out there for easily making and saving money, online and offline.

You will learn about up to 30 of the most legit such free money hacks from reading this article.

 

Why Free Money Hacks?

Why not, right?

When we go to the doctor for a physical exam, the doctor will ask a number of questions, evaluate the medications we may be taken, and also listen to our chest with a stethoscope and sometimes check our stomach by pressing down on certain areas near the vital organs.

If we were to cringe or respond in a way that was not normal the doctor may take that as an indicator that something is going on within our body that is not normal and may order additional tests.

Our personal finances should be examined in the same way.

We can do this through self-examination and look at various aspects of our finances and press down on those areas to see if there is an abnormal response.

With this in mind, let us take a look at our finances and press down on certain areas and look for ways that we can take action to save money by spending less or cutting back on certain areas due to the sensitivity of our finances not being maximized and certain spending habits depleting us of that additional money.

 

30 Legit Free Money Hacks for Earning Money

 

1. Gigs

When thinking about money hacks and saving money through various processes it is also important to remember that there are two sides to your financial situation.

There are the expenses that you incur and are obligated to pay but the other side of the budget ledger is the income.

Therefore, a money hack that you can fully embrace is to also bring more money into your household.

This can be done by taking on a variety of odd jobs which are known as gigs, and you can earn extra money.

Possibilities of those gigs could include:

• Being an Uber driver
• Delivering meals through DoorDash
• Performing odd jobs around the neighborhood
• Doing freelance work (writing, bookkeeping, graphic design, etc.
• And much more

 

2. Review Your Budget

One of the best ways to be aware of your spending is through the creation of a budget and then sticking to that budget as it relates to what you spend your money on.

A budget is a financial tool that shows an individual, in black and white, what are the expenses that they are obligated to pay in the course of a month.

Some of the line items on the expense side of the budget could include:

• Rental or mortgage payment
• Insurance
• Cellular services
• Entertainment
• Travel
• Utilities
• Miscellaneous
• And so forth.

The reality of the power of a budget is that if what you choose to spend is not budgeted then you simply do not spend.

The budget should balance out to zero which would include expenses of setting up a nest egg, savings account, investments, and so forth.

 

3. Spending Log

A great way to keep track of where your money goes during the course of the month is to keep a spending log.

The process involves the writing down of every item that you buy during the course of the month.

The log should reflect the date, where the item was purchased from, the amount, etc.

At the end of the month, total all of your expenses and compare what you expended to your budget, and it will give you a good idea of what items you purchased that were not budgeted that possibly could be cut out from your spontaneous spending through the month.

 

4. Savings on Auto Pilot

Another good money hack is to automate your savings.

Through your financial institution you can make arrangements through their bill pay system of sending out a set amount of money on a set day of the month, and it can be done automatically without you thinking about it.

This is a significant commitment but once in place and you are accustomed to that money being deducted from your checking or savings account it will happen automatically and you will not have to worry about thinking about making the transaction.

Ultimately your savings account or investment account will grow.

 

5. Cash Only

Another good money hack is to only utilize cash.

This would require that you take out a set amount of money per pay period and to be limited with only using that cash for all of your expenses such as:

• Entertainment
• Grocery shopping
• Miscellaneous items
• And so forth

This will create a discipline for you to stay within the limitations of what cash is in your purse or wallet and will eliminate your dependence upon credit cards and therefore help to prevent any credit card balances from increasing.

 

6. Savings Account

Another money hack is to make sure that you consistently put money into your savings account.

Your savings account can be built up and when reaches a certain level an amount of money can be transferred to a higher bearing interest account or possibly buying a CD or investing in a money market.

The strategy of this action is to build up your savings account and ultimately transfer a certain amount of money, when your savings account balance has reached a set level, and make your money work a little bit better for you with higher interest earned.

 

7. No Spend

A challenge that you can take up as part of a free money hack is to take on the commitment of not spending any money, other than what you have budgeted, for a set period of time.

A suggested timeframe would be a month in which you don’t buy anything at all.

This will help to create discipline and establish the fact that you are in control of your money and not the other way around.

 

8. Avoid Comparing

One of the biggest pitfalls in spending money is the giving into the temptation of comparing your economic situation to others.

Specifically, if an individual has purchased a newer vehicle or even a new piece of technology, the temptation is to go out and buy something as well or of greater value to be in this competitive economic comparison with those around you.

It is important that you do not give into this temptation and be content with what you have.

 

9. Delay Spending

Another way to save money and use a powerful money hack is through the process of delayed spending.

If there is something that you want or need, rather than buying that item in the moment, delay that commitment of purchasing that item for a period of time.

After that time has expired and you still wish to make that purchase, then by all means do so.

The beauty of this discipline in delay spending is that you wait to see if it is actually needed rather than purchasing in the moment.

