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Life should be spent well. But sometimes we feel like we’re working only to pay our bills. And this is not how we should be spending our lives.

If we work, we should be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor. A weekend getaway, concert tickets, or a day at the beach shouldn’t be luxuries that we can’t afford. Especially if we’re living in a country as rich as the United States.

But we’re not waiting for income equality to come around. We’re not going to wait for corporations and lawmakers to make middle-class living affordable again. We’re going to do it ourselves. We’re going to hack our way to that vacation we’ve always wanted to take or those car repairs we’ve been putting off.

Here Are 60 Easy Hacks That Can Save You A Ton of Money:

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

1) Paint Your Roof White

Want to save on your cooling bills this summer? Paint your roof white. Dark colored roofs will absorb more heat and make your home hotter. A white roof with solar reflective white coating can reflect 90 percent of sunlight while regular black roofs only absorb 20 percent. A whole urban neighborhood of black roofs and roads can cause a city to be 22 degrees hotter than nearby suburbs. Learn more about this here.

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Superdraft Source: Superdraft

2) Ask For Free Upgrades

Don’t book an upgraded hotel room unless you really need it. You can probably get the upgrade for free anyway. When you arrive for check-in just ask for an upgrade and toss the person a few bucks. If there are any upgraded rooms available, you’ll likely get one. You can find more tips on how to score an upgrade here.

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

3) Don’t Buy Car Scratch Paint Remover

Does your car have a scratch. Don’t go buying expensive car scratch remover. Try covering the minor scuff or scratch with some toothpaste and then buff with a cloth. It should work the same way for the price of free.

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YouTube Source: YouTube

4) Unplug Your Plugs

Keeping unneccesary items plugged in all the time wastes energy. Things that are plugged in still consume energy even if they are turned off. Energy Star says that the average household wastes up to $100 a year to power devices that are turned off.

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Brandify Source: Brandify

5) Plug A Tire

If you have a nail in your tire, don’t touch it! Get yourself a tire plug kit or take your car to the repair shop and ask them to plug the hole. It’s a whole lot cheaper than buying a new tire.

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The Survival Podcast Source: The Survival Podcast

6) Clear Your Browsing History

Clear your browsing history and your cache when you shop online. Companies will follow your search and jack up the price knowing you’re search for something specific. This is especially so with airline companies. Don’t sign into accounts either when buying, check out as a guest.

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How-To Geek Source: How-To Geek

7) Use Cash, Carry Large Bills

People who use cash tend to spend less than people who use credit cards. This is because they can see what they’re spending because it’s in their hands. You’re also less likely to break big bills. So, carrying $50s or $100s can cut down on your impulse buys.

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

8) Make Purchases At The End of The Month

Have a big in-store purchase to make? Wait until the end of the month. Salespeople have quotas to make each month and will be more likely to give you a discount at the end of the month so they can hit their numbers.

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

9) Stop Buying Coffee And Brew Your Own

Spending $3 a day for that delicious cold brew adds up. Brew your own coffee at home instead. It will cost you about $.25 a cup instead.

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

10) Buy Generic

Stop buying name brands. The store brands or generic brands have the same stuff in them. You can save hundreds of dollars each year, even thousands, by buying the generic or store brand version of products.

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Instacart Source: Instacart

11) Stop Buying Bottled Water

Bottled water is expensive and bad for the environment. Get yourself some water filters and reusable water bottles. Filtered water can actually be healthier than spring water.

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Amazon Source: Amazon

12) Head To The Schools

Need your hair done or want to enjoy a fancy meal? Head to a hair dresser or culinary school. You get people trained in the latest hair and food techniques under close supervision of highly trained professionals for a fraction of the price.

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Evergreen Beauty College Source: Evergreen Beauty College

13) Ask And You Shall Recieve

When you go to a store if they have coupons. Ask your utitlies phone companies or other people you pay to give you a discount. You’d be surprised by how much you can save doing this. But you have to ask. While you’re at it, ask for a raise or that promotion!

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

14) Buy Prescription Drugs At Membership Warehouses

Buy your prescription drugs from membership warehouse stores, like Sam’s Club or Costco. You can save big time on prices. You also don’t need a membership to purchase anything from their pharmacy.

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Costco Source: Costco

15) Don’t Buy Swiffer Refills

You can save money by filling up your Swifter Wet Jet with cheaper cleaner that isn’t Swifter brand. You can stop buying Swiffer pads too. You can use used dryer sheets or one of those fluffy socks. You can just toss out your dryer sheets and put that sock or reusable mop cover in the wash.

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Pinterest Source: Pinterest

16) Upload Your Grocery Store Receipts

Hang on to your receipts. You can upload them to apps like Ibotta and Checkout 51 to earn cash back. You can earn around $5 a week. If you save that up all year, you’ll have some money for Christmas presents or a New Years Eve celebration.

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Ibotta Source: Ibotta

17) Kool-Aid For Your Toilet

Before you call the plumber, you can check for toilet leaks with Kool-Aid. Pour some grape Kool-Aid in the tank of your toilet and let it sit there for an hour. If you see purple water in your toilet bowl then you have a slow leak. This is not that big of a deal but its’ wasting water. You can fix this on your own rather easily. But if you don’t need to fix it, then you just saved yourself the cost of a plumber’s visit to check for a leak.

