10 Ways To Save When There’s No Money Left

There are times when there’s NOTHING left in your budget to save.
Truly, nothing. 
But there are somethings you can really do in those seasons to still save even when you feel like there’s not a penny left. If you are interested in really getting serious and getting your budget down on paper, we just launched our new 2026 Money Planer that can really play a big part in keeping you organized and showing you where to start.

Here are a few ideas:

1. Find every spare cent in your home and stick it in a savings account.

Raid the piggy banks, check underneath your coach cushions, and look for loose change underneath the seats in your cards. Even though this may not add up to much, it will be something, and you’ll have a quick “win” to motivate you to keep at it.
Savings = Up to $20 or more

2. Sell anything you have in your home that you don’t really use.

If you have anything, anything that you can sell, sell it. 

Sell furniture on local Facebook group sites (I’ve had a lot of success with those), sell books and electronics on Amazon, and sell clothing at Plato’s closet or a local consignment store.
Savings = potentially $100 or more

3. Find a need that someone has and tackle the job.

Do you know someone who needs a babysitter for their kids? Offer to babysit.

Love cleaning? Consider finding a few homes to clean.

If you love to paint (and are good at it!) offer to paint a room for someone and charge no less than $100.
Savings = $100 or more

4. Sell a product.

Do you love to bake? Maybe you know someone you know loves homemade goods, but doesn’t have time to bake them. Offer to bake for them and get paid for something you already love to do!

You could also sell handmade goods, either to local friends or open a shop on Etsy. 
Savings = $50 or more

5. Sell your services on Fiverr.

If you love to write, do design work or know anything about online marketing, check out Fiverr. They pair your expertise with someone who’s looking for it, and you can make $5 (or more) for each project you work on. Learn more HERE.
Savings = $50 or more

6. Give up that fancy phone.

Data plan expenses are so high on phones, so if you don’t really need it, get rid of your Smartphone.

I’m not going to lie, this would be hard to do, but would easily save you $5o-$100 per month.
Savings = $50 or more

7. Don’t eat out.

This is by far the biggest budget buster for just about everyone I know, but can easily be fixed if you’re really willing to work at it. Make a focused grocery list when you shop (including a menu plan) and decide that having more money in the long term is worth making short term sacrifices today.
If you have kids and know you are going to still eat out once in a while, take advantage of the restaurants that offer free or discounted kids’ meals. You can also save a significant amount of money at restaurants and fast food joints simply by downloading the app and joining the rewards program for that restaurant. 
Savings = $50 or more

8. Sell plasma.

This one may not be easy, but you can get paid $40-$50 (and help someone in need!) by selling plasma.
Savings = $40 or more

9. Take surveys for online websites.

Pinecone Research has opened for new survey participants for specific ages:  just complete their surveys, and you receive cash. You won’t get rich completing surveys, however you may earn an extra penny or two.
Savings = $10 or more

10. Give up cable.

If you’re willing to cut cable, you can save a bundle every month. With free movies fromAmazon Prime or Netflix, you may be able to do it without missing many of your favorites, and you’ll save several hundred dollars over the course of one year too! If you still want to subscribe, take advantage of the free streaming trials or discounted rates. Just be sure to set a reminder when the trial period or reduced rate ends so you can cancel in time before you are re-billed.
Savings = $50 or more

Can you think of other out-of-the-box ways to save when there’s no money left? I really believe if you’re willing to make some purposeful changes, you can save a few dollars (or more?) every single month. And if getting everything down in writing helps you like I know it helps me, check out our new 2026 Money Planner that just launched and start to get organized today. I’d love to hear your tips ~ leave a comment to share.