Do you ever get the feeling that your financial life needs a makeover? Personal saving and spending habits can have a direct and profound effect on lifestyle. The more cash you have left over at the end of the month, the more freedom you have to save, invest, go on a vacation, fund a college education, etc. For many working adults, learning to use coupon apps is an excellent first step on the road to a saver lifestyle.

In addition to that basic move, it’s wise to learn how to locate scholarship cash for college, set up auto-deduct for paychecks, bag discounts by joining wholesale shopper clubs, refinance certain kinds of loans, and plug holes in monthly budgets. Here are details about how you can start living a more financially frugal life today.

Learning to Use Coupon Apps

There are side hustles you can do from home if you want to generate more income to be able to save more, but what about learning to save with the income you’re currently making? Couponing has moved into high gear in recent years with the debut of numerous free apps. If you like the idea of saving about two percent off all your purchases, it’s a great idea to explore some of the top apps in this exciting space.

They’re all a bit different, but most require shoppers to sign up for a free membership and upload a photo of receipts whenever they finish a shopping trip. On average, with vigorous and creative use of several coupon and discount apps, it’s possible to shave as much as five percent off groceries and common household goods.

Finding Scholarship Money for College

If you’re headed to college in the near future, there are several powerful ways to reduce the cost of attendance. One of the simplest ones that has the potential to knock a significant chunk off total expenses is related to scholarships. Getting a degree is challenging enough, so why not make paying for it as painless as possible?

Applying for every possible scholarship opportunity can help you uncover dozens of different financial resources before starting college. Remember, scholarship cash never needs to be repaid, so it’s essentially free money. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by applying for all Going Merry college scholarships for which you’re eligible.

Setting Up Automated Payroll Deductions

There are a few ways to get the most out of payroll savings plans. If your employer offers the service, designate a fixed percentage of each paycheck to go directly to a segregated savings account. If the company doesn’t offer a plan, speak with your bank and have them set one up for you.

Don’t forget to consider making automated savings bond purchases out of each check as well. US savings bonds are not the best investment deal on earth, but they pay twice their face value 20 years after you purchase them at face value. That works out to about a 3.5 percent annual rate. Many banks and payroll savings plans can automatically purchase bonds for you and deposit them directly into your savings account.

Leveraging Wholesale Club Discounts on Gas and Groceries

Most large and medium-sized cities have one or more wholesale clubs that charge about $50 for an annual membership. It’s a bargain when you realize that on grocery shopping alone, the average consumer can save about $1,000 per year if they buy all items at a wholesale club instead of a traditional grocery store. Most of the clubs also offer about 10 cents off the per-gallon cost of gasoline as well.

Refinance Debt for Better Rates and Terms

Most working adults can save money when they refinance their homes or vehicles. A refi works well if your credit is in better shape now than when you took out the original loan. Plus, by stretching out repayment periods, a refi can chop a large amount off monthly expenses.