Top 7 Super Easy Ways To Save Money As A Teenager

Saving money as a teenager is no easy task. I vividly remember seeing all my teenage friends going out to parties, buying new shoes, and going on fun weekend trips. Sure, it’s important to participate in some of these things, but it’s also just as important to save money.

If you’re a teenager, and you want to save money, you probably want to do it for a specific reason. Whether it’s saving up to buy your first car, or maybe it’s to get that brand new iPhone, all it takes is a little saving. Pop your target into our savings goal calculator and you’ll see exactly how much to stash each week to hit it. Suddenly that goal feels a lot less scary. 🎯

Sure, your parents could help you to buy that thing you want, but maybe you want to do this all on your own! Kudos! Today I will show you super easy ways to save money as a teenager.

1. Avoid FOMO

FOMO means fear of missing out. With the advent of apps like Instagram, it’s easy to think that everyone is having much more fun than you. You start wanting to live life just as fun and lavish as you see on social media. This is where you need to control your wants, and instead focus on the goal!

I promise you, years down the line, all those parties you see on social media won’t matter one bit. As a teenager trying to save money, this is your kryptonite! In the future, all the fun other teenagers are having won’t pay for bills, it won’t prevent you from getting into debt, and it won’t fund your retirement. I know, this all sounds so boring and so far into the future, but the earlier you start the better off you will be!

2. Use your student ID

I know, how could that flimsy plastic with a bad photo of you help you save money? Well, something you might not realize is that you get pretty awesome discounts just because you’re a student.

Getting discounts from places you were going to spend money anyway leave more money in your pocket. This makes saving up for anything that much easier. So whenever you’re in a store, make sure you ask if they offer student discounts. I know websites like studentuniverse give Airline discounts to students.

Most places probably don’t advertise that they offer student discounts, so make sure that you speak up and ask if they do. You’ve got nothing to lose, but cash to gain :)

3. Open a savings account

If you don’t have one already, then this might be the time you open one. Always look for high-interest rates. This is basically money you earn from keeping money in the bank. Literally free money.

When you’re looking for a savings account, make sure to avoid those that have a monthly fee. In this day and age, it makes no sense to pay a monthly fee on your savings account. There are so many free alternatives out there. Once you’ve got a little stashed, you can even track it growing month over month on our free money dashboard so you can actually see your progress.

You probably need some kind of identification when opening a new account. If you don’t have that yet, they might accept your school ID. Your parents might have to accompany you if you are under 18.

4. Get a summer job

If you’re old enough, then getting a summer job is an awesome way to earn extra cash!

Unless you have a family trip or other important engagements over your summer break, this is the perfect time to get yourself a summer job. If you’ve never gotten a summer job before, and this would be a great time to start!

Not only will having a summer job help you gain experience, but it will help you in the future by having some kind of work experience. Oh, and did I mention you’ll be getting a paycheck? Oh yes, more money that you can save!

5. The 30 day rule

Once you’ve saved your first hundred or even thousand dollars, it’s very tempting to just go somewhere and spend it. Instead, try doing the 30-day rule whenever you want to buy something.

The 30-day rule is simple. It means that, before you buy anything, like a brand new pair of shoes, give yourself 30 days to think about it. If after those 30 days you still want that pair of shoes, then go ahead and buy them. By giving yourself some time to think it over, you might realize it’s not worth it. Bonus: drop that “shoe money” into your savings goal calculator instead and watch what it could grow into. Way more satisfying than another impulse buy. 😅

This, my friend, it’s called delayed gratification. Instead of recklessly spending on things, you give yourself some time to think. This is the secret weapon for saving as much money as possible!

6. Get financially educated

Chances are you probably aren’t getting any financial education at school. If you are, then well done! The majority of teenagers out there are probably not getting any kind of financial education. Very unfortunate.

Take this time to educate yourself about money. Not only about saving, but about investing and your retirement. I was a teenager once. I know exactly how you’re probably feeling. You’re probably thinking to yourself “oh it’s so far away, I’ll worry about it later.” This is exactly what most people nearing retirement thought too, but for them it’s now too late.

It’s not too late for you though! You have the internet, you have this website, and you have unlimited resources where you can learn amazing things about money.

Another great resource is talking to your parents about money. I don’t know when it became taboo to talk about money at home. Money is such an awkward topic to talk about. Give it a shot. Ask your parents about bank balances, investing, and preparing for retirement. If they are uncomfortable, then give them a little time. Do it for yourself, and always keep learning!

Heck, you’re already on a financial website! All these articles I’ve written I intended to help everyone at whatever age to figure out money. You might as well sign up for the email newsletter to get awesome resources straight to your email. Get started now :)

7. Time is on your side

You know what the best part is? The fact that you are a teenager, and are researching how you can best save money means that you are going to have a bright financial future.

Do you know what the biggest financial regret for most people is? It’s wishing that they had started being serious about their money at an early age. This is simply because it’s so much harder to start later on in life.

Imagine having a mortgage, a car payment, daycare, food to put on the table, and utilities to pay. It’s much harder to build up good financial habits that much later on in your life. So well done for starting early! And when the time comes that you DO have a car payment to think about, our car payment calculator will help you figure out what you can actually afford before you sign anything.