These 12 Simple Skills Could Save You Over $100,000

Want to save serious money without overhauling your life? Learning a few key skills now could keep tens of thousands of dollars in your pocket over the years. Ready to stop overpaying for stuff you can easily handle yourself? Let’s dive into the smartest money-saving skills you’ll wish you had learned sooner. 

You’ll need somewhere to store all these savings. Check out the best high-yield online savings accounts. 

Budgeting

Not many skills will have more of an impact on your finances than budgeting. Learning how to create and use a budget that works for you will impact every area of your finances and save you hundreds of thousands of dollars over your lifetime. 

Ready to get started? Here are the best budgeting tools out there. 

DIY Taxes

Most people do not need to pay an accountant to do their taxes. Understanding how to use tax software can save you several hundred dollars at tax time. 

Here are our top recommended free tax software. 

Negotiating Bills

Being good at negotiating your bills can save you hundreds. You can negotiate all kinds of bills, including your interest rates, cell phone, and even your TV bill. If this is something you struggle with, some apps will actually do this for you. 

If you want to learn more, here are the top tips for negotiating your bills. 

Unclogging Drains

Knowing basic home maintenance, such as unclogging drains or fixing a leaky faucet, can save you the cost of a handyman. Plumbers and handymen can cost several hundred dollars per hour and a lot of common items can be fixed in a few hours and trip to Home Depot.

Next time you have a simple home repair to do, try turning to YouTube before calling in reinforcements. 

Painting

Hiring a painter can be expensive, but the DIYer can complete many painting projects on their own. A few pro tips and some decent painting supplies will go a long way to refreshing your space. 

Basic Cooking

Learning how to make a dozen basic yet delicious meals will save you thousands of dollars per year. Restaurants are expensive, and even premade meals at the grocery store are more expensive than cooking at home. Knowing you have a good meal at home can curb the temptation to order in. 

Choose a cooking influencer you enjoy learning from and slowly build your cooking repertoire until you have a few weeks’ worth of meals you enjoy making. 

Simple Car Maintenance

Knowing simple car maintenance, such as how to check your oil or change a tire, could save you thousands of dollars in repair bills. Understanding the basics of how your car works will also mean you are more knowledgeable at the mechanic and, therefore, less likely to be taken advantage of. 

Take Uber instead? Here are some money-saving Uber hacks.

Meal Prepping

Meal prepping can make grocery shopping cheaper. When you plan your meals, you can make sure you are getting the most out of your groceries. This reduces waste, and you can time your meals based on what’s on sale that week. 

When planning your weekly meals, go through the flyers of your local stores and see what’s on sale. Use that information to take advantage of the best sales. You can also save time by cooking in batches. For example, if chicken is on sale, plan several meals featuring chicken and cook it all at once. You’ll save money and time. 

Want more ways to save money at the grocery store? Check out these seven tips to save hundreds on groceries. 

Patch Drywall

Life happens, and sometimes you get a hole in your drywall. Either by accident or because something in the wall needed to be repaired. Learning how to expertly patch drywall can save you from having to pay to have any mishaps repaired or, worse, living with holes in your walls. 

Sewing

Learning to sew can save a ton of money on clothes. Being able to repair clothes will make them last longer. Fixing small holes or missing buttons can save you from replacing an otherwise workable item. Also, if you tend to lose and gain weight, it can be handy to be able to take in, or let out, your clothes. Saving you from having to replace your wardrobe because your weight has changed. 

Knowing how to alter clothes can also mean you can buy clothes at thrift stores and then alter them to fit you. This gives you custom clothes for a fraction of the cost. 

Looking to save even more money on clothes? Here are 18 places to save money on clothing. 

Cutting Your Own Hair

The average price for a men’s haircut is between $20 and $50, and many men get their cut every six weeks or so. Being able to cut your hair yourself or have your spouse cut it can save several hundred dollars per month. 

Getting your hair colored in a salon is even more expensive. Learning how to use boxed dye at home can save a significant amount. 

Refinishing Furniture

Thrift stores are a steal for used furniture, and being able to bring a beat-up piece back to life can save you hundreds per item. Learning how to strip, sand, repair, and restain or paint furniture is a skill that can not only save you money but may actually make you money. 

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• Use these money-saving Target hacks on your next Target haul. 
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