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Money Hacks: 275+ Ways to Decrease Spending, Increase Savings, and Make Your Money Work for You!

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Achieve all of your financial goals with these 300 easy solutions to all your personal finance questions—from paying off your student loans to managing investments.

Are you looking for ways to decrease your spending…and start increasing your savings? Need some simple advice for maximizing your investments? Want to start planning for your retirement but don’t know where to start? It’s now easier than ever to achieve all your financial goals!

Many people are afraid to talk about money, which means that you might be missing some of the best money-saving skills out there! In Money Hacks you will learn the basics of your finances so you can start making every penny count. Whether you’re trying to pay down debt, start an emergency fund, or make the smartest choice on a major purchase, this book is chock-full of all the useful hacks to make your money work for you in every situation!

256 pages, ebook

Published September 22, 2020

About the author

Lisa Rowan

5 books5 followers

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5 stars
80 (17%)
4 stars
141 (31%)
3 stars
171 (37%)
2 stars
48 (10%)
1 star
11 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
Profile Image for Nicki Markus.
Author 56 books287 followers
August 5, 2020
Money Hacks is a book I requested from NetGalley hoping to pick up some good tips. Did I learn anything useful? Not really; however, I need to qualify that statement by saying I have never been someone who spends beyond my means, and I implement some of the suggested ideas already, under my own initiative. While it may not have had anything to offer me personally, I would still give this book 4 stars, because, if you are someone who struggles to limit spending or has difficulty managing money, this book provides a number of reasonable suggestions, all of which are succinctly explained and easy to follow, so I am sure it would benefit others out there. For none US-based readers, some of the items discussed, especially in later sections, may not be relevant, but it would still be worth reading for the more general tips.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Natalie  all_books_great_and_small .
2,503 reviews122 followers
August 21, 2020
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Money hacks has so many fantastic money saving ideas within its pages with fantastic guidance of how to implement them into your life and spending.

I've always been good at controlling and budgeting my money but I did pick up a few new ideas when reading this book although I did find quite a few ideas that I have already implemented throughout my life regarding my finances myself.

This would make a fantastic book for anyone looking to budget better, understand their spending or that has no self control of spending.
Profile Image for Kristi.
1,205 reviews2,899 followers
January 24, 2021
Lots of things I'm doing or I've heard before, but a few new ones in there. It's always good to have those refreshers every once in a while.
Profile Image for Jeannette.
712 reviews185 followers
October 12, 2020
Also available on the WondrousBooks blog.

I'm embarrassed to admit that thanks to spending a lot of time at home during the lockdown and post-lockdown periods, I've been indulging myself with buying a lot of things over the internet. The good part is that I use/used most of them, so the purchases were not completely in vain, however, could I have gone without two more new dresses, a pair of heels that I didn't even get to wear this summer and a cashmere sweater? Quite possibly.

So, here I was, browsing NetGalley, when I saw this book which is supposed to provide useful tips and tricks (hacks) to save money. I'm a simple girl, I see a book which might in any way enrich me, I click.

Money Hacks started out good, too. The first part had a lot of useful things one might try in order to limit mindless purchases and splurging. Throughout the book a few things cropped up which I might actually consider doing, such as shopping in reverse to everyone else, because it will be less seductive since the products in the store are arranged as to be seen from the perspective of a right-handed person shopping. I don't know if this is a thing in Europe, but I plan to check. I also started to consider the feature which some cards offer (I have the possibility on one of my cards, too) to round up all your payments and put this small amount into a piggy-bank/vault in your banking app.

So much for the pros, though.

As a European, I felt this book was not written for me, at all. 80% of everything past the first part was so American and unachievable that I completely lost interest. If you're American, this is absolutely a great book for you! For the rest of the world (and in all honesty, there are billions of us), these money hacks make no sense and have no use: from student debt, past American tax systems, car deals, writing wills and making investments, to claiming retirement funds and the 401(k), or whatever it was, system, and so on, and so on. It was completely alien to me.

