How My Family Saves $2,000 a Year: 6 Easy Ways to Cut Household Expenses

Saving money as a family doesn’t have to mean cutting out all the fun.

When our household went from 2 full time incomes, with no kids, to one full time income with two kids we needed to save money and quickly! After lots of researching and trial and error, we have figured out ways to cut down on our expenses. Our household saves over $2,000 a year using simple strategies that are sustainable, realistic, and honestly — kind of effortless once you get going.

If you're looking for ways to reduce family expenses, here’s exactly how we do it — and how you can too.

1. Meal Plan and Cook at Home – Save Up to $800/Year

One of the biggest money-saving tips for families is cutting back on takeout. We used to eat out 2–3 times a week. Now, we meal plan, prep in bulk, and cook at home most nights.

What we do:

• Create a weekly meal plan every Sunday

• Shop with a list to avoid impulse buys

• Shop the sales and use coupons!

• Cook double portions and freeze leftovers

Estimated savings: $60–$100/month💬 Related: [How to Meal Plan on a Budget – 7 Easy Steps]

2. Cancel Unused Subscriptions – Save $300/Year

From forgotten streaming services to unused apps, subscription creep is real. Seriously...we had signed up for EVERY streaming service available before we realized it! We went through our bank statements and canceled anything we hadn’t used in the last 60 days.

Examples we cut:

• Duplicate streaming platforms

• A fitness app we replaced with YouTube

• Premium memberships we didn’t need

Pro tip: Use an app like Rocket Money to track and cancel subscriptions automatically.

3. DIY Small Tasks – Save $250/Year

Not everything needs a professional. Doing a few basic things ourselves made a big dent in expenses.

Our favorite DIY savings:

• Cutting our kids’ hair

• Washing our car at home

• Minor home repairs (YouTube is gold! We change our car oil ourselves thanks to YouTube!)

  
  

4. Buy Secondhand or Wait for Sales – Save $400/Year

Whether it’s clothes, furniture, or toys, we’ve found amazing deals by shopping secondhand or being patient for sales.

Where we shop:

• Once Upon a Child (for our kids)

• Poshmark and ThredUP

• End-of-season clearance sales

Try a “30-day rule”: Add it to your wishlist. If you still want it in 30 days, buy it—on sale or used.

5. Use Cashback & Rewards Programs – Save $250/Year

We pay most bills with a cashback credit card, then pay it off monthly. We also stack rewards with browser tools like:

• Rakuten (for online shopping)

• Honey (applies coupons automatically)

• Fetch Rewards (for groceries)

• Ibotta (our personal favorite - check out why here)

Bonus tip: Use grocery store loyalty apps for extra discounts. Kroger and CVS (surprisingly!) both have great loyalty rewards!

6. Adopt Energy-Saving Habits – Save $100/Year

Lowering your utility bill can be as easy as changing a few habits:

• Turn off lights when you're not using them

• Wash laundry in cold water

• Unplug electronics when not in use

Consider this: Energy-efficient habits not only lower bills but also help the planet.

Final Thoughts: Small Steps, Big Savings

These aren’t extreme budget hacks — they’re just intentional, easy lifestyle choices that helped us save over $2,000 a year. That’s a vacation, a bigger emergency fund, or less stress when bills come due.

Start with one or two of these ideas this month. You’ll be surprised how quickly the savings add up!

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