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MCM Professional Handy Man Source: MCM Professional Handy Man

18) Don’t Grab A Shopping Cart

Make sure that when you go to the grocery store for “a few things” that it’s actually just for a few things. A good way to help you do this is not grabbing a a shopping cart. If you have to carry what you want, you’ll be less likely to grab stuff you don’t need.

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

19) Shop With Discounted Gift Cards

You can buy gift cards from various sites at discounted price. Then use them to shop. You can find cards for places like Best Buy and Home Depot. It’s kind of like buying a coupon.

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Cardpool Source: Cardpool

20) Save Through Your Health Insurance

Some health insurance plans offer discounts on things like gym memberships. Some employer might also offer extra perks like hotel discounts that come with their benefit packages. Just call up your insurance company and ask.

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

21) Weight Your Prepacked Produce

Sometimes produced comes in pre-priced packages. Make sure you weigh a few and get the heaviest one. This way you’ll get the most for your money.

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

22) Skip The Rental Car Insurance

Rental car insurance isn’t a good investment. Your private auto policy will likely cover your rental car for personal use. Sometimes your credit card will even offer it.

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Insurance Information Institute Source: Insurance Information Institute

23) Grow a Garden

Why have a lawn when you can have a money saving garden. You can save up to $5 or more each time you go to the grocery store by growing your own tomatoes, lettuce, and other veggies. You also can reduce your lawn care costs.

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

24) Replace Your Refrigerator Seal

Sometimes refrigerator and freezer seals get worn out. This can lead to energy loss and food spoilage. Place a dollar bill in between the door, if you can pull it out then it’s time for your seal to be replaced.

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Advanced Appliance Source: Advanced Appliance

25) Get Rid of Dust Bunnies

You’ll also want to clean out the dust bunnies from under your refrigerator. This will ensure your refrigerator is running as efficiently as possible so you can save on utility bills. It will also keep your fridge running longer so you can get your money’s worth out of your purchase.

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Amazon Source: Amazon

26) Plant Wisely

If you’re looking to plant some trees in your yard, plant wisely. They can be carefully positioned so that to shade your house and act as a windbreaker.

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Grounded Landscaping Source: Grounded Landscaping

27) Stop Buying Cleaning Products

Cleaning products can be expensive. But not if you make your own. Make your own by filling a heat resistant glass container with citrus peels and equal parts boiling water and white vinegar. Close the container and let it sit for a week before pouring into spray bottles.

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It Takes Time Source: It Takes Time

28) Clear Your Dryer Vents

Cleaning out your dryer vents is important for more than one reason. First, it prevents fires. Second, it makes your appliance more energy efficient which will save you on utility costs.

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Chinese In Paris Guide Source: Chinese In Paris Guide

29) Head To The Thrift Store

Need a crockpot or a pair of jeans? Check out the thrift store first. You might find something you like for a fraction of the price.

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

30) Start a Carpool

Do you have a regular commute with regular hours. See if your co-workers or neighbors want to start a carpool. You can save hundreds of dollars in fuel costs. It also puts less wear and tear on your car if you take turns driving.

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Carpool Source: Carpool

31) Always Make A Grocery List

Don’t leave home without your grocery list. And when you get to the grocery store, stick to it. This will help you save a lot of money on impulse purchases.

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

32) Plan Meals And Keep It Exciting

Plan you meals and make sure you make something different every week. You don’t want to get bored of what’s in your refrigerator and the meals you’re eating. When we do get bored, we tend to eat takeout which gets expensive.

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

33) Buy Non-Perishable Items In Bulk

Are those non-perishable items on sale? Buy them in bulk. It will save you in the long run.

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Goods Home Design Source: Goods Home Design

34) Set Up Automatic Transfers

Set up automatic transfers so that a certain amount of money is deposited into your bank account every time you get paid. Eventually you’ll just forget that the money is being taken out. And eventually you’ll end up with a nice savings.

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Royal Bank Source: Royal Bank

35) Quit The Convenience Store

The convenient store is great for grabbing things on the go. But it’s not great on your wallet. These places usually raise their prices. It’s usually a lot cheaper to go to the grocery store.

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

36) Get Rid of Interest

Paying interest is a waste of money. Come up with plans to eliminate your debt that carries interest. Call your credit card companies and see if they’ll give you a lower interest rate. Trying transferring your balances to interest-free cards.

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

37) Have Someone Shop For You

Do you have trouble sticking to your grocery list when you’re in the store? See if you can get someone to go to the grocery store for you. You can also try ordering online which can make it easier to stick to your budget.

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Pixabay Source: Pixabay

38) Brick In The Toilet Tank

Reducing the amount of toilet water you use can save you money and help reduce waste. Just a water bottle filled with sand or water in the tank of your toilet or something else with weight to it. This will reduce the amount of water in the tank which means you’ll be using less water every time you flush.

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Cabazon Water District Source: Cabazon Water District

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39) Stop Buying Dryer Sheets

Don’t waste your money on dryer sheets. Instead, take some scrap pieces of towel or cloth and dip them in 1 cup of white vinegar, 20 + drops of essentials oils. Toss these in the dryer with your clothes.

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Going Evergreen Source: Going Evergreen

40) Coupon

Coupons are a great way to save money. You don’t have to be an extreme couponer, but you should check your grocery stores digital coupon section. You’ll also want to check out sites like The Krazy Coupon Lady to get up-to-date info on the latest sales and coupons. Apps like Honey can search the internet for coupon codes when you shop online.

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