Has your wallet been tightening it’s belt lately? Are you looking for ways to save money so you have more to spend for the holidays? Saving money is possible and even easier than you would think. All it takes is a little planning and diligence. With the holiday season coming up, you want to know the best ways to save money on a tight budget in order to celebrate the Christmas season properly.

This guide will give you 10 ways to save money on a tight budget so you have cash to spend on loved ones this holiday season.

1) Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

One of the easiest ways to cut cost is to pay attention to your food expenses. Are you constantly eating out with friends or getting your morning Starbucks? Try to kick the eating out habit and switch to preparing foods at home. If you buy all your food for the week on a Sunday, you’ll be less tempted to swing my a fast food restaurant on the way home. Cooking your own fresh foods is better for your wallet and your health.

2) Keep the Change

Start an adult piggy bank in your living room. Every time you get change or find change while you’re out and about put it in the piggy bank. You might think this won’t amount to much but it could add up to hundreds of dollars a year. Many people neglect change and treat it as if it’s not real money. Prove them wrong.

3) Look for Free Events

When you’re on a tight budget you may feel like you can never go out and enjoy yourself. This is simply not the case. If you live in a mid-sized or large city, there are constantly free events you can get involved in. Whether it’s a free yoga in the park class or a free trivia night at a local bar, there are activities you can go to without breaking the bank. Walking and biking around the park is a fun and free activity you can always take advantage of.

4) Switch to Netflix

There is no need to be spending a lot of money on cable and movie channels. Netflix has all the movies and tv shows you could need for $10 a month. If you get rid of cable you could save lots of money on channels you don’t even watch. You can get your news for free online rather than watching news channels to save money.

5) Create a Budget

In order to start saving money you need to create a budget for yourself. Decide before the month even starts how much you’re going to spend. A good rule of thumb is to spend 50% of your income on necessities, 30% on things you want, and save 20%. When you know you only have a certain amount to spend each month on “wants” you’ll think more carefully about what’s really important to you.

6) Be Prompt with Payments

One of the easy ways to save money on a tight budget is to pay your bills on time. Once you’ve cut unnecessary spending and are down to only your important bills, it’s important you pay them on time. When you don’t pay your bills on time you’ll be charged late fees that can start to stack up and get you in trouble. Avoid this by setting aside enough money each month to pay your bills and allocate a time to pay for them. If you’re routinely forgetful, you can set up an automatic payment method online for many companies.

7) Embrace the Sharing Economy

If you haven’t already, it’s time to embrace the “sharing” or “gig” economy. With the sharing economy, there are plenty of ways you can save and earn money. If you need a repair on your house, don’t hire an expensive repairman from a company, instead hire an independent person off Task Rabbit. With sites like TaskRabbit, Uber, Rover, and more you can hire one person for one task and be done with them. You won’t be surprised by a colossal fee at the end of the job because they’ll tell you up front how expensive it will be. You can also earn money in the Sharing economy by offering your skills or your property. Put your extra room up on Airbnb to make money without having to do anything except let someone sleep in your room that wasn’t being used anyway.

8) Get a Roommate

Sure, roommates can be annoying and you may still be scarred by your college roommates’ messy antics, but roommates can also save you a ton of money. Getting a roommate is one of the best ways to save money on a budget. If you’re currently paying $1,000 for rent and you get a roommate that’s $500 you could be saving every month. Which adds up to $6000 a year! Just think of all the holiday gifts you could buy with that.

9) Workout at Home

If you’re trying to cut corners in your spending you may want to start with your gym membership. There are plenty of workouts you can do from the comfort of your home with little to no equipment. Fitness Blender is a website that offers hundreds of workouts that target different muscle groups that are proven effective.

10) Know When to Splurge

It’s important to think of ways to save money on a tight budget, but it’s also important to know when to splurge. There are certain items that it’s ok to spend more money on initially. Kitchen utensils, computers, and pillows are things you use every single day and it’s better to have quality items than items that are constantly breaking. If you spend more money initially buying a high-quality item you won’t have to continuously pay to repair it.

This guide has given you smart ways to save money on a tight budget and now it’s your turn to implement them into your life.

Saving money from month to month is very satisfying as you won’t have to endure the stress of not being able to pay for the necessities in life.

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Disclaimer: Please be aware that Cigno Loans’ articles do not replace advice from an accountant or financial advisor. All information provided is intended to be used as a guide only, as it does not take into account your personal financial situation or needs. If you require assistance, it is recommended that you consult a licensed financial or tax advisor.