35 Simple Hacks to Grow Your Savings in 2026
Here’s how to save money fast this year with these simple tips!
From a team that truly knows that it’s hip to save, we’re sharing 38 ways to maximize your savings in 2026.
We’ve rounded up a ton of ways to save money fast with our simple and obtainable tips & get the financial freedom you want. Whether you’re looking for short-term deals or long-term savings solutions, we know both strategies work best when they’re used together!
1. Start planning your family’s meals.
Meal planning is a great way to save money, stop food waste, and you won’t be inclined to order takeout on a whim.
Print our weeknight dinner ideas under 50 dollars!
Plan your shopping trips around grocery store flyers and coupons. You can also opt to buy generic brands instead of pricey name brands. (There’s a chance they’re actually the same anyway!) Bring your own coffee and lunch to work because the Starbucks drive-thru definitely adds up! And don’t forget to use reusable silicone bags when packing your food.
Don’t forget that meal delivery services can be affordable too.
There are also tons of options for ordering all your food online and opting for a seamless grocery pick-up or delivery. By using a grocery delivery option like Shipt, Instacart, or Walmart+, you’ll have an easy way to stay away from buying unnecessary groceries in-store.
2. Start a piggy bank or money jug.
Small bills and coins can really make a change. 😉 We recommend using a piggy bank or a small neck jar (that way you won’t be as tempted to take the money back out), and we’ve even got the perfect free printables if you want to keep them labeled and looking pretty.
3. Do a weekly or biweekly savings challenge.
We made an easy-to-follow 52-Week Money Challenge so you can save in increments throughout the year! Simply follow the free chart we created and deposit money based on which week it is. By the end of the year, you will have saved well over $1,300! 👏🏻
4. Declutter your home.
Spend some time cleaning out the pantry, all those unused toys, clothes you don’t wear, and knick-knacks that are making your house feel claustrophobic. I used some affordable Walmart pantry organizers to transform my space! 🤩
Need some help? We have a FREE 4-Week Declutter Challenge with a printable to help you every step of the way. Once you’re done, host a yard sale with what you’ve set aside!
5. Bring out your inner domestic side.
Mend those holey clothes you’ve been staring at all month rather than tossing them out. Cook weekly meals instead of choosing to eat out. And even if you have help from occasional cleaning crews like some of us here at Hip2Save, you can space out their visits to alleviate service costs.
Clean around the house when you can, and even put the kids to work to have a few extra helping hands. You’ve got this!
6. Cancel unused subscriptions and memberships.
Don’t waste money on luxuries you’re not even using! Most memberships are hassle-free with a cancel-at-any-time policy, so say “bye-bye” to unused membership fees and start saving now!
Check monthly subscriptions on your phone. You might be amazed at how quickly apps add up, and chances are you aren’t even using half of them. Cancelling subscriptions on an Apple device is just a touch of a button away!
Here are the easy steps to cancel your monthly subscriptions on any Apple device:
- Go to your Settings
- Tap your name at the top
- Tap Subscriptions
- Look under Active subscriptions & click on any you aren’t using
- Then click Cancel Subscription if you wish to cancel
Hip Tip: If you’ve recently paid for an app you didn’t mean to renew, you may even be able to request a refund!
7. Start saying “No”.
You don’t have to say yes to every invite. Saying no when it feels right can save money, reduce stress, and give you the freedom to stay in and focus on yourself.
8. Reduce, reuse, and recycle.
Get the most use out of something by reusing instead of tossing it away. I shared a bunch of products you should ditch ASAP and replace with some serious money-saving reusable products.
Buy gently used when you can. You’ll save money, score great deals (Facebook Marketplace is gold), and reduce waste instead of paying full price for new.
9. Get rid of debt.
Everyone wants to pay down debt, but sometimes you just don’t know how or where to even start! Collin’s triumph against $40K in debt is impressive, but we’re here to help YOU too!
Need a place to start? Check out our FREE 10-Week Financial Boot Camp! For 10 weeks, we’ll help you to beef up your savings, develop healthier habits, and kick debt to the curb once and for all!
10. Download some helpful budgeting apps.
You can download any of the best budgeting apps to help save you money. Best of all, they’ll do it behind the scenes and keep track of all of your finances in one place.
11. Grow a garden.
With a little help from blogs, YouTube, and your local garden center, you can achieve a green thumb! Any knowledgeable gardener can help guide you to the perfect beginner seeds for your area so you can fill a garden with yummy fruits and vegetables. While you wait for your garden to thrive, be sure to know how to score produce for cheap!
