• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About/Hire Me
    • About Me
    • Hire Me
    • Contact
    • Family
    • Faith
    • FAQ
    • My Running Story
    • Recipes
  • Disney
  • Fitness
    • runDisney Information Page
    • Fitness
    • Races
  • Parenting
  • Travel

Through Heather's Looking Glass

  • Disney
  • Fitness
  • Travel
  • family
  • About Me

8 Ways to Cut Expenses This Month

March 16, 2020 | Uncategorized

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links to help cut expenses, meaning if you purchase from my links, I get a small commission.

In times of financial uncertainty, we look around for ways to save money or cut back on our spending. It can be overwhelming to think of all the options and things we spend money on, so I have condensed some easy ways you can cut expenses this month in the following blog post. These are all things my family is PERSONALLY doing, so it’s not just random tips that “might” work. Happy saving!

cut expenses

Health Insurance- This has been a huge expense for us, as of course it typically is for most people. Bobby has his health insurance covered by his employer, but it was actually very pricy to add Emma Kate and myself onto his plan, so we went the out of pocket Blue Cross route to the tune of nearly $700 a month! This is one adult in their mid 30’s and one child. Mind-blowing. Anyway, we found out about health share programs and decided to go for it. Now we pay $450 a month, and we have no deductible! (Before our deductible was $4000!) If you have questions about which one we are using and why I would love to chat with you, just shoot me an email at heather@heatherslookingglass.com. So not only are we saving money every month but if something big WERE to happen to us, we wouldn’t be out $4K PLUS 20% of the bill (Blue Cross only covered 80% after the deductible was met.)

Television- We cut cable well over a year ago, and instead opted to stream. We have had at different time periods Hulu, Hulu Live TV, Netflix, and most recently YouTube TV. We also got an amazing deal on Disney+ by paying upfront for 3 years’ worth, and we also have Amazon Prime Video free with our prime subscription. We mainly only used YouTube TV for Football and an occasional show here and there, so after football season we canceled it, saving us over $50 a month. We will start it back up in September but will save about $350 a year only having the service during football season. There is plenty to watch on Prime Video and Disney+, plus a lot of shows stream free on network sites the day after their air live. We have realized it’s really not the end of the world and we don’t watch a ton of TV to begin with.

Blog related stuff- Having a blog can be very costly. I pay a big chunk for my hosting fees, and then there are dozens of other services you can pay for which really adds up. I decided to take a hard look at what I really “needed” and chose to cancel Tailwind and one or two other services that were, of course, very convenient, but not necessary to have a blog.

Utilities- This one is a no brainer and something that hopefully a lot of people are doing anyway to cut expenses, but I have always been very aware of how much water and electricity I use. I don’t leave water running when brushing my teeth, I turn on fans, close curtains, and wear light, breathable clothing so I don’t have to run the air conditioning as much, and I never turn lights on during the day, and we mainly use lamps at night except in the kitchen. Pay attention to the weather so you aren’t watering grass that doesn’t need it in the summer. I know it seems like a small amount of savings, but it can add up big time over the course of a year.

Groceries- Again, I have been doing a lot of this already, but it’s a good reminder and I have even stepped it up further. I download digital coupons wherever I can, clip coupons that are sent in the mail, and have recently signed up for Ibotta, which is a cashback app. I have heard about it for years and wish I had started using it sooner! It’s super easy to use. You click which store you are shopping at, and add items to your account that you are going to buy. Then after you shop, you scan your barcode on your receipt and get cashback on purchases. After you collect enough money they will send your amount to Paypal. Also, anytime you make purchases at tons of other places you get cashback as well. I shop on Amazon a LOT, and all I have to do is click to Amazon from the Ibotta app and after I check out I get cashback on my purchases. SO EASY. I hate thinking about all the money I have lost out on over the years not using this! I have been doing it for about five weeks and have already cashed out $40! Just for buying things I was going to buy anyway!

Gym- My husband is switching to a cheaper gym, and I am considering doing the same. The one my husband is switching to is very very similar to his current one, but a little cheaper per month and closer to his office. As long as he has the same equipment, he doesn’t care about the bells and whistles. Now that the weather is getting nicer, I may just spend my time outside on my own running, walking, and doing bodyweight exercises or YouTube videos.

Gas- We shop at Kroger a lot and get fuel points to use on gas purchases to cut expenses. It’s amazing how much we can save per gallon! Also, you can download the GasBuddy app, it tells you the prices of all the gas in your area. Sometimes a station will be several cents a gallon cheaper right across the street from another one!

Clothing- I have been buying and selling Emma Kate’s clothes at local consignment shops and online for years. Locally, when I sell her stuff, I get credit at their store that I can then use to buy more stuff for new seasons or sizes that she needs. I also sell her stuff and my own stuff on Poshmark. I love how easy it is to just print a label at my house and have our mailman pick up a box to be delivered to someone else. Then the money shows up in my account, perfect! Use code HEATHERSLG to get $10 when you sign up at Poshmark.com!

What is your best tip to cut expenses or making a little extra money?

Related: Top 10 tips to save money in Walt Disney World

Like this:

Like Loading...

Sign up for my newsletter

Primary Sidebar

I am Heather Montgomery, a 30 something southern girl living in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband Bobby, 10-year-old daughter Emma Kate, and our goldendoodles Dolly and Luna. I’m just a regular girl who likes to workout, travel, hang with my family, text, and eat chips and queso. Be sure to check out my “about me” page for more info!
Thank you for visiting, and feel free to contact me with questions, (or for PR inquiries or press trip invites) at Support@HeathersLookingGlass.com.

