I Tried 9 Money-Saving Habits and Found Only 5 Actually Work

Hey everyone, I used to go really “overboard” with saving money.

To save money, I tried all kinds of weird methods—waiting in livestreams for coupons, group buying for deals, stocking up on discounted goods… In the end, I didn’t save much money, but spent a lot of time and energy.

Later I calmed down and thought: The essence of saving money isn’t “spending less,” but “spending money where it counts.”

So starting last year, I tried 9 money-saving habits, stuck with them for half a year, and found only 5 actually work. Today I’ll talk with you about which ones really save money and which are fake savings.

✅ 5 Habits That Really Work:

Habit 1: Track expenses (even if just for one month)

This is really important. I used to think I was already very frugal, but after tracking expenses for a month I discovered—I was spending nearly 200 yuan monthly on milk tea, and over 100 yuan on delivery fees.

These “small amounts” add up, and it’s actually scary.

Habit 2: Automatic savings (transfer 10% when salary arrives)

This is the habit I’ve stuck with best. When salary arrives, I automatically transfer 10% to another account, pretending that money doesn’t exist.

After half a year, I discovered I actually saved over 6,000 yuan, and my quality of life didn’t decrease at all.

Habit 3: 24-hour cooling-off period (wait 24 hours before buying non-essentials)

This habit helped me avoid countless “impulse purchases.” Many things, after waiting 24 hours, you no longer want to buy.

Habit 4: Only buy “things you’ll use repeatedly”

I made a rule for myself: ask myself 3 times before buying “Will I use this repeatedly?” If the answer is “probably only once,” don’t buy.

Habit 5: Plan large expenses in advance (seasonal clothes, holiday gifts)

Previously, every season change I’d rush to buy clothes, ending up with a bunch of impractical items. Now I make lists in advance, only buy what I really need, and actually save more.

❌ 4 Fake Money-Saving Habits:

Habit 1: Stocking up on discounted goods

This is really a trap. I used to stock up on discounted shampoo, toothpaste, etc., but they expired before I could use them all. Saving money became wasting money.

Habit 2: Group buying for deals

Group buying looks like saving money, but often you buy things you don’t need at all. And group buying has risks—last time I group-bought fruit, the quality was so poor I threw half away.

Habit 3: Adding items to save on delivery fees

This is basically “reverse saving.” To save 5 yuan on delivery fees, you buy 20 yuan of things you don’t need, ending up losing money.

Habit 4: Buying cheap but poor quality items

Cheap shoes break after two wears, cheap clothes deform after one wash, and you have to buy again. This isn’t saving money, it’s wasting.

Seriously, saving money isn’t about being more stingy, but about “spending money smartly.”

Now I automatically save 10% of my income monthly, and my quality of life is actually higher than before—because money is spent where it’s really needed.

Final question: Do you consider yourself a “saving expert” or a “moonlight clan” (living paycheck to paycheck)? Any saving habit that really helped you save money?

Listen everyone, saving money isn’t the goal—living comfortably without anxiety is.