Personal finance is simple.  It comes down to four main factors: spend less money than you earn, save and invest that difference, eliminate then avoid debt, steer clear of lifestyle inflation. 

Below is an (updated) list of unique money saving ideas that range from crazy to brilliant, but if implemented they will help you out with two pieces of the formula: spending less than you earn & eliminating debt.

What’s Your Debt Elimination Strategy?

Let me ask you a question: What  are you doing right now to reduce & eliminate your debt?  The answer to this question is your current strategy for solving your debt problem.  If your answer sucks, then so does your strategy.

In the list below you might find 10 solid ideas that you’ll want to try out, but unless you actually implement those ideas into your life and then apply the saved money towards your debt, then you’re just wasting time and aren’t solving your problem.

Money Saving Ideas

Are some of these unique money saving ideas ridiculous?  Yeah, probably.  But so is debt and if you don’t have a strategy for attacking and eliminating yours, then nothing should be off the table, even if it might sound ridiculous.

It’s also helpful to remember that changes you make today to save money and get out of debt don’t have to be permanent. So don’t start to hyperventilate quite yet. Just because you’ve given up cable TV and sold your second car today doesn’t mean you can’t go right back to them once you’ve solved your debt problem.

Unique Money Saving Ideas

Without further ado, here are 83 (plus more in the comment section) wild, crazy, unusual, stupid, whatever ways to start saving money today:

Ideas 1-10

1. Move somewhere cheaper
2. Downsize your living quarters
3. Move back in with mom & dad
4. Get a roommate to share your housing expenses
5. Keep your home cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer
6. Set your programmable thermostat
7. Close vents in rooms you don’t use
8. Keep blinds/curtains closed in the summertime; use blackout curtains
9. Don’t leave the lights on
10. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs

Ideas 11-20

11. Unplug electronics when you aren’t using them
12. Buy energy efficient appliances (they use as much as 65% less energy than standard models)
13. Lower the thermostat on your water heater
14. Check/clean/replace your air filters – this will improve the efficiency of your system and reduce costs
15. Run your washer, dryer, and dishwasher at night when energy rates are lowest
16. Wash your clothes and dishes using cold or warm water, not hot
17. Wash your clothes and dishes on a shorter cycle
18. Slow the flow; replace your shower head
19. Take faster showers; set a timer!
20. Take colder showers (this will also help you take faster showers!!)

Ideas 21-30

21. Re-use your bath towels multiple times
22. Same for your old jeans – re-use them!  The CEO of Levis agrees
23. Skip the pricey cleaning supplies and make your own instead (tips from Good Housekeeping)
24. Do your own home repairs
25. Change the oil in your car yourself
26. Same goes for the brakes on your car (not hard, watch a how-to YouTube video)
27. Drive the speed limit for better gas mileage
28. Keep the tires on your car inflated
29. Skip the automatic car wash; do this at home if necessary
30. Shop around for cheaper car insurance

Ideas 31-40

31. Increase your insurance deductible
32. Pay your insurance annually, not monthly
33. Sell your second car
34. Ride your bike places instead of driving
35. Take the bus; use public transportation
36. Carpool
37. Sell your “toys” if you have them (boats, RVs, campers, jet skis, etc)
38. Skip the family vacation this year. Do a staycation instead
39. Eliminate your home phone
40. Use VOiP if a home phone is necessary

Ideas 41-50

41. Cancel cable or satellite TV
42. Install an over the air antenna if TV is necessary
43. Downgrade to a slower internet package
44. Cancel your subscriptions (Netflix, Xbox live, magazines, websites, gym, etc)
45. Downgrade to a cheaper cell phone plan; skip the data plan & rely on WiFi connections
46. Make your current phone last longer before upgrading
47. Upgrade to a used phone, not new
48. Avoid restaurants & cook at home
49. Brown bag your lunch (goes for kids’ school lunches as well)
50. Eat leftovers; don’t waste food

Ideas 51-60

51. Fast one meal per month (or week if you want to be aggressive)
52. Skip Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts and drink the free coffee at your office instead
53. Brew your coffee at home
54. Reduce your grocery bill (hamburger, not steak; chicken, not salmon; generic, not name brands, buy nonperishable goods in bulk)
55. Drink less alcohol
56. Stop drinking alcohol altogether
57. Drink water – it’s free!
58. Quit smoking
59. Cut out soda and other unhealthy habits
60. Mow your own lawn and cut it less frequently

Ideas 61-70

61. Water your lawn, garden, & plants less (plants will develop a healthier root system)
62. Shop for clothes at second hand stores
63. Organize a clothes swap with family or friends
64. Have your kids wear hand-me-downs
65. Save on razors and grow a beard, or shave less frequently
66. Get your hair cut less frequently or cut your own hair
67. Paint your own finger/toe nails; no manicures or pedicures
68. Put your student loans on deferment
69. Public school, not private
70. Visit the library, not the movie theater

Ideas 71-80

71. Invite friends to your house for a potluck, don’t meet at the bar
72. Ask for discounts when you shop
73. Use coupons
74. Exercise outside or at home (healthier you = less medicine, fewer Dr. visits, co-pays.  “The first wealth is health!”)
75. Eliminate the gym membership
76. Pay your bills on time; set up automatic payments (avoid late fees)
77. Avoid ATM fees
78. Avoid checking account fees
79. Leave your credit and debit cards at home when you go out
80. Insulate your home better to rely less on your heater and air conditioning

Ideas 81-83

81. Winterize your home
82. Opt-out of all marketing emails that you receive to avoid making impulse purchases
83. Question every single purchase you make and ask yourself “what do I want more, the debt that I’m shackled to, or this thing I’m about to buy?”

Crazy or Brilliant?

As I already mentioned, some of these ideas might seem totally ludicrous.  That’s fine. This isn’t a prescription from your doctor which you must follow. Just pick and choose whatever you think might be useful, but remember: if you’ve got a debt problem then nothing should be off the table. Get crazy and don’t be afraid to push yourself.

My Favorite Money Saving Ideas

And just for fun, while I’ve personally tried nearly every single one of the ideas listed above, here are my top 5 favorites from the list:

• Deferring student loans (hassle free from my lender and super easy to do, deferring my loan was a quick way to immediately free up a decent chuck of cash that I was able to apply to a higher-interest debt.  Because my student loan interest rate is so low, I’m wasn’t concerned by extending life of this debt)
• Eliminating the second car. While I technically didn’t sell my second car, I didn’t replace it when it died either.  The savings and other benefits have been great!
• Brown bagging it at work. I used to be the guy that ate out every single day during the work week.  At $8 per day x 260 days per year that’s over $2,000.  Now I bring my lunch which is cheaper and healthier.
• I very rarely get coffee outside of the home, don’t drink alcohol and I don’t smoke.
• Of all these ideas, the last one might be the most powerful for me.  When I’m ready to make a purchase I ask myself ‘what would I rather have, this item I’m about to buy, or the cash that it’s going to cost?’ Its a great way to separate the wants from the needs and I find that very often I put the item away and keep the cash in my pocket.

Chime in!

What’s your best money saving tip?  What’s missing from the list?