25 easy ways to save money every month
This is general information, not financial advice. How we make money.
Key points
- Fixed costs first: one change keeps saving every month without any willpower.
- Small daily costs add up: €3 every working day is about €690 a year over 46 working weeks.
- Move what you save into a separate account straight away, or it gets spent.
- Keep spending on what you truly value. Cut what you don't.
Before you start
The best ways to save money are the ones you'll barely notice after the first week. This list focuses on those: changes that save every month, not one-off sacrifices. Each item includes a euro figure where an honest estimate is possible. These are examples, not promises; your savings depend on what you spend now.
Two tips before you begin. First, look at last month's bank statement so you know where your money actually goes. Our guide on how to make a budget walks you through it. Second, decide now where the savings will go, so they don't quietly disappear into other spending.
Bills
1. Compare your energy contract when it ends
When a fixed-term energy contract ends, you may move to a different, possibly higher, rate. Put the end date in your calendar and compare offers a month before. If a new contract saved you, for example, €15 a month, that's €180 a year.
2. Turn the heating down at night
Milieu Centraal, the Dutch independent information centre on energy, suggests setting your thermostat to 15 degrees at night and not heating rooms you aren't using. It notes that smart heating habits can save a lot, in a large, old house even hundreds of euros a year.
3. Shorten your shower
Warm water accounts for almost a quarter of household gas use, according to Milieu Centraal. A shorter shower and a water-saving showerhead cut both your gas and water bill, and a showerhead is a one-off purchase.
4. Switch to LED bulbs
Lighting makes up 5 to 10% of a typical household's electricity use, according to Milieu Centraal. Replacing old bulbs with LEDs as they wear out lowers that share for years.
5. Switch off standby power
Televisions, consoles, chargers and set-top boxes often use power when they look off. A power strip with a switch makes it easy to turn a whole corner of the room off at night. An energy meter can show you which devices use the most.
6. Review your insurance every year
Prices change from year to year, and you may be paying for cover you no longer need, such as double cover on a travel policy and a credit card. If comparing saved you €8 a month, that's €96 a year. Check what you're giving up before you switch.
7. Move to a SIM-only phone plan
If your phone is paid off, a contract that still includes the handset cost is money for nothing. Going from, for example, €35 a month to a €15 SIM-only plan saves €240 a year. Check how much data you actually use before you choose.
Food
8. Plan meals and shop with a list
Deciding meals for the week before you shop means fewer impulse buys and less food thrown away. If it saved you €20 a week, that's €1,040 a year. Check what's already in the fridge before writing the list.
9. Bring lunch three days a week
Buying lunch at, for example, €8 instead of making one for about €2.50 costs €5.50 more each time. Bringing lunch three days a week for 46 working weeks saves about €759 a year. You don't have to do it every day to make a difference.
10. Try supermarket own brands
Own-brand basics like pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes, flour and cleaning products are often much cheaper than the big brands. Switching where you can't taste the difference could save, for example, €10 a week, or €520 a year.
11. Cook double and freeze
Cooking twice the amount and freezing half gives you a ready meal for tired evenings, when takeaway is most tempting. Replacing one €25 takeaway every two weeks with an €8 home-cooked meal saves €442 a year.
12. Make coffee at home
A €3 coffee every working day is about €690 a year over 46 working weeks. Making coffee at home, or bringing a flask, doesn't mean giving up café visits altogether; just choose the ones you enjoy most.
Transport
13. Walk or cycle short trips
Short car or public transport journeys are often the easiest to replace. If cycling replaced two €4 trips a week, you'd save about €368 a year, and get some exercise for free.
14. Travel off-peak
Many public transport operators offer cheaper off-peak fares or discount subscriptions for regular travellers. If you travel at the same times every week, check whether a subscription works out cheaper than paying per trip.
15. Share lifts
Sharing a regular drive to work or to sports practice splits the fuel and parking cost. If you share €60 a month of fuel costs with a colleague, you save €30 a month, or €360 a year.
