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Occasionally, putting yourself in an uncomfortable position builds character and develops positive behavior. Saving money is one situation people detest and struggle to pursue long-term.
For 2025, we recommend conquering this challenge; luckily, you won’t have to do this alone. Technology has introduced multiple options for a more imaginative and less vexing money saving. Thus, this article presents some money-saving challenges you can tackle head-on and how gadgets, apps, or services make it less painful!
The no-spend challenge means you set a period and aim not to buy anything during it. For example, you purchase groceries for the entire week and avoid grocery shops during it.
However, with the boom in social media, this challenge is more about stretching the no-shopping rule for as long as possible. You can spend money on essentials but should avoid products like clothes, emotional splurges, eating out, etc.
One of the most significant advantages of this approach is that it helps people discover how much of their funds went to unnecessary expenses.
Gamify your no-spend challenge:
Habitica is an enjoyable application focused on simplifying habit-building and turning this journey into a game. People appreciate the RPG (Role-Playing Game) elements, as they can set up different goals and receive in-game rewards upon completion.
$1 may not seem like a lot. However, starting with a small amount can help you build a positive habit towards improving your finances. This approach means that each day, you transfer $1 to a separate (like savings) account. Over time, you can increase this sum, like wiring $5 per day after the first week instead of $1. By sticking to smaller sums, you make this saving approach less noticeable. After all, you might not notice when you spend $2 for a candy bar or other minor item.
Set automatic transfers:
Sending the money manually each day will quickly become tiring. Thus, we suggest setting automatic payments. Most bank apps support them, and you won’t need to look for alternative applications to issue reminders. After setting this automatic transfer, you won’t even be aware of your saving attempt. When necessary, increase the sum transferred.
Another challenge is about preferring cash each time you go to physical stores. By paying with bills, you become more aware of your spending instead of seeing the amount on your phone. Thus, it’s a way to change your perspective on your expenses since seamless digital payments make people dissociate from their spending.
In addition to using cash more, try to save the spare change. It refers to the coins you receive. So, instead of stuffing them back into your wallet, put them in a dedicated place.
Modern money-box ideas:
Piggy banks might appear childish, but they have benefited from technology. Now, you can find a money box that automatically calculates your savings. Thus, you will always know the exact amount of your savings. How is this possible? The products we explored had a lid with a slot for coins that recognized the coins inserted. However, before purchasing these piggy banks, ensure they recognize your currency.
New movies and TV shows appear in so many streaming services that it might be challenging to keep up. In the past, it was enough to have one that contained most of the content you wanted. Now, you need 3-4 to cover all ground. Besides being confusing, it is also costly. The challenge you can try is avoiding any new subscriptions for the entire year.
Track your subscriptions:
Subscriptions lose their value over time. For this purpose, start a simple Google Sheet with all subscriptions and when you started paying for them. It is an ongoing tracking, meaning you should add each new one diligently. Review them monthly, and if you haven’t used a subscription in three months, cancel it.
Besides optimizing your regular income, savings can come from additional revenue streams. For instance, you can use your free weekends to earn money by being an Uber driver. Also, you can find different opportunities online to improve your finances.
Explore options for additional income online:
Freelancing, selling digital products, blogging, flipping products, or renting unused digital assets are excellent options to boost your earnings. While some require active work (like freelancing), others don’t need to affect your lifestyle. Passive income refers to options for earning that don’t require much effort, investment, or time.
For instance, renting unused electronics and gadgets could be a way to earn more money. Alternatively, consider sharing unused internet bandwidth to earn more money easily. Modern services make this possible without investment and ensure your browsing remains uninterrupted.
Food deliveries to your door are incredibly helpful when you don’t have the time to cook. However, purchasing items through a third party (food-delivery application) frequently increases expenses.
Thus, we suggest you embrace the goal of attempting to avoid eating out or ordering takeout. However, if you feel the urge to reward yourself occasionally, go to cafes within walking distance. Then, you avoid extra charges (say, from delivery) and can even have more time to add more steps to your day.
Try different recipe and meal-planning apps:
Various services focus on budget-friendly meals so that cooking at home is less challenging. Additionally, many of them work splendidly without paying for the app, and even if they do, their price is likely affordable (such as $3 per month). It can provide quick access to meals made in 30 minutes, so it’s worth the investment.
Saving is not pleasant: You have to restrict yourself and reevaluate your expenses. However, the benefits of taking this step cannot be underestimated. Following one or multiple suggestions can help you build a healthier relationship with money and recognize the main issues in your lifestyle. Then, you can take action to improve how you spend and manage funds. If you have tried saving and struggled to keep up, try having a goal. It might be a particular sum or purchase you wish to buy entirely from your savings.
