5 Tiny Money Moves That Can Add Up to Thousands by Next Year
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Saving thousands of dollars in a short period of time can feel like a Herculean effort. To accomplish this goal, you might anticipate making major sacrifices. But what if you could see big changes from small money moves?
That’s right — even small, less burdensome gestures, like finding the right savings account can have a meaningful impact on your savings.
1. Earn Up to 11x More with Your Savings
You likely have a savings account. But here’s the problem: The average savings account pays just 0.40% APY, as of Oct. 20, 2025. You could be earning up to 11 times that rate.
The Axos ONE®savings and checking bundle pays up to 4.51% APY on savings and 0.51% APY on checking. That’s 11 times more than the national average savings account. Making this simple switch could potentially add up to thousands of dollars over time.
Axos ONE® even makes it super easy to calculate how much you could earn in interest
Plus, when you download the Axos app, you can sync all your money accounts to get a big-picture view of your finances. You can track your spending, automate your bill payments, monitor your credit score and plan for major financial milestones all in one place. Plus, you can even get your paycheck up to two days early.
More than 400,000 customers already use Axos to manage over $20 billion in total assets, and Axos has a 4.7 star rating on the App Store. Plus, there are no monthly maintenance, minimum balance, account opening or overdraft fees, and your money is FDIC insured up to $250,000 for individuals and $500,000 for joint accounts.
Ready to make a simple money move that could have a big impact on your finances? Sign up hereto start earning up to 11 times the national average.
2. Meal Plan Before You Go Grocery Shopping
Remember that old piece of advice to never go to the grocery store when you’re hungry? Turns out, it was wise. According to Laurie Hise, founder of Passionate Penny Pincher, “Grocery shopping is where most people spend a ton of money without even realizing it.”
To avoid letting hunger sabotage your budget, Hise encourages you to meal plan before heading to the store. With a list of exactly what you need, you’re less likely to splurge on items that don’t fit your plan.
Meal planning is so essential to saving money that Hise has made it a core component of the grocery section on her website.
3. Slash Your Utility Bills Wherever You Can
According to Jamie Wall, a personal finance strategist at Gamblizard, some of the biggest wastes of energy — and money — are things you don’t always notice, like light bulbs left on, electronics in standby mode or those extra-long hot showers.
Cutting costs could mean taking a magnifying glass to your utility bills.
Wall encourages small changes, such as switching to LED bulbs, using smart plugs and adjusting your thermostat by just two degrees depending on the weather. These changes could potentially save you $20 to $30 per month.
“In addition, incorporating habits like line-drying clothes and washing laundry in cold water can equate to another $10 to $15 a month,” he said. “You can say it’s not a game-changer, but in total, these daily benefits can add up to about $500 to $600 in annual energy savings.”
4. Review Your Insurance Plans
Andrea Woroch, a consumer savings expert, said one often overlooked way to save money is reviewing your insurance plans — which tend to get more expensive over time. She reminds consumers that they’re not locked into the same provider forever, so it’s worth comparing rates.
According to Woroch, things like bundling policies and increasing your deductible can offer up to 20% savings on your premiums.
“Just make sure you stash the savings away until you have at least the amount of the deductible saved for emergencies,” said Woroch.
5. Start Investing
One of the smallest money moves you can make to build wealth is also one of the smartest: investing. According to Jared Hubbard, fintech product manager and registered associate of Digital Brokerage Services at Plynk, it’s an incredibly effective way to grow wealth — even if you don’t have much to start with.
“Think of investing like a monthly expense — set aside what you can, even if it’s just a few dollars,” he said.
Hubbard adds that by capitalizing on compounding returns, you could supplement your income and work toward financial security.
Bottom Line
While you may think you need to take big steps to grow your wealth, some of the smallest money moves, like opening a high-yield savings account, can make a surprisingly large impact.
Sign up for the Axos ONE® savings and checking bundle to start earning up to 11 times the national average.
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