EXPERT TIPS TO Save You Money ...This Year

From streaming services to savings accounts, we uncovered genius financial moves to make your wallet feel a little fatter.

- ABIGAIL BAILEY

It seems as if everywhere we look, costs are rising. A recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the price of food, housing, health insurance and other services increased more than 6% in 2022-those are shifts that can't be compensated for by making your coffee at home or skipping a dinner out. That's where the Good Housekeeping Deals Lab pros come in. They, along with money experts Erin Lowry, author of the Broke Millennial series and the Broke Millennial Workbook, and Bola Sokunbi, author, founder and CEO of Clever Girl Finance, share genius aha! tips that will help you find more money and cut costs where it counts.

1 Assess what you're streaming.

Take a close look at the services you're paying for each month. Do you have cable but watch only Netflix and Hulu? Cut the cord! In the same vein, if you have subscriptions to two music streaming services (say, Spotify and Apple Music), pick your favorite and drop the other one. "Set aside some time to get rid of things you're paying for but not using," says Lowry.

2 Gradually boost retirement savings.

Changing your money habits can be hard. There are all kinds of benchmarks and rules floating around concerning what you're "supposed" to be doing with your money, like saving 15% of your income each year for retirement or following the 50/30/20 rule (50% of your income goes to needs, 30% to wants and 20% to debt payments and savings). Learn to relish baby steps. "Start even as low as 1% and increase it by 1% every three to six months as you work toward your goal," says Lowry.

3 Stop renting your router.