 

10. Stay Away from Trends

Individuals who market products and goods to you are significantly savvy as it relates to how the human mind works and our emotions.

Therefore, in the marketing of these products they are always suggesting that it is the latest trend, and everybody has one and therefore you should have it too.

These trends should be identified for what they are with that being a way to have these companies separate you from your money, make them richer, and involve you in buying the latest trends and must haves in order to have a happy life.

 

11. Debt

It goes without saying that a free money hack is to be out of debt.

Being in debt to a creditor can create mental stresses and anxiety with the reality of owing money.

In addition, it can put a tremendous strain on your finances as indebtedness and payments towards your debt are divided heavily with most of your money being paid in interest rather than on the principal.

By not being in debt the money that you spend on interest can be better utilized by you rather than making other people and companies richer.

 

12. Avalanche Method

There are a number of ways that you can pay off your indebtedness.

One of the methods is the snowball method and then there is the avalanche method.

The choice is yours in which method you choose to pay off your indebtedness.

The snowball method means that you take the smallest debt that you owe and pay that off as quickly as possible and once that debt is paid you then take that amount of money and put it towards the next lowest debt that you owe.

In contrast, the avalanche method pays off the highest interest-bearing loan and once that debt is paid off you then go to the next highest interest debt and utilize all of your available money to pay off that money owed.

 

13. Timelines

A practical suggestion on a free money hack would be to set timelines.

Without timelines it would be so easy to take things as they come and not really be focused, or laser directed on meeting your goals and objectives.

By setting timelines there will be a sense of accountability when the timeline for paying off a debt is established, and you exercise discipline in meeting that timeline and sticking to your plan of action.

 

14. Dining Out

Dining out can be an expensive action as typically a meal will cost you anywhere from $15-$25 plus drinks and tip.

By making a commitment of not dining out or less frequently you can save this money and set it aside for your savings and retirement.

 

15. Home Coffee

Another money pit that individuals find themselves falling into is through the drinking of gourmet coffee.

This indulgence can cost you anywhere from $5 to $8 per drink and if you do that frequently through the course of the month, in doing the math, you can realize how much money you can save.

The better strategy would be to brew your coffee at home and utilize a variety of added flavors that are available on the market.

 

16. No Dry-Cleaning

An expense that can be done away with is your dry-cleaning bill.

It is important to purchase items that can be washed normally rather than having to use dry-cleaning services and paying that added amount or expense.

 

17. Grocery List

A hack that can be used to save money is to always use a shopping list when you go grocery shopping.

The discipline would be to stick with that list and not buy anything that is not listed.

Of course, we have to eat, but often our added purchases that are not needed or are cravings are what add up to money that can be saved and be put to better use.

 

18. Second Hand

A great way to save money on shopping for clothes is to purchase your clothes at a secondhand store.

It is important to know that before these clothes are put out on hangers, when donated, they are evaluated as to their quality and make sure that there are no buttons missing and that the zippers are working.

By buying secondhand clothes you will save considerable money in not buying new clothes as well as supporting your favorite charity in your community to help others.

 

19. Ghost Energy

Even when we are not utilizing a product that requires electricity there is still a draw of electricity and associated cost when those items are plugged in.

This use of energy in this matter is known as phantom or ghost energy and can include plugged in coffee makers, TVs, computers, etc.

The best way to combat this use of energy and related costs is to utilize a power strip and when the items are not in use then hit the off switch on the power strip to prevent flow of phantom energy.

 

20. Comparative Shopping

When wishing to purchase an item through the use of the Internet, it is always a good idea to try to get the best deal at the best price.

Therefore, a good hack is to do comparative shopping for any purchase that you make to ensure that you’re getting the same product, at a lower cost, and even have the item shipped free.

 

21. Borrow

If you have a project that needs to be done around the home and you are willing to do it yourself, rather than buy the needed tools, look at borrowing these needed tools from a neighbor or friend

This strategy will help you to save money and possibly eliminate the purchase of an item that you may only use once or twice.

Other Interesting Money Making Articles To Consider:

• How to Get Paid and Make Money on Quora
• How to Get Paid and Make Money When Bored
• How to Get Paid and Make Money From Robocalls
• How to Get Paid and Make Money Homesteading

 

22. Cable

Cable is a big expense and when you think about what you get for the money that you pay out you will come to the conclusion that it may not be worth it.

The reality is you can be offered a considerable number of channels but how often do you view all of these channels.

Therefore, you are buying a product in which you are not fully utilizing that product and therefore are wasting money.

A good idea then is to cut the cable cord and use streaming services but to remember to limit those streaming services to one or two that offer your favorite channels.

 

23. Cell Phone Data

The use of cell phone service can be expensive with the costs being reflected in the minutes purchased and used.

