Look, you want to add more money to your savings, but you don’t want to take on a second job or make big sacrifices with your spending. You don’t want to ditch your usual groceries and go on a diet of instant noodles to save money. There have to be ways to save some money without stressing yourself out!
There are. Take a look at these simple, low-effort ways to add more to your savings.
Collect Your Coins
You have a lot of spare change sitting around your house. You have a hefty change jar resting on top of the fridge. You have small bills stuffed in the pockets of your jackets, sweaters and jeans. Coins have slid underneath couch cushions and car seats. There are little piles of spare change everywhere.
Stop treating these coins and small bills as clutter and put them to good use. Collect them and transform them into savings. You can go to a coin-counting machine at your local grocery store. Dump the coins in there. The machine will sort and count everything, then give you the option to choose cash or a gift card in return. If you choose cash, you can deposit it into your savings account.
Another way to cash in your coins is to bring them to your bank. That way, you can deposit the funds directly into your savings account! Call your nearest bank branch ahead of time to see whether they do coin exchanges. If they do, they may ask that you roll the coins beforehand.
Sell Unwanted Gift Cards
Do have a bunch of untouched gift cards that you probably won’t use? You should sell them. It’s better than letting them collect dust in your wallet. If you happen to have the receipt for the gift card, you could go to the retailer and ask for a refund. It’s possible that they won’t accept returned gift cards. In that case, you should try to sell your gift card online.
Return Unwanted Items
Did you buy something that you didn’t like? You should return it as soon as possible in hopes of getting a refund.
When you make your return in-store, a representative might offer store credit instead of a cash refund. Don’t worry if you can’t get cash. If you can only receive store credit, ask whether you can get it in the form of a gift card. You might be able to sell that online for its cash value—which you can then add to your savings.
Sell Unwanted Items
You have jewelry that hasn’t come out of your jewelry box for months. You have books that have gone untouched on your bookshelf and furniture that doesn’t fit your style anymore. If you want to boost your savings, you can try selling these online. You’ll get to declutter and add to your savings at the same time. It’s a win-win situation.
Where can you sell old clothes online?
- Poshmark
- The RealReal
- thredUP
- Depop
Where can you sell old jewelry online?
- Worthy
- eBay
- The RealReal
- Ruby Lane
What other online marketplaces can help you?
- Bookscouter
- Decluttr
- Craigslist
- Facebook Marketplace
- OfferUp
- 5Miles
- Etsy
Why Should You Boost Your Savings?
Living without any savings can be risky. Without a safety net of savings, you might not have enough to cover an urgent expense that falls into your lap. You might have to consider an alternative way to pay off that expense, like using a credit card or applying for a fast loan. If you need to apply for a fast loan, specifically with a quick application process, you don’t have to book an appointment at your nearest bank branch. You may be able to get access to money by applying for a loan by phone. That’s right — you can save yourself time and effort by doing an application process on your smartphone.
Credit cards and loans aren’t the best safety nets for emergencies. An emergency fund is — as long as it’s full of savings.
These money-saving tips won’t take a lot of effort to follow. You won’t even break a sweat while boosting the funds in your savings account.
