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5 Ways to Save More Money

Saving money isn’t always easy. Here are a few ways to save more money. 

1. Get a no-fee bank account

Are you still paying service fees for your bank account? The Canadian Bankers Association says 27% of Canadians pay no service fees. However, even with great new banks emerging all the time,  48% pay between $1 and $15 a month in fees.

Those fees can be as much as $180 a year. Instead, open a no-fee account at PC Financial, Tangerine, or EQ Bank . 

2. Get a cash-back credit card

If you don’t travel very often, consider getting a cash back credit card. This type of card will give you back a percentage of every dollar you spend either as a credit or deposited to your bank account.

Some cards will give you back a higher percentage based on what you purchase. For example, the Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite card will give you 4% back on gas and groceries, 2% back on recurring bill payments and drug store purchases, and 1% back on everything else. Banks make money for each transaction you make so don’t you deserve a little cash reward for helping them out?

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3. Pay yourself first

A great way to save more money is to force yourself by automatically transferring money to a high-interest savings account (HISA)or an investment account. When there’s less money in your account, you’ll be less likely to spend what you don’t have. If you find it difficult to save, start with $25 a week and go from there.

Here's how much a weekly contribution of money will be worth in a high-interest savings account after 1, 5, and 10 years. 

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However, only use a high interest savings account for your emergency fund. At 1.5% interest, a HISA isn't keeping up with inflation. Your emergency fund is 3-6 months of living expenses (rent, utilities, food) in case you lose your job or big expense happens like your car breaking down. 

Once you have your emergency fund built up, start diverting those weekly contributions into a robo-advisor account. A robo-advisor automatically invests in the stock market for you and can earn, over time, 7% per per year. Make your money work for you. 

4. Eat out less often

If you spend $10 a day on lunch, that works out to $50 a week or $2,350 annually over the course of the year (excluding 10 statutory holidays and three weeks of vacation).

If you were to invest the same amount in a five-year GIC with a 2.5% interest rate, you’d end up with $2,658.81. If you continue to spend $10 a week on lunch for five years, that’ll end up costing you $11,750. That might make you think about bringing your lunch to work more often.

5. Keep track of your spending

You can easily see how much you spend by keeping track in an app like Mint, Dollarbird, or YNAB. There are many budget templates for free online, too.

It’ll help you see where your money goes each month and suggest ways for you to save more. Creating a budget is the easy part but sticking to it is the hard part. An app can help you stay on track.

The bottom line

Saving money doesn’t have to be difficult. Follow one or more of these five tips and you’ll have more money in the future.

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Flickr: KMR Photography