Growing your own crops will help save you money during harvest season and save trips to the grocery store.
12. Carpool when you can.
Gas is expensive, so if you’re lucky enough to live nearby to a coworker or roommate who works close by, you could both save money and share the ride to work.
13. Cut down or get rid of your cable.
Either get rid of your cable altogether or take some time to call your cable company and save $780. If you ask to cancel or tell them you’re switching to one of their competitors, they’ll offer you a better package or deal than what you’re already paying.
“I took a class on dealing with confrontation, and one thing they suggested was calling your insurance company and saying, ‘Am I getting the best rate?’ The worst that happens is you lose 15 minutes. The best is that they can work to get you a better rate, making it a pretty harmless confrontation. The class helped me deal with more difficult situations, and practice makes perfect! I didn’t save much, but one lady saved over $700 with this homework assignment. She was THRILLED!” – Cassie
Hip Tip: Ditching cable altogether and check out the best TV streaming service for you!
14. Switch banks or open a new account.
Check out other banks nearby to see if they’re offering promotions to open a new account or switch banks. Previously, I received a $600 bonus offer through Chase, where I could score $600 cash. All I had to do was open a checking and savings account and maintain the balance required for 90 days! 👏🏻
Just be mindful of any account fees or minimum balance requirements.
15. Take advantage of freebies.
Plenty of places offer birthday freebies when you join their loyalty program! They also give you freebies just for signing up for emails and text alerts! Plus, don’t miss getting other free birthday stuff!
16. Switch to autopay.
Many monthly bills come with a discount when you switch to automatic payments. I’m saving 30 bucks every month by doing this with my Verizon account! You can likely set up auto pay easily through your mobile device without the hassle of a phone call.
Hip Tip: Companies like T-Mobile also give their customers the opportunity to win free stuff every week!
17. Use the 30-day rule.
Get rid of the urge to splurge and wait 30 days to buy higher ticket items. If it’s not a necessity, chances are, after the 30 days are up, you’ll realize you really don’t need to buy it after all!
18. Spend cash, don’t swipe plastic.
Using cash rather than a card makes you more mindful of your spending. Obviously, this only works for purchases made in person, which could help eliminate purchases even more.
Consider a cash envelope system or consider doing a 100 Envelope Challenge to save $5,000 in a year!
19. Delete your saved credit cards.
Remove the temptation. Delete your saved credit card info from food delivery and shopping apps so late-night, impulse purchases take more effort and happen less often.
20. Stay in, not out!
Food prices are high, which makes eating at home one of the simplest ways to save. Instead of dining out, cook once and turn it into an experience. Pack a meal and enjoy it outside, at a park, on a hike, or even in your backyard. You still get the feeling of doing something special, just without the restaurant bill.
21. Travel with flexibility.
There are a plethora of cheap getaways and travel deals if you’re patient or choose to stay local and enjoy a Get Out Pass that will pay for itself. Plus, learn the best time to book a flight and potentially get it free!
22. Stop drinking alcohol.
Cutting back on alcohol can add up to major savings. Whether you’re doing Dry January or quitting altogether, choosing mocktails or sticking with water when eating out or at home keeps costs down. The bonus? The health benefits can be just as rewarding as the money you save.
23. Know when to shop for everything.
It’s important to know when to shop for everything and not just buy things on a whim. Small and big purchases are inevitable and sometimes set you back from your savings goal if your timing is off. To stay on track, know when to shop for certain groceries and shop during annual sales.
Bookmark our monthly sales posts updated each month to stay in the know:
24. Refinance your car to potentially save thousands.
Auto loan rates aren’t at rock-bottom levels, but refinancing can still be worth considering in 2026. If your credit has improved since you first took out your loan, you may be able to lower your monthly payment and reduce how much you pay in interest overall. One of our Hip readers recently saved $4,000 by refinancing her vehicle:
“When I bought my car a couple of years ago, my credit was not in the shape it is now. As soon as my credit looked great, I started receiving emails from every place under the sun to refinance. I was skeptical and never followed up with those places until I received an email from my bank (that I trust). They claimed they could lower the rate on my car payment, so I decided to check it out.
