With the cost of living on the rise across the U.S., many Americans are looking for ways to save. Part of the problem is that people are constantly buying items that they think they need. But, according to YouTuber Lara Joanna Jarvis, you can save money if you commit to it.

Try a “no buy” year

Jarvis, who lives in South England, committed to a “no buy” year for the whole of 2019.

During that time, she was only allowed to purchase items that she considered necessary.

When the year was up, Jarvis had saved an astounding $43,430, enough for her and her husband to afford a new home.

Fortunately, Jarvis has a wide range of videos on her YouTube channel that deal with saving money and finding deals. Here are some of the things that Jarvis did during her year of no buying that helped her save what she did.

1. Restrict your spending

Start by restricting what you spend money on. Jarvis recommends using a 30-day rule when it comes to buying something new.

“If you want something then put it on your wish list, and if you still want it after 30 days have passed, you can allow yourself to buy it. It stops that impulse spending,” Jarvis says in a video on her efforts to curb her spending.

2. Meal planning

One of the biggest areas that people spend a lot of extra cash is in the food that they eat. Americans on average spend over $2,600 a year on food, per person, some of which they never eat. Using a meal plan allows you to only buy what you need and avoid getting items that just sit in the cupboard.

Jarvis was able to cut her food bill in half, as she explains in the video:

“Meal planning not only alleviates the stress of trying to find something to eat, it saves you time, it saves you money, it makes you more organized.”

3. Using cash is key

Jarvis has another tip for people looking to save money, use cash not cards. With a credit or debit card, you can easily overspend without even thinking about it. By restricting yourself to the cash you have on you, you can curb a lot of unnecessary spending.

“It just devalues money so much, cash just makes it a bigger deal,” Jarvis says.

4. Fight addictions

For many shoppers, problems can arise in the form of a shopping addiction. This is where you feel dissatisfied with your current wardrobe and buy items of clothes that you often don’t need. To fight this, take photos of your current wardrobe. Using these photos, you can then create a visual library to look at when you feel like you have nothing to wear in your closet.

“Whenever you feel like you haven’t got anything to wear, you can look at your photos and pick out an outfit,” Jarvis says in the video.

5. Keep your end goal in sight

Most importantly, you need to keep whatever end goal you have for the money you save in mind. This includes writing down what you are trying to accomplish (save for) and revisit that goal often, especially when you feel the temptation to buy something creeping in.

Jarvis gives some good advice on this, stating:

“Know your why, write it down and always keep a look on it and congratulate yourself. Celebrate the little wins along the way and just keep your why in your vision because otherwise, you’ll lose your way a little bit.”

You can check out the full video below for more of Jarvis’ tips and suggestions for saving money.

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Sources: YouTube -Lara Joanna Jarvis, The Sun