You’re probably familiar with the usual savings tips: cut the cord, clip coupons, split the rent, or pick up a side hustle, but if you’re still looking to find creative ways to save more, there are more options to consider.

If you’re already working hard and balancing a busy schedule, adding more to your plate isn’t immediately appealing. You still want to save more, whether it’s to pay down debt, build an emergency fund, contribute to your IRA, or reach another important goal. So let’s skip the basics and explore some creative, unexpected ways to keep more money in your pocket without overcomplicating things.

1. Monitor and adjust your electricity usage

Your utility company may offer free tools to assess your home’s energy use and suggest ways to lower your consumption or lower your bill. For example, if you don’t have a schedule and it’s an option where you live, you can save money by switching to one. Doing so can lower your bill if you switch when you use energy-intensive appliances such as tumble dryers, washing machines and dishwashers.

2. Research your eligibility for low-income 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 levels of assistance vary by state to provide assistance with heating and cooling bills. Some programs will even replace a broken furnace or boiler or help weatherproof your home to reduce energy costs.

3. Try to do it yourself before paying a professional

Some tasks are too dangerous to do yourself. Other times, you can make a problem worse and more expensive to fix if you try to do the job yourself. But some tasks that we might hire people to do are surprisingly cheap and easy to handle ourselves after we’ve seen someone else do them. From changing your car’s air filter to replacing your furnace’s heating element, the next time you have a problem you’d normally pay a professional to fix, do some video research 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 recurring monthly plans are expensive and may provide more data, faster speeds, and newer phone technology than you need.

If you switch to one of their prepaid plans, you may be able to cut your monthly bill in half. Moving to a smaller provider like Republic Wireless, Ting or Mint Mobile can also lower your bill. So can pay in advance for at least three months of service. Plans get super cheap if you ditch mobile data entirely for talk, text and WiFi.

5. Cut back on subscriptions

Newspapers. TV. Movies. Music. Cloud storage. Photo editing. Word processing. Training classes. Sometimes it seems like every company uses one 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 have to do the opposite if you want to save money.

Which of all your subscriptions do you use the most? Allow yourself that indulgence and cut out the rest. Many have free options. What’s more, you don’t have to choose a subscription and stick with it for the whole year. For anything that’s month-to-month, you can switch it up: Hulu this month, Netflix next month, Spotify the month after that.

6. Start using a bidet

If the pandemic-induced toilet paper shortage didn’t already convince you to try a bidet in 2020, now is the time to think about one. It doesn’t sound like a budget idea, but entry-level models that attach to the side of your toilet seat cost just $30 to $40 on Amazon and will quickly pay for themselves in toilet paper and wipe savings. Bidets are efficient, so they don’t add to your water bill. The cheap models do not use electricity. And cutting back on your use of single-use products is good for the environment.

7. Try a Challenge without spending

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

If you survived a week of drinking ice water with dinner because you ran out of Coke Zero, you might be able to cut your can-a-day habit, or at least cut it in half. You will not make any impulse purchases of unnecessary items. And you might find a free way to hang out with a friend. Whether you try it for a day, a week or a month, a challenge without spending can take your account 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, gardens, school supplies, health clinics, sliding scale mental health services, Medicaidhospital charity programs and more.

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

9. Use insurance to save money

It’s so tempting to raise your deductible or reduce your coverage to lower your insurance premiums. But remember why the insurance is there. If your car is totaleda pipe bursts in the upstairs apartment and floods you, or a wind storm tears the roof off your house, good insurance coverage will get your life back to normal much faster without ruining your finances.

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

10. Give yourself an allowance

It is unfortunate to spend every penny of your income on necessities and savings. You will stretch your willpower too thin and risk setting yourself back with a spending spree. Instead, make a conscious choice at the beginning of each week, month, or pay period about how much money you 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 bigger, roll over your contribution from one period to another. A cash envelope or dedicated savings account can help you manage your fun money and keep it separate from your necessary expenses.

Bottom line

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

Also, don’t forget that saving money is a long-term goal. Don’t make short-term decisions like cutting back or forgoing insurance coverage that could cost you a lot 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.