10 Ways to Save $100 a Week (With Little Effort)

Many people believe that to save money, they need vast amounts of determination and steady planning to do so.  This may be the case depending on the routes you choose to take in order to save some cash.  But saving up doesn’t always have to be difficult.

In fact, there are many ways you can save $100 EVERY WEEK with almost no effort.

You can use some of these or all of these, but the important thing is you focus on keeping more of what you make.

  1. Make Saving Automatic. I know it can seem daunting, but if you break it down, it may be easier than you think to save over $100 every week. Take that $100 and divide it by the 7 days in each week. This comes out to around $14.2.  Lets just round up to $15 for good measure.

All it takes is putting away $15 a day to save over $100 a week!  And most financial firms give you the option to put this money into your savings automatically each day or as soon as you get paid.

Just remember, pay yourself first!

  1. Take Advantage of Coupons.Coupons are literally anywhere and everywhere. The problem is, most people just don’t take the time to look for them. But there are almost always coupons for your every day needs and wants.

Going to get gas? Need some food? Dying to catch a movie? Spend some time to look for coupons beforehand, and save a few $$!

  1. Cook Your Own Dinner.According to a study in 2015 by the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average American spent $3,008 on the year eating at restaurants. This price comes out to just under $58 per week.  Eating out is expensive, and restaurants often charge you 300% more than what it actually costs to make your meal.

Cooking your own dinner more often can alleviate these expenses, and help you to reach savings of $100 each week.  

See how your spending on food stacks up against others.

  1. Get a Cash Rewards Credit Card.Opting to go with a cash back rewards credit card is one of the best and easiest ways to save a lot of money week after week. With a rewards card, you receive points for every day purchases, which eventually amount to “cash back” rewards.

When used, you will receive discounts on everything from hotel rooms to groceries. And this is all offered just by continuing to make the same purchases you already do every day.  

Note: This isn’t the best option if you lack discipline. In fact, you may end up spending more if you start using credit cards more often. However, if you can stay within a healthy budget, it can be a great way to get a little extra cash for things you spend money on anyway.

  1. Goodbye, Gym Membership. Yes, the fancy equipment will be missed.  And you may not be able to show off those new work out clothes you bought the other day with your coupons. But when times are tight, cutting out your gym membership can save you A LOT of money.

For most exercises done at the gym, you can always find a way to improvise and do them at home. Try 7 minute workout apps, Youtube videos, and a huge variety of free or low cost workout programs you can stream or use right at home!

  1. Save Money You “Find”.If you are ever so lucky to find a $10 or $20 bill just laying around, congratulations! But this doesn’t mean you should just go and spend it. Instead, take this opportunity to put your treasure into satisfying a large chunk of your weekly goal to save $100.

You may also have money you didn’t know about, see our guide on finding unclaimed money that is owed to you.

This money could also be a gift for your birthday, Christmas or other celebration.

It may hurt now, but your future self will thank you for making the responsible decision.  

  1. Sell What You Don’t Use.Have some old decorations in your attic collecting dust?  Sell them. No longer using your video game consoles? A kid somewhere will beg their parents to buy it from you. Been a while since you’ve pulled out your saxophone?  Let someone pay you for it who’ll get some use out of it.

If you have things laying around getting no use, take advantage of the opportunity and make use of that money to build your savings rather than let your unused stuff continue to depreciate.

Of course, you want to avoid buying things you don’t need in the first place, but that’s another subject.

  1. Put Out the Smoke.If you are a smoker, this is a good chance to save a ton of money and improve your health while doing so!  The cost of cigarette boxes can add up over each week, even more so depending on where you live.

With the average box costing $13.95 in New York and the average smoker going through 5 – 6 packs a week, that is a loss of around $75 per week. Coupled with just one other method, cutting cigarettes saves you $100 a week easily.  

This doesn’t even count the savings you can receive on health and life insurance.

  1. Stay Home Once in a While. Going out at night on the weekends is exciting!  And a hard worker like yourself surely deserves it. But when you have financial priorities that need to be tended to, the bars and clubs can wait.

A night out on the town can do some major damage to your wallet, especially if you get a little too buzzed. Take some weekends every now and then to just sit back at home with your friends or loved ones.  Not every night has to be a party! 

  1. Steer Clear of Daily Coffee. This method alone may not save you a ton of cash each week, but combined with others, this will surely provide some extra help. The average cup of coffee in America costs around $2.70.  Assuming you like your morning coffee daily, you’re losing around $20 a week.  You can put this extra $20 per week towards saving!

Now ask yourself, do you really need that morning cup of store bought joe?

What are your easy money saving ideas? Leave them in the comments below!