They ran me a quote, and I was shocked that I could reduce my monthly payment and, over the period of my loan, would be saving almost $4,000! I’m so happy I did this, and I’d definitely do it again!” – Jessica
25. Bundle your monthly bills when you can.
By combining accounts such as auto insurance, phone bills, Amazon Prime, and more, you could potentially save a ton of money depending on what you’re currently paying individually.
“Before my husband and I got married, I called my auto insurance to have him added to my policy since we lived under the same roof. He was stoked to save hundreds a year on his coverage and walked away with even better coverage than what he previously had.” – Sara, Hip sidekick
“My husband and I combined phone plans and switched from individual Verizon plans to Spectrum while bundling in our internet + cable too. It took our total monthly bill for phones, 400mbps internet, and premium cable from $250/month to $150/month. Our cellphone bill alone is only $59.98/month for BOTH our phones with unlimited everything. Shockingly, the service is spectacular, and we’ve never had issues!” – Emily, Hip2Save sidekick
26. Request a new insurance quote to potentially save big time.
Check with your provider to see if your insurance coverage is giving you the best rate. After a year or more, plans can sometimes become outdated, or your circumstances may have changed. Plus, consider shopping around every 6-12 months to ensure you’re in the best possible hands.
You may also want to consider working with a reputable, local insurance agent. I’m lucky enough that mine assesses my account every 6 months and automatically gives me the best price. That’s without needing to get on the phone, too!
“I would encourage people to consider getting a new insurance quote. I was with the same insurance company for 5 years and noticed our rates had increased over the past few years, even though we hadn’t filed any claims. A 15-minute phone call with an insurance company that offers discounts for Costco members saved me $1,100 a year just on my home policy alone!” – Angela, Hip2Save reader
27. Get the most out of each credit card.
While I’m not one to encourage the use of credit cards, they really do offer a lot of perks that you simply won’t get with spending cash. So it’s important to get to know the ins and outs of each one you have. These savings tips will, of course, vary from person to person and from card to card.
However, you can expect incentives like cash back on purchases, a percentage off your purchase, or even a bonus cash offer just for signing up for a new card!
“I pay for anything and everything I can with my Capital One credit card (house bills, groceries, gas, etc.). My husband also has a card for the same account, so the points rack up seriously fast! Above are the points we’ve accumulated just in the last 9 months or so, and as you can see, the cash value if I wanted to redeem them on Amazon is quite a lot! My favorite way to redeem points is by booking free flights, which I did when we went to Greece! Using our credit card and being good about paying them off weekly seriously pays off!” – Sara, Hip sidekick
29. Save on your next family vacation by booking a cheap Airbnb.
We already shared some helpful tips to travel more frugally if you can be flexible, but booking a cheap Airbnb rental is one way you can save any time of year. It’s also more affordable than multiple hotel rooms for a family!
Traveling isn’t a direct savings tip, but if a family trip is on the horizon, plan it smart. A comfortable Airbnb lets you stay in, cook your own meals, and even bring your dog, cutting costs on dining out and pet care.
“We had a tight budget for our family beach vacation, but I ended up finding one with its own pool and ping pong table. Our kids loved it so much, we ended up spending so much time there and saved on not going out to other places!” – Sara, Hip sidekick
30. Save even more by starting an easy side gig.
Having an extra stream of income will certainly make saving money this year even easier. Learning how to make extra money can be simple and enjoyable. From simply donating plasma, taste-testing delicious food, walking a cute dog, and so much more!
A few of our team members partake in the Pinecone Research side hustle. The sign-up process is extremely easy, and although you only make $3 per survey, it’s too easy not to sign up. You may even get some free products, too!
“The surveys come sporadically, so you’re not making a ton of money on them. However, they are super easy to do, and generally they take less than 5 minutes. Plus, every survey pays out $3, and some of them will send you free products to test out!
A few months ago, I was able to test out diapers, and I received a HUGE box of diapers to test, which was awesome. Plus, I made $3 for taking the survey!” – Chelsey, Hip sidekick
Hip Tip: Check out these legit work-from-home jobs where many don’t even require a degree!
31. Learn how to do your own maintenance around the house.
When you write down the cost of what you’re paying someone to do a task around the house, they can really begin to add up. Especially if you have a large yard, a big house to clean, or even a pool to maintain. Taking the time to learn how to properly care for these things on your own could potentially be the best way to save money, and it never hurts to learn something new, too!
“Before my son left for college, we stopped services and paid our teenager to take care of the pool and yard.
