You’re probably familiar with the usual money-saving tips: cut the cords, clip the coupons, split the rent, or start a side hustle, but if you still want to find creative ways to save more, there are some other options to consider.

If you already work hard and have a busy schedule, adding more to your plate isn’t really appealing. You always want to save more, whether it’s to pay off debt, build an emergency fund, contribute to your IRA, or reach another important goal. So let’s leave the basics aside and explore creative and unexpected ways to keep more money in your pocket without overcomplicating things.

1. Monitor and adjust your electricity consumption

Your power company may offer free tools to assess your home energy usage and suggest ways to reduce your usage or lower your bill. For example, if you don’t have a time-of-use plan and it’s an option where you live, switching to a plan could save you money. If so, changing when you use energy-intensive appliances like dryers, washers and dishwashers could reduce your bill.

2. Check your eligibility for low-income utility programs

The federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program works with states to help people stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Qualifications and assistance levels vary by state for providing assistance with heating and cooling bills. Some programs will even replace a broken furnace or boiler or help weatherproof your home to reduce your energy bills.

3. Try Doing It Yourself Before Paying a Pro

Some tasks are too dangerous to DIY. Other times, you risk making a problem worse and more expensive to fix if you try to do the work yourself. But some tasks we could hire people to do are surprisingly cheap and easy to do ourselves after seeing someone else do them. From changing your car’s air filter to replacing the heating element in your oven, the next time you encounter a problem that you would normally call a professional for, do a video search first.

4. Consider a prepaid cell phone plan

Most of us think of the big three (T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T) when we think of mobile phone providers. But their monthly recurring plans are expensive and may provide more data, faster speeds, and newer phone technology than you need.

If you upgrade to one of their prepaid plans, you may be able to cut your monthly bill in half. Switching to a smaller provider such as Republic Wireless, Ting, or Mint Mobile can also lower your bill. The same goes for paying upfront for at least three months of service. Plans get very cheap if you ditch cellular data completely and just talk, text, and WiFi.

5. Reduce subscriptions

Newspapers. Television. Movies. Music. Cloud storage. Photo editing. Word processing. Exercise classes. Sometimes it seems like every business uses a subscription business model these days. Getting someone to sign up for a service and pay for it forever is a great way to make money. This means you need to do the opposite if you want to save money.

Of all your subscriptions, which one do you use the most? Allow yourself this indulgence and cut back on the rest. Many offer free alternatives. Plus, you don’t have to choose just one subscription and stick with it all year. For anything that happens from month to month, you can switch modes: Hulu this month, Netflix next month, Spotify the following month.

6. Start using a bidet

If the pandemic-induced toilet paper shortage hasn’t already convinced you to try a bidet in 2020, now is the time to think about it. This doesn’t sound like a budget idea, but entry-level models that attach to the side of your toilet seat only cost $30 to $40 on Amazon and will quickly pay for themselves in toilet paper and wet wipes. Bidets are efficient, so they won’t increase your water bill. Low-end models do not use electricity. And reducing your use of disposable products is good for the environment.

7. Try a no-spend challenge

You might think that forcing yourself to not spend money for a week or a month would only create a lot of pent-up demand. If you don’t buy groceries now, won’t you buy more later? Maybe. But you might also find yourself reevaluating purchases you’ve been putting off.

If you survived for a week drinking ice water at dinner because you ran out of Coke Zero, maybe you can ditch your one-can-a-day habit, or at least cut it in half. You won’t make any impulse purchases of unnecessary items. And you might find a free way to spend time with a friend. Whether you try it for a day, a week, or a month, a no-spend challenge can take your account balance up a notch.

8. Accept help when you can

There is so much wealth and generosity in the United States that we should all feel comfortable accepting help when we need it. We’re talking food banks, pet pantries, free farmers’ markets, community gardens, school supplies, health clinics, sliding scale mental health services, Medical helphospital charity programs, and more.

Certainly, these resources are more abundant in some regions than in others. But whatever you have access to, take advantage of it. When your situation improves, you can always return the generosity of the organizations that have served you by donating your time or money.

9. Use insurance to save money

It’s so tempting to increase your deductible or lower your coverage to lower your insurance premiums. But remember why insurance exists. If your car is destroyedwhether a pipe bursts in the apartment upstairs and floods you, or a windstorm tears the roof off your house, good insurance coverage will allow you to return to normal life much more quickly without ruining your finances.

And if you’re a pet owner, spend $20 to $50 a month on pet insurance for your four-legged best friend. When they need emergency surgery, you will thank yourself.

10. Give yourself an allowance

It’s miserable to spend every penny of your income on necessities and savings. You will exhaust your willpower and risk ending up with a spending spree. Instead, make a conscious choice at the start of each week, month, or pay period about how much you’ll allow yourself to spend on fun things—within your overall budget, of course.

Then enjoy these treats guilt-free. And if you want to save for something more important, roll over your allowance from one period to the next. A dedicated cash envelope or savings account can help you manage your fun money and separate it from your essential expenses.

The essentials

Some expenses are almost impossible to eliminate. But that doesn’t mean you can’t reduce them. In particular, reducing your recurring expenses can be a big help because it will allow you to save money every month, not just once.

Also remember that saving money is a long-term goal. Don’t make short-sighted decisions, like reducing or foregoing insurance coverage, that could cost you in the long run and undo all the progress you’ve made. At the same time, many small savings choices can pay off big in the long run.