How To Save $100 a Week: 12 Easy Changes That Actually Work

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Saving $100 a week can be tough, but if you can commit to a few small changes in your daily routine, it’s certainly doable. You might be able to use that money for a vacation, pay off debt or simply to give you better financial peace of mind.

If you’re living paycheck to paycheck or have a low income right now, these tips can be tailored to your lifestyle — and every dollar saved moves you closer to your goal. Here are a few strategies to help get you there without feeling deprived.

How To Save Money: 12 Tips To Save $100 a Week

Here are 12 tips you can use to help you save that extra $100 a week.

Smart Spending Habits That Add Up

1. Host Friends at Home Instead of Going Out

Before your friends invite you to another happy hour with pricey cocktails, invite everyone to your place. Here are some ideas:

• Skip the pricey bars and restaurants
• Have a movie or game night
• Ask everyone to bring a snack or a drink
• Agree that everyone can chip in for pizza
• Make it potluck style and ask each person to bring one thing for dinner

2. Take a Staycation

Instead of a pricey vacation, consider a staycation or a road trip to local attractions. Exploring nearby sites and enjoying outdoor activities can be a delightful way to relax and save money.

3. Negotiate a Better Deal

Did you know you can negotiate with credit card companies? If you have a good track record for on-time payments, they might lower your interest rate.

Of course, this only makes sense if you are carrying a high-interest credit card balance. And, if that’s the case, you might be able to save even more money by transferring that debt to a 0% interest balance transfer credit card so you can pay it off faster.

4. Switch To Store Brands

You can slash your grocery bills even more by switching to generic, or store brand, items in many product categories. For instance, some Kirkland Signature brands sold at Costco are just as good as the name brands, for a fraction of the price.

Budgeting and Bills You Can Slash

5. Create a Budget

When you’re first learning how to save money, you’ll want to evaluate your budget. A budget is just a list of your income and expenses.

Understand the difference between non-essential and essential expenses. Then, evaluate how many of your non-essential expenses you can reduce or eliminate.

6. Switch Cell Phone Providers

The cell phone industry remains highly competitive, with multiple carriers vying for your business and loyalty. Call around for prices on a different plan. You might be overpaying with your current carrier if you don’t use all the services provided.

7. Shop Around for Home Heating Oil or Gas

As the seasons change, so do your household energy needs. To manage costs, shop around for the best rates on utilities like gas and oil. Consider topping off your supplies during off-peak times to secure lower prices and prepare for upcoming seasonal demands.

Food Hacks To Cut Grocery Costs

8. Meal Plan on Sundays

People who meal plan say they save $100 or more per month on groceries. Meal planning eliminates running out to a restaurant or ordering pricey take-out because you don’t know what to make or forgot to defrost dinner.

You can save even more time and money by prepping make-ahead meals for the week on Sunday evening. Incorporate foods you can toss in the crockpot or air fryer for an easy weeknight dinner.

9. Shop at the Dollar Store

TikTokers like @DollarTreeDinners swear by the tasty meals they can prepare from dollar store finds. For instance, she recently shared how to make 12 meals for two people for $10.

Considering the average person spends over $475 per month on groceries, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, making three days’ worth of meals for two people for just $10 represents substantial savings. If you kept that up for the whole month, you’d spend just $100 on groceries, not counting snacks and beverages.

10. Eat Just Two Meals a Day

One key to keeping your grocery bill low is simply eating less, or at least, less often. The health benefits of intermittent fasting, or only eating within a six- to eight-hour window each day, have been well-documented by researchers. Intermittent fasting may be equally healthy for your wallet. Just make sure you’re getting enough calories, but not too many, during your eating window.

Subscription and Membership Cleanup

11. Eliminate Unnecessary Subscriptions

Americans spend an average of $219 per month on subscriptions, according to a study by C + R Research. What’s worse, people surveyed thought they only spent about $86 per month.

Chances are, you have some subscriptions you don’t use and may have forgotten about. One of the easiest and best ways to save money is to use a service like Rocket Money to find and cancel subscriptions you don’t need.

12. Cancel Your Gym Membership

On the topic of subscriptions that you don’t need, a gym membership may rank high on this list for many people. If you go to the gym several times a week and can’t imagine life without it, by all means, keep your membership.

But if you haven’t gone in months, consider working out at home instead. You could save between $40 and $70 per month. If the social aspects of a gym keep you motivated to work out, consider inviting friends to ride bikes or jog together, or look for free classes within your community.

Bonus: Build a $5K Savings Plan

Although $100 a week doesn’t seem like much in savings, if you keep at it, you can have $5,000 saved in a little less than a year.

Here’s why:

• Weekly savings goal: $100
• Time frame: 50 weeks to reach $5,000 saved
• Flexible weeks: There are two weeks to spare in case of an emergency or for holidays.

It’s easy to start. Try automating transfers into a savings account every week — it’s a low-effort way to save. You can use a spreadsheet or a 52-week savings tracker that you can print out and check off your progress. You’ll be surprised at how saving little by little every week can have a huge payoff at the end of the year.

Weekly Savings Checklist

✅ Cut one subscription

✅ Cook at home at least three nights per week

✅ Cancel unused gym membership

✅ Invite friends over once

✅ Swap to store-brand groceries

Final Note

Learning how to save money may seem overwhelming at first. If this is the case, start small. When you’re ready to start saving, try at least one tip from the list this week. Remember that small wins lead to big savings — and you’ll be $5,000 richer by this time next year.

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