Trying to save money? Here are some skills you should learn to make it happen. Some are easier than others, but I guarantee you that nothing here is particularly crazy, and you don't need a degree for any of it. Below are some of the most commonly recommended skills you can learn to save money. (I've done them all and can confirm they work!)
What skills should I learn to save money?
Money-specific skills that help you cut costs
1. Budgeting: This is the foundation of saving money! If you don't know where your money's going, you're really going to have a hard time understanding where you can cut back and save. You can start as simply as grabbing a legal pad and writing down your paychecks and income at the top, and then going down the list with your categories like housing (mortgage/rent), utilities, groceries, clothing, eating out, etc. Once you start tracking your expenses against your income, you can start making some changes and setting some goals.
2. Negotiation: Need to get that monthly cable bill down? Whether you're looking for a better deal on your internet or trying to get the price of a vehicle down, the ability to negotiate can help you save money. I don't care if it's $10 a month or $500 on a car, this is a skill that will pay off in years to come. It's not even that hard. Start by calling your internet provider and saying, "my internet bill is too high and I think I need to cancel." You'll be surprised at how fast they start throwing deals your way.
Home-related skills that help you save money
3. Cooking: Cooking your own meals at home is far cheaper than eating out, and it can also be healthier. I can honestly say in 2024 that I can feed my family of four dinner for about $5. Not $5 per serving. I'm saying that the whole meal cost me $5. Yes, we eat meat. Yes, we have vegetables. I'm no gourmet chef, but I can follow a recipe, and we eat healthy foods and have treats, too. It's possible to learn, even if you think you can't.
4. DIY skills: If you can pull up a YouTube video, you can probably fix a leaky faucet. You'd be amazed at what you can learn online these days! My husband installed a new water heater. When a wind storm blew down a section of fence in our backyard, I was the one that ran to the hardware store for a few pickets and fixed it by the end of the day. You'll gain confidence as you successfully finish each project.
Start small... I'm not saying you should go rewire your house or anything. But you can really save HUNDREDS (or more) by doing some household repair projects on your own. Heck, we even painted our kitchen cabinets last summer, which really made for a complete kitchen transformation. I found a great online course (look for Kayla Payne!), and while we spent a few hundred on materials and tools, we were able to repaint my dated, aged honey oak cabinets... and they look GREAT! The same job would have cost us a few thousand if we'd payed professionals to do it for us. I believe in you!
5. Gardening: It honestly doesn't take much to grow vegetables (and maybe even fruits where you live). The payoff in knowing you're eating what you grew is HUGE. But the payoff in your lowered grocery bill is even better! Think about it - You can spend $2 on a pack of seeds and $8 on a bag of potting soil and grow several heads of lettuce. At $2 a pop for a head of leaf lettuce, you've made back your investment with just 5 seeds that grow to maturity. FIVE SEEDS. Have you priced out tomatoes? You can get pounds of tomatoes over the course of the season from just one plant. Check it out!
Don't have land and feel like this is out of reach on a balcony? Nope, it's not! Get a few 5-gallon buckets from your big box home improvement store and some potting soil, and you've got what you need to grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and more. It's really easier than you think. Back in my apartment days, I successfully grew veggies on my balcony this way.
6. Basic Sewing: Do you know how to sew on a button? How about fix a small tear? Can you iron on a patch when your kid falls and puts a hole in the knee of those brand new pants? If you answered "no" to any of those questions, then you need to learn. There are a TON of amazing, beginner-friendly sewing videos on YouTube these days. A basic mending kit will run you less than $5 and could very well save you $30 (or more) when you don't have to replace those pants after all...
7. Smart Grocery Shopping: The food budget is the fastest, and easiest way many of us can cut back on our spending when we need to. Check out some of my posts and learn to compare prices and shop sales, and when buying in bulk makes sense. Make a list according to what you're planning on cooking for the week, and then use those grocery apps to compare prices at different stores before you leave the house. You'll come up with a targeted approach that will outline what to get at each store to save the most money.
I hope you've found at least one or two new skills to work on that could help reign in your spending. There are so many money-saving skills, I'm sure I've only scratched the surface. But even if you only focus on one a month, you'll gain confidence in your ability to better manage your spending and save. Good luck!