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Writer's pictureSkyBlue Wealth Advisors

2023 Saving Money Checklist (101 item checklist)


It’s 2023. Time for financial resolutions on saving money, right? Yes / But.


Waiting on the yearly calendar to flip is a bad plan.


Monthly financial resolutions and reviews are best for earning more and saving money.


Below you’ll find your checklist with 101 ways to save more money in 2023.


Can you check them all off? Depends on how much Netflix you plan to watch this year.


You’ve probably seen all the good shows, like most of us, making it easy to clear your calendar to focus on saving money in 2023.




Here is your checklist. Use it weekly and monthly.



  • Set a savings goal (small wins produce momentum)


  • Track progress (test 3 methods to find a fit for you)


  • Review recurring charges


  • Cut out one recurring charge (instant money savings)


  • Practice saving money (physically with cash to create a real-world saving vibe)


  • Peek at how much credit card interest you paid last month


  • Cut up one credit card


  • Throw away credit card offers before opening


  • Learn one small skill that makes you more valuable at work


  • Have a garage sale (less clutter is valuable even if you give stuff away)



  • Ask a friend to use this list with you (buddy system works)


  • Saving money takes time. Practice patience (meditate or get advice from grandma on patience 🙂)


  • Put part of this week’s pay in a savings account ($10, $50, $1, start somewhere)


  • Check your tax withholdings (too much, too little taken out?)


  • Check credit report (even if you don’t plan to use credit in future)


  • Make a goal to pay off old debt on credit report


  • Give up potato chips (health & wallet benefit)


  • Cut out one streaming service (we’re off tv remember🙂)


  • Go back to free version of your music service (ads→ saving money for you)


  • Research freelance gigs that pay big


  • List your top job skills


  • Spend 20 minutes sharpening those skills


  • Habits are hard, so read, Atomic Habits (by James Clear)


  • Pay one bill a month ahead


  • Shop your car insurance rate


  • Drastic→ plan how you could go without a car for a year



  • Sell car if plan says it’s workable


  • Cut out channels on satellite or cable


  • Cut out live tv altogether


  • Sell tv (time and money saving)


  • Be generous (see what happens)


  • Volunteer (increases motivation and your network)


  • Start emergency fund


  • Sell items to add money to emergency fund


  • Ask for raise at work (after researching best practices for doing so)


  • Make list of activities you love / Convert viable ones into side-hustles


  • Avoid stores that don’t contain bread and milk


  • Cancel Prime membership (Prime members spend over 2x 💰 what non-Prime members spend)


  • Sell gift cards you don’t want


  • Take a free time management course


  • Track your time all week (time is money)


  • Carpool


  • Use grocery shopping loyalty card for fuel savings


  • Before putting effort into the gig economy - research how little most people earn via Etsy, Fivver, eBay, etc. (Can you blow past average results? Yes, but it’s not easy)


  • Replace cereal with eggs (6-12 meals + no milk needed)


  • Cut out bread (keto and budget-friendly)


  • Use water filters (saving money + better for this planet we’re on than bottled H20)


  • Groom & bathe your K9 at home versus at the groomer or see if your K9 can find gainful employment 🙂


  • Pay car insurance for 6 months versus monthly for money savings


  • Put portion of tax refund in emergency fund


  • Spend 10 minutes making a car maintenance routine and stick to it (new cars cost way more than oil changes and brake jobs.


  • Avoid driving one day per week


  • Teach your kids about money while teaching them to read (this is saving money for them and you in the future!)


  • Make a plan for “surprise” income


  • Read one non-fiction book a month



  • Take notes on the books you read


  • Skip reading books if you don’t take at least one of the suggested actions


  • Look at job boards once per month to keep options open


  • Share lawn tools with neighbors (saves money, space, + builds friendships)


  • Cut sugar intake by half (junk food is costly→ health and finances)


  • Saving money on tires can happen if you buy on sale - before you need them


  • Never sign a contract until you read and understand it (marriage is a contract too, understand it before the “I dos”🙂)


  • Check your credit cards to see if you’re paying extra fees (ie. debt protection insurance)


  • Spend 45 minutes highlighting wastes of money from the last calendar year


  • Set a holiday shopping budget (be realistic and honest with yourself)


  • Start a “Christmas club” account at work / Start your own in a separate savings account


  • Review your total income for the last calendar year


  • Create an income goal for this month


  • Create income goal for next month


  • Create an income goal for this year


  • Reach out to past co-workers and bosses (invest in your network)


  • Build a resistance to new gadgets that promise to make life easier (15 Swiffers won’t change your life or mine)


  • Careful reading emails during Christmas season as that is by far the biggest email marketing period for brands, making saving money difficult


  • Reward yourself for hitting one financial goal, small or large (saving money requires momentum which rewards help continue)


  • Define what an emergency is not so your emergency fund doesn’t get looted


  • When your emergency fund is fully funded, repeat those steps to fund an investment or side-hustle


  • Take advantage of your company’s health savings account


  • Ask your employer to start a health savings account if one is not in place


  • Donate to charity-linked thrift shops for a possible tax deduction


  • Cut coffee intake by one-fourth as it’s one of the most expensive grocery items


  • Commit to no coffee at high-priced coffee shops→ you know where😀



  • Increase your 401k contributions (do what you can→ habits!)


  • Review your eggs, are they in one basket?


  • Delete Robinhood & similar apps if you’re doing risky / frequent trading


  • Before a purchase, consider items you already own which could serve that purpose instead


  • Organize financial records (spend 30 minutes)


  • Research companies which will pay part or all of your student debt


  • No dental insurance? Dental colleges offer discounted cleanings via supervised student training


  • Sell your unused paid time off at work (don’t suffer burnout though, take breaks via PTO when needed)


  • Don’t let companies run credit checks on you needlessly as it can hurt your credit score, potentially costing you higher interest rates later on


  • Review life events that can affect your tax liability for the year (ie. widowed)


  • Research property tax exemption opportunities


  • Planning a move? Investigate cities which will pay you to move to their location


  • Share internet wi-fi and costs with a neighbor


  • Shop at wholesale stores like Costco with a neighbor to save on membership fees


  • Use kids-eat-free weeknights at restaurants (be saving money + avoid weekend lines)


  • Use rabies clinics for your pet to save money on shots


  • Avoid upgrading your mobile device too often (how much of an update is a better camera filter?)


  • Stay free at campgrounds by being a campground host


  • Only use credit card points when you are supremely disciplined (it’s a trap for most people)


  • If you’re near retirement age, you are likely an expert on a topic or two, use that knowledge to offer consulting. More income, more money saving


That is a long list!


Powerful though. Even with half the list checked off.


Hope 2023 is your best year ever for saving money. You got this ✅





Investment advice offered through Private Advisor Group, LLC, a registered investment advisor.








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