Let’s face it: everyone is looking to save money anytime they can. The good news is that if you take a few simple steps, you can save money without a lot of time or effort.

You don’t necessarily have to find the big sales and special events to save money every day. There are little things you can do when you shop to keep a little extra cash in your pockets. Just saving a few dollars here and there can really amount to a lot in the long run, which can help you pay off bills or give you the extra cash needed to treat your family to something fun. Here are a few things you can do in order to save money.

Watch the Sales Cycles

While you can definitely save money on everyday things without having to hit the sales, you want to keep an eye on all of the various sales cycles so you can take full advantage of them when they come around.

You are probably already aware of some sales cycles: you can’t watch television at Christmas time or President’s Day without car companies telling you how much money you can save if you buy now. These are the traditional times of year that automakers want people to buy, so they offer up sales to entice customers. Most industries have sales cycles: home goods are usually sold at a discount in the spring, the end of the summer is a great time to buy appliances and you can always find the best deals on clothes after the season has ended.

Staying in tune with the sales cycles will allow you to time your purchases so you get what you need at the prices you want.

Avoid Hidden Fees

One of the biggest sappers of money is sneaky hidden fees that you pay over and over again, sometimes without even knowing it. The fees are usually small — just a few dollars here and there — but if you constantly pay them, you’re throwing money out of the window.

One of the biggest hidden fees has to do with your modem or wireless router. If you get your internet through a cable company, chances are you have one of their routers. If you look at your monthly bill, you can see the company is probably charging you between five and 10 dollars each month to use it. You can end that fee by purchasing your own router, for less than $100, which will pay for itself in about a year after you stop paying the fees from your cable company.

If you like concerts and sporting events, you’re probably paying processing fees and such on every purchase you make as well. Look for No fee tickets: they save you money on every purchase.

Repair Your Home

If you want to lower your energy costs to save money, you can easily do so by working on a few things around the house.

Look for any cracks or small leaks around windows and doors that air can escape through. Just patching those with weather stripping or caulking can save you money and you’ll be finished with the project in an afternoon. Also, install ceiling fans where ever you can to help your heating and air conditioning units function better.

Finally, check all of your sinks and toilets for leaks. A dripping faucet can cost you a lot of money every year and if left untreated can cause serious damage to your home. Fixing any plumbing problems now will help you save money on utilities each month and help you avoid bigger problems down the road.

Buy Used

One way you can save a ton of money is to purchase used items rather than new ones. New cars lose a lot of their value the moment your drive them off the lot, but a model from a few years earlier may have the same features and can save your thousands of dollars.

You can visit yard sales and pawn shops in order to find your home necessities. You can oftentimes find small appliances, furniture, and kitchen supplies for cheap at places like these. You can also find books and toys for your children fairly readily at these places, so they can still have fun but you won’t break the bank getting them the things they want.

There are opportunities to save money every day. Think about these things next time you’re ready to go shopping.

Charlie Lynn is a Mom of 5 kids. Raising this many little ones who never seem to stop eating means saving money on other things! Charlie writes about making savings whether you have a large or small family.