P.S. While it is a money hack indeed, I don't completely approve of the message that the author is trying to push when it comes to discounts and bank fees and the likes. Her idea is "You should always try to get free stuff from any establishment/institution". This kind of I-demand-free-stuff attitude is not only annoying, but honestly very selfish. Many companies/banks etc., when calculating losses, largely thanks to too many discounts and goodwill toward their customers, don't think "We should make some new strategy for more profits", they think "How many jobs can we cut, so that we can make up for our losses with these salaries we won't be paying?". So, don't assume that by getting a discount or bullying some poor clerk into removing your monthly card fee you're outsmarting the company. You're indirectly costing people their jobs, 20 dollars at a time, because, yeah, you'll do it once, but so will 10 thousand other customers.
899 reviews18 followers
September 24, 2020
Some nice tips, good for those who haven't binged other basic finance (personal) books. Tips explained - basic idea of it. Not overly done or confusing.
Profile Image for Vidya Tiru.
541 reviews148 followers
October 2, 2020
This is a treasure trove of hacks to save money!! As the title says, it has over 275 tips (there are 280 in this review copy). Each half to one page hack has a basic description of the hack with tips and examples on how to implement it. All these useful hacks are spread across six sections as below:

Curb Mindless Spending
Be a Savvy Saver
Get Debt-free
Make More Money
Plan for the Future
Protect Your Money
While many of these hacks are common sense, each of them will help save money (if they are applicable to you). Some hacks are simple – like checking your bank account regularly, others are cool – like making a wish list of those items you want (not need), and apply the 10/10 rule to it when actually shopping (wait 10 minutes; are you still thinking about it and unsure? if item < $10, get it; else put it back!), while still others give an overview of estate planning or talk about insurance plans.

As for me, we use many of these hacks already while a few others don’t really apply to us for various reasons. But I would still recommend this book; since no matter who you are — the beginner or an adept budgeter and saver already — this book has something for you. It is easy to read and understand, and most importantly a basic yet very useful guide. It would make a fantastic book to gift to those beginner budgeters and savers — kids off to college, to their first job, young families starting out, and the like.

IN SUMMARY
Yes!! Recommended… Everyone can get something out of it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
September 16, 2020
Money Hacks is a very complete guide for those willing to start improving their day-to-day economy by performing specific tasks or by adapting new, clever, habits. But it does not end there! As you keep reading, these hacks get more and more sophisticated, providing valuable tips and information regarding investment, insurance, real state, and more. I think it is not necessary to adopt them all, as it is probable that you find some of them out of the scope of your needs or personality type, but they are worth reading: they can trigger new ideas and provide valuable information.
Profile Image for Keely.
196 reviews29 followers
August 23, 2020
This book has many good tips and suggestions to help you save and manage money, with several things to consider that you might not have previously thought about. If you’ve read any personal finance books, a lot of these suggestions will not be new and will be things that you already know. However there may be a few things that are new to you that can help you on your financial journey. For the most part I already knew most of the suggestions in this book, but I still walked away learning something new. If you are struggling with trying to improve your financial situation, definitely check this book out. There are several money hacks in this book that will help to make your financial decision making more educated.

I received an advanced free copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for a review.
Profile Image for Cailin Riley.
Author 5 books28 followers
August 27, 2020
This book of tips on saving money, making money, working to become debt-free, and financial talks with partners was super helpful. A lot of the advice was pretty familiar but it did have some interesting tips I hadn't heard before. Would highly recommend, as it isn't a long read.
Profile Image for Sean Tordecillas.
77 reviews8 followers
February 24, 2021
I approached this book by circling the numbers of the hacks in the table of contents that I can see myself using or I considered worthwhile to revisit. I enjoyed learning new ways to explore saving money or stretching my dollars out further. This book is ideal for someone who wants to improve his or her budgeting practices and to decide what to prioritize; however, as someone who lives way below her means and is an aggressive saver, I didn’t benefit too much from a couple chapters but I do appreciate all the neat tricks to keep in mind. Content-wise I’d personally give it a three but I’m giving it four stars mainly because I’m grateful for the author piling up a bunch of tips that are easy to read an understand.
Profile Image for Adriana.
2,962 reviews36 followers
August 29, 2020
This book is a quick reference guide full of smart, easy, and logical steps one can follow to take control of their financial situation.
Not all of the steps will be applicable by everyone and none are get-rich-quick schemes, but every penny saved is a penny earned and that is what Rowan will help you manage.
With easy to understand language and references for further understanding/research, everyone can walk away with at least a few ideas and suggestions on how to better deal with their money.

Thank you to NetGalley and Adams Media for the early read!
Profile Image for Ashley Holstrom.
Author 1 book129 followers
January 19, 2021
Lots of good ideas here, along with the standard bits that are in every personal finance book.