If you use a prepaid service, it is best to switch to a plan that will provide you with the least number of minutes needed.

If you are on a plan in which you pay for the minutes after they’ve been used then, to stay within your parameters of cost and usage, reduce your monthly data limits.

Also, to make sure that you stay within your plan and minutes available remind yourself often to check where you are at with your minute usage.

This can be done by setting a reminder on your smart phone.

 

24. Bank Fees

Another way that money can be quickly obligated is through bank fees.

Some bank fees can include overdrafts, penalized for not maintaining a minimum amount in checking or savings, ATM fees, etc.

To combat these fees, it is important to bank with an institution that minimizes these charges and also make sure that you don’t use ATMs outside of the system.

Also keep a close eye on your balances to prevent overdrafts as well as maintaining that minimum amount needed.

 

25. Gym Membership

A good way of freeing up money is by reevaluating your gym membership.

If you are not fully utilizing the services provided or utilizing the membership as often as you can or should then perhaps, you can reduce this expense from your budget.

You can exercise in other manners and even invest in gym equipment which, in the long run, may be cheaper than a gym membership.

 

26. Vehicle 

There are a number of free money hacks that are associated with the use of your vehicle.

Perhaps, the most obvious way to free up money is to not utilize a vehicle that uses significant amounts of gas and gets poor miles per gallon.

Another way that you can reduce your vehicle costs is to work with your insurance company to see if there are any discount offers or raise your deductible.

Also, a good idea is to share transportation costs with others by carpooling to work or even when shopping locally.

 

27. High-Interest Savings

If you have a savings account with a standard banking institution, most likely the interest that you are given on money that is deposited is insignificant.

To remedy this, a good solution would be to open a high-interest bearing account.

You can go to a website such as the www.bankrate.com and look for good financial accounts that will provide a higher rate of interest.

Those possibilities could include:

• Money market account
• High interest savings account
• Purchasing a certificate of deposit
• And so forth

 

28. Apps to Save Money

Another way that you can not only save money but earn money is through a variety of cashback apps.

When shopping you can utilize one such app known as Ibotta.

Through this app you can see what is available and it provides a discount when you purchase that product.

When purchasing, take a picture of the receipt and submit for your reward.

 

29. Financial Apps

There are also financial apps that will help you to be more aware of your financial situation and help you towards saving goals, monitor your net worth, let you know when bills are due to prevent late fees, etc.

One such app that can be downloaded on your smart phone can be found at https://mint.intuit.com/.

 

30. Discount Store

Often, we shop at brand-name stores where the products offered are at brand-name prices.

Often, it is best to frequent discounts stores that offer the same product but don’t charge the extra fees associated with the brand-name or the overhead involved with the operation of the store.

 

Personal Story

While serving in the U.S. military I was given the opportunity to take additional schooling in addition to being a medic.

The schooling that I chose to take was to attend x-ray technology school which required me to extend my contract as the school was a year-long.

In addition to the normal x-ray exams that were taken (chest x-rays x-rays of various parts of the body looking for fractures, etc.), there was an aspect of x-ray known as fluoroscopy.

One of the exams that utilized x-ray technology was looking for gallstones within the gallbladder.

A plain x-ray can be taken but often, gallstones will not present themselves on the x-ray film.

Therefore, a cholecystogram is ordered and involves the ingestion of a medication that is iodine based and almost “illuminates” the gallbladder to determine the presence of gallstones.

This helps in the diagnosis and allows the attending patient’s physician to make a decision on any course of action.

The gallbladder becomes a “hot spot” through this process to determine any disease.

 

Money Hacks for Free FAQs

 

What is the Most Negative Way That We Can Spend Our Money?

The dynamic in which we spend our money without thinking and can create budget issues as it relates to not having enough money at the end of the month is spontaneous spending.

Spontaneous spending is that action in which we maybe standing in line at the grocery store and while waiting we look at those items that are available to us and without thinking we grab those certain items and put him in our cart on our way to checking out.

 

What is a Good Way to Remember to Stay on Track With Spending and Not Overextending Ourselves?

A good statement to utilize and memorize, as it relates to spending, is if it is not in the budget and not in the bank you can’t spend.

 

You Can Do It

If at the end of the month, along with many other people, you have a nagging question of what happened to that $50, $75, or even $100 that you know you should have but it’s not available

This mystery money, seemingly, has vanished into the air.

If you are concerned about this money, there are several ways that you can identify where this money has gone and take advantage of a variety of free money hacks to preserve as much of your hard-earned money as possible.

 

Conclusion

It is time to go to the doctor not to have a medical checkup but a financial checkup and allow for the money examination to take place.

You may discover areas of your spending that you had no idea that what you were spending on added up to so much or you had no idea that there were other ways that you can take advantage of stretching your money that you earn on a monthly basis.