How Much Money To Save For A House

We compiled several ways to save money, from adjusting daily habits, to cutting monthly bills, to making long-term changes.

17 ways to save money

1. Use an automated tool

Find an app or bank account that takes the work out of saving. Digit and Qapital both automatically transfer small amounts from your checking account to a separate savings account. Learn about apps that automate savings for you.

2. Count your coins and bills

Empty your pockets each day and start collecting that extra change. Then take your collection to the bank and put it directly into your savings account instead of your checking account. When you want to watch your spending , use dollar bills instead of credit cards. It's harder to part with cold, hard cash.

3. Prep for grocery shopping

A little work before you go to the grocery store can go a long way to help you save money on groceries . Check your pantry and make a grocery list to avoid impulse buying something you don't need, then use coupons and loyalty programs to maximize your savings as you shop.

4. Order smaller servings at restaurants

5. Get discounts on entertainment

6. Map out major purchases

Time your purchase of appliances, furniture, electronics and more according to annual sale periods . Don't buy anything hastily, either. Always wait a day or two before buying to limit buyer's remorse.

7. Restrict online shopping

Make it more difficult to shop online. Instead of saving your billing information, force yourself to input your shipping address and credit card number each time you order. You'll probably make fewer impulse purchases.

Before you build a budget

NerdWallet breaks down your spending and shows you ways to save.

8. Make your own gifts

9. Lower your car payment

Refinancing your auto loan and taking advantage of lower interest rates could save you considerably over the life of your loan.

10. Bundle cable and internet

You could lower your cable bill by as much as $40 per month by changing your cable package. And you could save more than $1,000 over two years by bundling your cable and internet service, depending on your carrier.

11. Switch your cell phone plan

Changing your plan is one way to save money on your cell phone bill , but it's not the only way. Removing insurance from your plan could save you nearly $100 per year, per line.

12. Monitor your electric bill

13. Lower your student loan payments

14. Cancel unnecessary subscriptions

15. Track spending

Keep track of your monthly cash flow — your income minus your expenditures. This will also make it easier to mark progress toward your saving goal. Try a budget app that tracks your spending. (NerdWallet has a free app that does just that.) Or you can follow these five steps to help you track your monthly expenses .

16. Refinance your mortgage

Refinancing your mortgage to snag a lower interest rate can save you several hundred dollars each month. Use our mortgage refinance calculator to find out how much you could save.

17. Set savings goals

How to save money with a budget

One smart way to manage your money — and hopefully hold on to more of it — is to follow a budget.

At NerdWallet, we think about a budget as a spending plan because saving money doesn't mean you have to quit spending altogether. It just means you have to prioritize some financial goals over others.

We recommend the 50/30/20 budget for smart money management. Devote 50% of your income to necessities, 30% to wants and 20% to savings. If you find one of your allocations exceeds these percentages, make some adjustments to fit the formula.

As you work toward your ultimate financial goal , make sure to put your newfound funds in a good high-yield savings account to maximize your money. Some of the best online accounts pay interest rates that are much higher than large traditional banks.

Save money on holiday shopping

Check out NerdWallet's Black Friday guide for top deals and money-saving tips to help keep your holiday budget on track. Black Friday is Nov. 26 this year.