As most of us know by now saving money sounds way easier in theory than in practice. Everyone says, “just cut out coffee,” but if you’ve ever been human, you know that $5 latte is sometimes the only thing standing between you and total chaos. And honestly? I’m not here to shame your caffeine habit.
I’ve been there. Stressed about bills, scrolling through my bank app with that pit in my stomach, wondering, “Where did all my money even go?” If that’s you right now, hey, you’re not failing. You’re just living in a world that makes spending effortless and saving feel like climbing a hill in flip-flops.
But here’s the wild part: few years back I managed to save $500. Yep, actual cash I didn’t spend. And before you think I did anything drastic like sell all my stuff or live on rice and beans (spoiler: I didn’t), I want to walk you through how I did it, and how you can tweak these ideas to fit your life.
Grab your coffee and let’s dive in.
1. I Got Real About the “Sneaky Leaks”
You know those little $3–$10 purchases that don’t seem like much? A quick snack here, a random app subscription there, that cute pen set that somehow hopped into my cart (just me?).
Well, I sat down and did a quick 15-minute “spending sweep.” Nothing fancy. I literally opened my banking app, scrolled back 30 days, and circled the “tiny things.” And wow… turns out those “harmless” $7 here and $12 there added up to almost $120.
By canceling two forgotten subscriptions and saying “nope” to impulse online shopping (at least for the month), I plugged a big leak without feeling deprived.
👉 Pro tip for you: Spend 15 minutes today scanning your last month’s spending. No judgment, just curiosity. Spot the leaks.
2. I Made Saving Feel Like a Game
Here’s the thing: I’m competitive with myself. So instead of just “trying to save,” I set up a silly little challenge.
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My rule? Every time I wanted to buy something impulsive, I transferred that exact amount into my savings instead.
Example: I almost bought a $25 throw pillow (because my couch clearly needed another one 🙄).
Instead, I clicked “transfer $25” into my savings. At the end of the month, just from my “reverse spending challenge,” I had stashed away $150.
👉 Your move: Make saving fun. Turn it into a challenge, a game, or even a “treat-yourself money jar” where your reward is watching that $$$ number climb.
3. I Stopped Overcomplicating Food
Food spending is sneaky. I wasn’t blowing $200 on fancy dinners, but I was grabbing little takeouts way too often — $12 burrito here, $8 smoothie there. It added up to… a lot every month, I didn't even dare to check the yearly total.
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So, I picked three easy “go-to” meals I actually like and can whip up without thinking:
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Breakfast burritos 🌯
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Big salad bowls 🥗
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Pasta with veggies 🍝
I bought those ingredients once a week, and guess what? I spent less, ate better, and still treated myself to one guilt-free takeout night. By swapping just a handful of meals, I saved about $100.
👉 Your tweak: Pick your own three go-to meals. They don’t have to be Insta-worthy. They just have to stop you from panic-ordering DoorDash at 10 p.m.
4. I Used a Tool to Keep Myself Honest
Okay, confession: I used to avoid tracking because I thought it would feel like math homework. But I found that having a tracker made it way less painful. I used it to jot down daily spending and set tiny goals like “save $10 today.”
There’s something about writing it down that makes it stick.
5. I Gave Myself Permission to Be “Imperfect”
This one’s huge. I didn’t hit every mini-goal. I still bought a coffee or two. I still ordered pizza one Friday when I was tired. But instead of giving up, I kept going.
At the end of the month, my “imperfect” efforts added up to $500. Let me repeat that: you don’t have to do it perfectly to make real progress, it's ok to make mistakes, it's not ok to repeat them and expect different results.
👉 Your reminder: Saving money is about stacking small choices that add up.
So yeah, that’s how I saved $500 in 30 days without living miserably. I didn’t cut out all joy. I didn’t overhaul my whole life. I just made tiny tweaks, stayed playful with it, and gave myself grace when I slipped.
You can totally do this, too. Start small. Maybe your goal is $50 or $100 this month. That’s amazing. Imagine how that could grow in a year if you keep going. It will become habit before you know it. Never thought would happen for me but it did. I persevered being repetitive despite the 'slipping'.
And hey, if you want a little extra support, check out my stuff over on BMAC (or just buy me a coffee there!).
Sometimes having a tool, a resource or a little accountability makes all the difference.
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