My favorite hacks:
💰 If you make a fun purchase, put the cost of the item into your savings/debt payoff. $100 boots + $100 paying off debt = $200 boots. If that’s not feasible, MAYBE YA DON’T NEED THE CUTE BOOTS!
💰 When you make a return and that refund hits your account, toss that amount into savings/debt payoff.
Profile Image for Aom Ruka.
382 reviews12 followers
March 5, 2023
คือเล่มนี้ สรุปทริคต่างๆ แบบสั้นๆมากๆ (เราว่า เน้นอ่านง่าย นำไปใช้ได้เลย บ้างเรื่องคือสะกิดใจเรามาก ให้เราต้องนำไปทำตาม) คือจริงๆเล่มนี้มีแบ่งเป็นหลายๆหมวด แต่บางหมวด เช่นเรื���องการจัดการหนี้ สำหรับเราไม่ค่อยมีประโยชน์ เพราะว่า เราคือไม่มีหนี้

แต่โดยรวมๆ หลายๆทริคก็น่าจะเป็นเรื่องที่รู้ๆกันอยู่���ล้ว แต่ไม่มีใครมาสะกิดเท่านั้นเอง
1,097 reviews4 followers
October 4, 2020
"Money Hacks" gives some interesting tips on how to manage your money, but in some parts, it was a little repetitive and most of the suggestions were rather obvious.
Profile Image for Kelly.
1,074 reviews27 followers
February 7, 2022
Enjoyment level: 3🌟
Writing Quality: 3🌟
Audiobook Narration: 3🌟

This is exactly what it says, a list of ways to improve your relationship with money - and life in general. Would be a good pick for anyone who currently struggles with finances, for whatever reason, and is serious about making some changes.
Profile Image for Keely.
196 reviews29 followers
August 23, 2020
This book has many good tips and suggestions to help you save and manage money, with several things to consider that you might not have previously thought about. If you’ve read any personal finance books, a lot of these suggestions will not be new and will be things that you already know. However there may be a few things that are new to you that can help you on your financial journey. For the most part I already knew most of the suggestions in this book, but I still walked away learning something new. If you are struggling with trying to improve your financial situation, definitely check this book out. There are several money hacks in this book that will help to make your financial decision making more educated.

I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and exchange for review.
Profile Image for Kayo.
2,561 reviews49 followers
August 3, 2020
Great little hacks. Most books like this have no new information and they say the same thing. This one is very helpful. Loved it.

Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.
Profile Image for Emily.
24 reviews
October 20, 2021
This book has a bunch of good tidbits. I am pretty conscientious of my money so a lot of the book didn’t apply to me, but I took away probably around 20 ideas that I can try out. If someone isn’t so aware of their money etc, they might get a lot more out of it.
Profile Image for Briana.
677 reviews14 followers
December 6, 2020
This is a difficult book for me to review, in part because I've read a few financial 101 books in the past years, so (finally!) much of of this is not new to me. The fun of the book is that it really is just 275+ tips, each just a couple pages long. So it's not an in-depth look at things like 401(k)s vs. Roth IRAs but rather quick suggestions about how to get the most out of your money.

The book is divided into a few parts, focused on saving, managing debt, and investing for the future. While I absolutely do think there is good information in here, a lot of it just wasn't applicable to me. For instance, the obvious money-saving hacks are irrelevant to me: I don't even drink coffee much less purchase a cup daily, I don't have Amazon Prime, I don't subscribe to Netflix, I don't purchase my work lunch at restaurants, I don't actually buy that many books, etc. I'm sure there are places I could cut spending, and that's probably worth thinking about, but there's also a point where I just want to buy a couple books a year and not feel like that's a "bad financial decision."

And after the more obvious money-saving tips, things just get weird. The book recommends cleaning your refrigerator coils and freezer vents, for instance, to save money on running your refrigerator. It makes a joke about washing and reusing tin foil to save a few bucks each year on tin foil. (Actually, I think a prime opportunity was missed here to suggest not buying single-use things in general; good for your wallet and the environment!). I don't think the book is wrong about these tips, but readers will have to decide how much saving a few pennies here and there is worth doing these things.

The chapters on debt management and investing were interesting, but I do think I've gotten a better overview of these topics from other books. A "quick tip" about your retirement fund could be confusing to a reader who doesn't know much about retirement funds in the first place, and someone who does know a lot might not need these helpful suggestions of "max out your contribution that your employer will match" and "make sure you are vested before leaving a company."

Finally, there is a section on making more money--which is where I always end up personally. There comes a point where it gets ridiculous to cut out everything you are buying and you might just need to make more money, which is often easier said than done. And I do think some of the tips here are hit-or-miss. So many "side hustles" don't actually pay a great wage for the time you spend doing them.

