Tapping into a happiness allocation can help you design and live a life that makes you happy. Did you make a New Year’s resolution to manage your money better, pad your bank account, or give yourself financial freedom? If inspiration has started to wear off and you’ve been tempted to slip back into old spending habits, it might be time to think about trying creative new tactics that will help you stick with saving. One of our fave places to find inspiration, Pinterest, is a surprisingly useful place to start. Read on for six clever ways you can store up more cash than you might’ve thought possible by using the platform.
1. Try a 52-Week Challenge. Searches for 52-week savings plans are up almost 300 percent on Pinterest as Pinners are looking for budget inspiration. How it works: You start with a set amount on the first day and then change the amount following a 52-week schedule. “Pinners love these plans because you can save a lot of money without feeling like you’re giving much up,” they explained. Not convinced? Consider that starting with a dollar on the first week and following a bell-shaped curve of savings will net you $1,000 dollars within a year, and the most you’ll ever need to save in a given week is $35.
2. Commit to just one month of saving. If you’re itching to spend and having trouble keeping old money habits at bay, joining a 30-day challenge might be just the thing that makes you feel excited about your financial goals again. Even more, seeing solid results can re-inspire you to keep your course long-term. “This challenge has a shorter commitment and a big pay off,” the Pinterest team says. “Pinners love it too — we’ve seen that searches for ‘savings challenge’ are up 391 percent.”
3. Count your pennies (literally). “A few pennies might sound worthless, but starting with just one penny on the first day can help you save $668 dollars within a year,” the Pinterest team tells us. Ready to go digging in your couch or finally count up the change you’ve been casually saving? There’s truly no time like the present to start a penny challenge — by saving various amounts of cents each day, you could end up with $668 at the end of the year, which may be enough for a round-trip flight to a dream destination, serve as a guilt-free shopping stipend, or go straight into your savings account.
4. Create and host your own challenge. Group boards are a great way to harness good vibes from friends or colleagues who have similar money-saving goals. So if you can’t find a challenge or community that excites you, why not create one yourself? You can share pictures, ideas, plans, reports, articles, and more, as well as cheer each other on by pinning positive progress updates. Raya Reaves from City Girl Savings credits the power of community for helping her save more on top of her pre-set saving goals. “I saved $500 in just eight weeks on top of regular budgeted savings,” she explained. “This was for my Frugal Fall Savings Challenge, which is an eight-week savings challenge to save for holiday shopping. I’ve hosted and participated in this challenge for the past two years and managed to save both times, alongside the people who participated with me.”
5. Master saving at the grocery store. Pinterest’s Lens camera search might be one of the site’s best, lesser-known features, but it can help you create affordable meals that’ll make your taste buds tingle. Find Pinterest Lens, a camera icon, on your mobile search bar. Tap into its powers by snapping pictures of food items while you shop and Pinterest will give you recipes to whip up with your most affordable finds, whether they’re organic, vegan, gluten-free, or even Whole30 compliant. Get even more bang for your buck by prepping tasty budge lunches you can take to work or making dishes that’ll last you a couple of days.
6. Discover new money-saving ideas. “Pinterest has so many creative ideas for saving money,” Reaves told us. “If I’m looking for DIY projects to avoid spending money on something I can make myself, I go straight to Pinterest. I’ve made my own soap and body scrubs for Christmas presents from ideas I found.” Another tip from Reaves: Tap Pinterest for coupon hacks, low-cost activity ideas, and unconventional ways to save money. “I do a simple search, and boom, there’s a pin for what I need,” she says.
Have you used Pinterest to save money? Share your top tricks with us on Twitter @BritandCo.
(Photos via Brittany Griffin/Brit + Co and Raya Reaves)