Landscaping Service $160 per month, $1,920-year savings. Pool Service $155 per month, $1,860-year savings.
We also bought an inexpensive gas-powered leaf blower at our local Amazon returns auction, which makes it fast to clean the yard. Learned to take pool water samples to Leslie pools for free testing, and they give advice on what chemicals to add. It’s been a learning curve, but now they both have learned basic pool maintenance, which is helpful and money-saving.” – Lina, Hip sidekick
32. Start building your gift closet to save on future birthdays.
While it’s also okay to skip gifts and opt for vacation experience gifts, we realize there are times you may need a gift or two. We’ve all overspent buying a last-minute toy at the store before a birthday party, and we know there’s a way to do better!
Create a gift closet to save money on future gifts. The key is to buy during big sales throughout the year and slowly build a stash of gifts that can be used for special occasions.
Hip Tip: Be sure to bookmark our toy deals page to score the hottest deals year round and know when to buy everything else!
33. Save on all your prescriptions by using this game-changing service.
With a PrimeRx Prescription Card, you’ll never be able to go back to how you used to get your medications! PrimeRx has rates that are better than other similar services, such as GoodRx. One Hip reader saved $45 on her medication with the same dosage and at the same location! You can grab a prescription card for free; as long as you’re an Amazon Prime member or part of a Prime household, it’s included in your membership!
*Note that select Prime accounts are not eligible for this offer.
Not an Amazon Prime member? Here’s how you can get a 30-day FREE trial!
34. Pay off your mortgage early to save thousands on interest.
Okay, so we realize this is the opposite of savings, but this approach is the best way to save money in the long run. Short-term sacrifices to meet long-term goals.
Your home is likely the biggest investment you’ll make in your lifetime. That said, making additional payments, no matter the size, can have huge beneficial impacts on paying off your home early. Our Hip reader, Chelsey, did this, and she’s now living debt-free!
Calculate your savings for your home using this Mortgage Calculator.
“We paid off our 30-year mortgage in just under 9 years! We always put extra money that wasn’t budgeted elsewhere towards the principal, whether it was $10 or $100. We’d always pay as much as we could. Our lender didn’t charge for an early payoff, and we could make multiple principal payments each month, which allowed us to pay it off early. Overall, it saved us thousands of dollars in interest! – Chelsey, Hip reader
Another idea is to look into refinancing your home loan for a lower rate.
By changing your mortgage term from 30 years to 15 years, you can save thousands on interest and pay your mortgage off more quickly.
“We refinanced after about 2 years in our home to a 15-year mortgage. It ended up being about the same monthly, but we’ll pay it off much faster.” – Stacy
35. Join our FREE Hip2Save newsletter and sign up for text alerts!
We wouldn’t be true Hip2Savers if we didn’t fill you in on the best deals ever! So make sure to subscribe to our Hip2Save Newsletter AND our Hot Deal Text Alerts! Both are completely FREE, and you’ll be the first to know all about the hottest deals, some before they even hit our site.
Even better, we often host giveaways exclusively for our email subscribers and/or text subscribers, so you certainly won’t want to miss an opportunity to win some freebies!
Do all your online shopping with the best deals ever right here.
Curious about how you’re saving $30/month with Verizon by doing autopay. Did you sign up for a special promotion for that? I’ve never seen anything on my Verizon account saying I could say money for doing autopay. Thanks, and great article!
You’re so welcome, Lisa.🥰 You can find more about Verizon discounts here. Hope that’s helps.❤️
I save $40 per month($10 per line) with autopay at Verizon. I would recommend you call and ask. THere may be other discounts you qualify for.
I wish we could cut somewhere to just go on a weekend vacation. Living paycheck to paycheck just stinks.
1. Connect you’re direct deposit into a savings account. Get paid, don’t see it, don’t miss it.
2. Start a vacation and/or Christmas club account with a credit union. Get paid. Automatic withdrawal. Once again, don’t see it, don’t miss it.
3. No impulse purchases. See it. Check the internet to compare pricing. Can one store offer you points or something like Kohl’s cash? Can you use a store coupon? Camp it out.
4. Use shopping sites like Rakuten to make internet purchases and make cash back.
5. Don’t ignore mails offering coupons! My CVS card is constantly offering me 40% off purchases.
6. Use programs like fetch! Scan receipts, gain points and trade in for gift cards.
7. Shop at 2nd hand shops. Not only am I donating to Savers but they offer a 20% offer coupon for my donation so when I am buying I am still saving! This is how I buy most of my little guys clothes.
