Many unexpected ways to save money in the new year

Millions of Americans may know that their financial situation is a bit precarious, and want to save money as a result. For many, though, that is far easier said than done, and these people likely feel there are certain financial realities which stand in stark opposition to simply being able to set aside even $50 a month. However, there are multiple tricks to save a few dollars here and there, but which can add up to big savings.

One of the biggest ways for consumers to save money is to just force themselves to do it. That is to say that they automatically deduct, say, $10 from their paycheck each week and put it into savings. That may not sound like much, but over the course of the year it's going to add up to $520, and that's a decent amount of money. Moreover, once a person gets into the habit of doing this kind of thing, it becomes easier to start contributing a little more to the effort each week. Setting aside $20 per week will add up to more than $1,000 saved over the course of a year.

Look at where the money goes
In addition to all this, consumers might find that they're spending an awful lot of money each month on things that are just too expensive to justify. For example, many Americans are now moving away from having subscriptions to magazines or newspapers, and instead relying on the internet for much of the same information. Along similar lines, cable television is becoming extremely expensive, and many services are beginning to replicate the experience for a fraction of the cost. Cutting out a $200 cable bill and then subscribing to things like HBO Now, Netflix, and Hulu - as well as using free online streaming services - could easily replace a lot of the programming people already enjoy at a much lower total cost.

Another good idea
The one central focus of the above money-saving techniques is to set a goal and stick to it, so consumers might be wise to also set another (realistic) goal. It might not be possible for them to pay off literally all of their debt, but it might be feasible that they can pay off just one outstanding credit card balance, for example. Again, this is likely to take hard work and diligent saving, but the end result is going to be extremely beneficial, freeing up potentially hundreds of dollars a month that can then be contributed to savings or paying down other outstanding debts.

The fact is that debts are such a huge drag on consumers' finances in so many ways that doing all in their power to pay them off can go an exceptionally long way. This is also true when it comes to improving a credit score, which can have many benefits to a person's overall financial health for its own reasons, including improved access to more affordable credit.