16. Question the second car
Owning a car costs money even when it's parked: insurance, road tax, maintenance and the loss in value each year. If a second car is used only occasionally, add up its full yearly cost and compare it with car sharing, rental or taxis for the trips you actually make.
Subscriptions
17. Audit every subscription
Go through your bank and card statements and list every recurring payment. Many people find at least one they'd forgotten. Cancelling two €12 subscriptions saves €288 a year.
18. Rotate streaming services
You don't need every streaming service at once. Keep one, watch what you want, then cancel and switch to another. If you normally pay for three at €10 each and keep only one at a time, you save €20 a month, or €240 a year.
19. Pay per gym visit if you rarely go
A €40 monthly membership is expensive if you go twice a month. At, for example, €8 per visit, two visits a month cost €16, saving €288 a year. If you go often, the membership is the better deal.
Shopping habits
20. Use a waiting rule
For non-essential purchases above a set amount, wait 48 hours, or 30 days for bigger items. Many wants pass. If it cut your impulse buying by €50 a month, you'd save €600 a year.
21. Buy second-hand first
Furniture, children's clothes, sports gear, tools and electronics are often available second-hand in good condition for a fraction of the price. Check second-hand platforms and local shops before buying new.
22. Unsubscribe from shop emails and delete saved cards
Sale emails and one-click payments make spending easier. Unsubscribing from marketing emails and removing saved card details from shopping sites adds a small, useful pause before each purchase.
Banking
23. Automate your savings on payday
Set up an automatic transfer to savings on the day your salary arrives. It doesn't cut a cost, but it's the step that turns everything else on this list into actual savings. See how much you should save each month for help picking an amount.
24. Move savings to an account that pays more interest
Savings accounts pay very different rates. If €5,000 earned, for example, 2% a year instead of 0.5%, you'd get €75 more interest a year. Rates change often, so compare before you move. In the Netherlands, savings are protected up to €100,000 per person per bank by the deposit guarantee scheme, as explained by De Nederlandsche Bank.
25. Check your bank fees once a year
Under the EU Payment Accounts Directive, banks must send you a free statement of the fees you paid at least once a year, as the European Commission explains. Read it. If you're paying for a premium account or card features you don't use, ask to downgrade or compare other banks.
A worked example
Here's what five of these changes could add up to for one person. Your numbers will differ.
Common mistakes
- Saving on bills but not moving the money. If the savings stay in your current account, they usually get spent. Transfer them straight away.
- Cutting everything at once. Pick three or four changes that feel easy. You can add more later.
- Buying "deals" you didn't need. A 50% discount on something you wouldn't have bought isn't a saving.
- Switching without reading the terms. A cheaper insurance or energy contract may have less cover or exit fees. Compare like with like.
Make the savings fun
If you'd like a structure for the money you free up, try the 52-week savings challenge: you save a little more each week and reach €1,378 by the end of the year.
Questions people ask
What is the fastest way to save money?
Start with fixed costs you pay every month, such as your phone plan, insurance and subscriptions. One change there keeps saving you money without any extra willpower.
How much can I realistically save each month?
It depends on your spending, but combining a few changes from this list often frees up €50 to €150 a month. The worked example in this article shows €1,458 a year from five changes.
Where should I put the money I save?
Move it to a separate savings account straight away, ideally by automatic transfer. Otherwise the money you saved on bills tends to get spent somewhere else.
Is cutting small expenses worth it?
Small, frequent costs add up: €3 a day on weekdays is about €690 a year. But you don't need to cut everything you enjoy. Cut what you don't value and keep what you do.
Sources
- Milieu Centraal: Snel energie besparen (quick energy savings)
- European Commission: Access to bank accounts (Payment Accounts Directive)
- De Nederlandsche Bank: Depositogarantie, up to what amount is my money protected
Written by Fakhri. Published 6 November 2026, last reviewed 6 November 2026. We update this page when the numbers change. Read our editorial policy.