8. At the end of each season, check out clearance areas for seasonal clothes for next year!
9. Know what to buy at the dollar store! Why would I spend almost $3 on foldable sandwich bags when I can get them for $1.25?
10. Packs snacks from home when heading to places like the movies, airport or Lego Discovery centers. Also, on vacation-stop at a Walmart or grocery store and get snacks as opposed to from the hotel or gas stations.
11. Facebook Marketplace. Sometimes brand new items much cheaper. Or sometimes people offer things for free! But be safe with all transactions.
Thanks so much for taking the time to share this great list of ideas and tips! We sure appreciate hearing how you’ve been saving! So smart! 🥰🙌
Great list! Just to add – make sure the dollar store prices are ‘fair’ too. My Meijer has sales often enough & sandwich bags (#9) go on sale for $1 – cheaper than the dollar store! 🙂
I do all of these tips! 🙂
& here are a couple more. 🙂
*I never buy full priced drinks (don’t like coffee anyway, but I LOVE other drinks), I use gifts cards or coupons/promos. I got the gallon jugs from Biggby & make my own at home too! 😀
*I never pay credit card fees. If I can’t pay it off every month, I don’t buy it. I also MAKE money here, cuz my card pays me rewards. 🙂
*I don’t bother with overpriced stuff, like Crumbl cookies, that just ain’t worth it in this life. 😉
*I don’t “treat yoself” or use “yolo” to spend frivolously. But I would, occasionally, get the BOGO Nothing Bundt Cake bundtlettes. Or $1 ice cream at Sam’s Club.
*If you have Costco, Costco travel has good deals, and we usually use them for rental cars.
If I do my shopping at lunch time, I get a cheap lunch there at the food court. (if I have room after all the samples! haha!) I always get a rotisserie chicken whenever I’m there too. Makes quick, easy, & yummy meals – at a great deal!
*When I want to play a game on my phone, I dl one through Swagbucks, so I at least get paid to play. 😀
One thing I started doing to save was once I paid off my car loan, the money I budgeted for it monthly now gets deposited in savings. I am already used to that money being earmarked, so I didn’t “lose” anything in my budget by putting it in savings. I did the same on a subscription box I cancelled a while back, and will continue to do so on other items I may cut in the future.
Love that idea, Brittany! Thank you! 🤗
We cancelled Amazon prime this year. I was more anxious about this than I thought I would be…having things sent to me has become so convenient. But…that convenience has resulted in higher consumption of stuff we really don’t need. Hoping this makes us more intentional in our purchases.
Thanks for sharing how you’re saving money, Jill. Love that you have a plan to be more intentional about your purchases too! 💕
I noticed in your What To Buy Calendar, the months of May and November don’t download like the others. No prob, I just saved them as PDFs under their month’s name. I made a folder on my laptop named “Monthly Sales” and I saved a pdf of each month’s calendar page for future reference. Thank you for putting this all together for us!
You’re very welcome, and appreciate the heads up about those months, Joanna. 🥰 It looks like some may be PDF and some are JPG files. Glad you were able to get them to save and have a dedicated spot on your computer to reference back to! Happy saving!
Thank you for your ideas. Over the years, my husband and I would put any extra money such as a raise in pay (live off of what already used to) or a tax refund, etc into different savings goals such as vacations, car repairs, home insurance annual policy, pet emergency, etc. We would have that money slowly grow and take it out if needed it. Now that there is a balance in each of those categories, I place some of the money in short term CD’s for 6 months to a year. While the interest isn’t a lot, it is much more than most banks offer as interest on their savings accounts. I am able to earn some extra money for those savings goals each year and if I ever need the money for an emergency, I just lose the interest that has accrued for that time period. It only takes a little bit of time to set up and a reminder in my calendar to look at current CD interest rates when the CD is about to come due to decide whether or not to renew or cash out. Also, if you are military or prior military, make sure to ask your cable and wireless provider if they have a military discount. We have AT
Instead of a CD, you can try a HYSA so you can earn a higher interest and no penalty for taking it out whenever you want. We have ours with Capital One and our daughter just opened her own account a year ago. She makes $52/month which adds up quickly. Just a thought.
You’re welcome! SO good to hear your savings strategy through the years! 🙌❤️ Thanks a bunch for commenting!