Please, no guest post requests. 🙂

More about me

Privacy Policy

You can also find me here:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • 5 Reasons to Try a New Way of Travel
  • Experience Superhero-Sized Fun at Gaylord Opryland DC Summer
  • Digital Nomads: Safely Working Remotely While You Roam
  • Tips for Surviving (and Thriving) as a Travel Ball Mom
  • Protecting Your Kids’ Eyes In the Digital Age

 

Search

How to Start a Blog

How to start a blog
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
  • Disney
  • Fitness
  • Travel
  • Family
#AD | Busy mom life = always on the go, but a quic #AD | Busy mom life = always on the go, but a quick stop at @McDonalds makes it easy to treat my girl and grab a little pick-me-up for myself. 🙌💙 With the new Under $3 McValue Menu, we can enjoy frozen drinks, snacks, and more—all for under $3, all day, every day! 🥤💸 

From Frozen Blue Raspberry to Frozen Coke, it’s the perfect way to take a breather before heading to the next activity—and ordering ahead in the app keeps things simple. 👏

#McValue #McDonalds
That time Bobby put on hand sanitizer instead of s That time Bobby put on hand sanitizer instead of sunscreen. 👀😆 ☀️ 

#poolday #husbandandwife #loveandmarriage
We originally got it as a solution for rainy or co We originally got it as a solution for rainy or cold days during the holidays, but it quickly became part of our weekly routine — especially for family game night or those super hot afternoons when going outside just isn’t an option.

What I love most? It gets us laughing, playing, and moving together. The games are active and designed with real child development principles in mind — which means I feel good about the screen time. And when she plays solo? I know she’s safe — no online strangers, just fun, movement, and confidence-building play.

Whether we’re all competing or she’s playing on her own, @nexplayground has become one of our favorite ways to stay active and connected as a family.
Grab yours on Amazon — and don’t miss it during Prime Day!

#NexPlayground #FamilyGameNight #IndoorPlay #Momhack #SummerSolutions #ad #nexplaygroundonamazon #playthatmovesyou #activeplay #familyplaytime #kidgiftideas #kidsummerideas
I call it the lazy girl’s cookies ‘n cream dre I call it the lazy girl’s cookies ‘n cream dream cake—because it’s quick, no-bake, and made with love (and @BRCIceCream frozen treats 😉). #BlueRibbonClassics_Partner

This little recipe is one my mom used to make with me, and now I get to pass it down to my daughter. It’s messy, a little imperfect… and absolutely delicious. 💙

All you need is:

🍦  Blue Ribbon Classics Cookies ‘n Cream frozen hand-held treats

🍫 Whipped cream

🍪 Crushed chocolate sandwich cookies

➡️ Layer, freeze, slice, and enjoy!

Affordable. Easy. And honestly? A sweet memory in the making.

📍Find Blue Ribbon Classics hand-held treats near you. Link in stories.

#blueribbonclassics #brcicecream #makeitsweet #CookiesNCreamBar #NoBakeDessert #MomLife #SweetMemories #BusyMomHack
🌟 Giveaway!! 🌟 Escape to the peaceful side 🌟 Giveaway!! 🌟 

Escape to the peaceful side of the Smokies 🌿✨ 

Newly reopened @tremontlodge in Townsend, TN has everything you need for a relaxing getaway while still being close enough to all the excitement of Pigeon Forge:

• Spacious rooms & cozy suites 💛

• Indoor and outdoor pools + hot tub 💦 

• Fitness center 💪🏻 

• Complimentary breakfast buffet ☕️ 

• On-site game room + outdoor movie nights 🎥 

• Outdoor firepit lounge & BBQ area 🔥 

• Walking trails right on the property 🌲 

• A hidden speakeasy for the grown-ups 😉🍸

Just minutes from Cades Cove, tubing, and some of the best hikes in the Smokies! Right now I’m GIVING AWAY a two night stay at this serene resort!

Here’s how to enter:

- Follow @HeathersLG and @Tremontlodge
-Like this post 
-Comment your favorite thing to do in the mountains 
-Tag two friend in the comments (can tag more for more entries!) 

Bonus 5 entries! ✨ 
-Share on your stories and tag us so we can see! 

Not sponsored or endorsed by Instagram. Must be 18+ to enter. Closes July 3, 2025 at Midnight. Winner chosen on or around July 5th and notified by this account ONLY via DM and tagged on this post in the caption.
It was worth a shot. 🏝️ Share with someone It was worth a shot. 🏝️ 

Share with someone you want to “double check” with you! 🩷

#beachlife #beachlover #summervacation2025 #beachmemes
Future me had some thoughts during Prime Day 😂 Future me had some thoughts during Prime Day 😂 #Ad #NewChapter_Partner 

She’s tired, she’s juggling a million things, and she just wants to feel good without overthinking it. So this year, we’re prioritizing wellness while it’s on sale! 🛒 What’s in my Prime Day cart: 

✨@newchapterinc Every Woman’s One Daily Multivitamin – 20+ nutrients my body actually recognizes 
💪 Bone Strength Take Care – because #momlife is basically a full-contact sport and my bones need all the help they can get
 🧘‍♀️ Magnesium + Ashwagandha – my secret for calm & relaxation support 
🌿 All-Flora Gummies – dual-action gut support that tastes amazing (and with 55% less sugar!) 

👉 Add these to your Prime Day cart TODAY! Link in bio 
#NCxAmazonPrimeDay2025 #NewChaptervitamins

Copyright © 2025 · Through Heather's Looking Glass · Theme by Bella Creative Studio

 

Loading Comments...
 

You must be logged in to post a comment.

    %d