So, this is book is somewhat interesting. It's a very quick read based on the format. If you want some suggestions for how to save some money here and there and maybe manage your debt a little better or start investing a bit more, it's worth a read. I'm struggling to think of which tips I personally will be implementing, but that doesn't mean the tips aren't helpful to other people.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
82 reviews3 followers
June 29, 2022
If you’ve read a few personal finance books, many of these suggestions may not be new to you though I found myself with an eyebrow raised to some of her old school tips. I didn’t love this book; actually, I find it hard to even say I liked this book. I felt a bit disappointed that she just list a bunch of her ideas and tips but it’s like “Jen… you literally picked up a book titled “275+ ways to decrease spending, increase savings and make your money work for you”, what on earth did you expect? LOL

I would still like to round this 2.5 stars up to 3 stars for good measures because I still walked away learning some new things

- Call your credit card company and ask for wave/reduction in annual fees – we will def try that
- Keep your brag book handy for promotions
- FSA and HSA contributions – perhaps especially during pregnancy (that last part was my idea based off of her idea)
- Side hustle doesn’t have to be the most lucrative, it should be the most fun or tolerable so that you will keep doing it haha never thought of that. Diversity is key!
- I am intrigued with RentAFriend.com though ’m curious how my husband will feel lol
47 reviews
October 4, 2021
Money Hacks that I actually learned first from YNAB: Zero Spend Day.
This book took it to another level by making it the No Spend Challenge. It's for a month! The no spend challenge does not include recurring expenses like transportation and groceries. But if you want to include groceries, you can manage some of that by freezing meals ahead.

My top 3 favorite Money Hacks from this book:
*Stocks: Think of stocks as being on sale during the fall (September)
*Why skip extended warranty: if you are making purchases on your credit card, it may offer extended warranties on purchases. (I checked my card and it does exactly that!)
*Paying car insurance: Questions to ask - Can we save 5 or 15 percent by paying in advance instead of monthly or is there a discount for paying up front?
1,680 reviews6 followers
September 6, 2021
This book would be great for a younger person just starting out. If you're middle-aged or older, many of these hack$ are just old-fashioned common sense or just the way a responsible adult lives their life. I found eight actionable items, most just reminding me to do things but two were completely new to me: Hack 168: Sell Your Junk Mail, Hack 251: Look Up Your Insurance Profile. Glad I checked this out from the library. Strangely, Hack 49: Get Free Movies at the Library never mentions using the library to check out instead of buying books.
Profile Image for Sara Beth.
138 reviews3 followers
April 17, 2022
I liked the way that it was broken down into sections: curb mindless spending, be a savvy saver, get debt-free, make more money, plan for the future, and protect your money. Each section has quick one page tips on making the most of your money. I was happy that the author referenced websites that you could visit to help you. It is an easy ready where you can use as many of the tips as you like and read the book in any order. A great read for someone who is trying to get a handle on their money.
Profile Image for Alicia Dowell.
30 reviews
September 13, 2020
This book a great little resource to have all the little hacks you are trying to remember in place! If you have been interested in how to stretch your paycheck or a side hustle you could pick up, grab this book. This would be a great book to give to kids going off to college. Even starting their first job. The author does touch on Dave Ramsey, who has a huge community, but gives more than just the same advice. I also picked up a few new hacks myself.
Profile Image for Meeghan Kummer.
720 reviews5 followers
April 7, 2021
Quick easy read. I always love to read ways I could be smarter with my money. How to curb mindless spending, be a savvy saver, get debt free, make more money, plan for the future, and protect your money. Alot of tips-swear off spending, don't shop tired,save an extra 10% of your paycheck,set goals every year on and around your bday, go on a money date and communicate, and have an emergency folder if something unexpected happens. These were a few that spoke out to me.
Profile Image for Griselda Puspa.
Author 5 books3 followers
February 8, 2024
I borrowed the eBook version from a local library. I like this one. The book has hundreds of hacks, just that. Some of them are applicable to me and but some aren't. But overall, they are good hacks. Fun fact, I like the concept of going against the layout of the store. As in, if the store tells you to go counter-clockwise, you do the opposite: clockwise! This way, you can avoid being tempted to spend more than you plan to.
Profile Image for Brandon Smith.
10 reviews
November 13, 2022
Revolutionary? No. Helpful? Sure. Most everything is this book is fairly boilerplate financial wellness advice but that doesn’t mean it’s any less valuable than any other financial wellness book. Plus, even if you’ve got your finances well and truly under control, we can all use a reminder of how to keep those pesky numbers in check.
Profile Image for Johnnysbookreviews .
503 reviews10 followers
January 27, 2023
People are rating it low, but it's a solid book. It gives 275+ ways to get good with money. I wouldn't read the book cover to cover. Rather, I would focus on a couple that you want to work on. Work through this book one step at a time over a period of time. Working on your finances is a life time fix. Not a week fix.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews

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