5 easy ways to save money if you hate budgeting

The annual survey from Debt.com on budgeting found that those who are tracking their finances is on the rise. Eight in 10 respondents to their survey say they track their monthly spending and saving. The 86% is up from 80% in the previous year's survey.

But for people who don’t budget avoid doing so because it’s too complicated or stressful, you're not alone. And thankfully, there are numerous ways to save money without tearing your hair out over a spreadsheet. A good place to start is by calculating your savings goals. From there, use these five tips to save more money and reach those goals.

1. Pay yourself first

Rather than budgeting during the month and then saving whatever’s left over, try paying yourself first.

As soon as you get a paycheck, set aside a fixed amount — $75 per check, for example — in an account that’s separate from where you keep your day-to-day money.

That way you can spend whatever you like from your regular account and not have to worry about scrimping during the month to meet your financial goals.

Make sure to keep the money you set aside in a high-yield savings account. That way whatever you save will actually earn decent interest and grow over time.

Some high-yield accounts offer an auto-deposit feature that allows you to easily connect your checking account, so the amount you want to save will automatically be deducted each payday. You won’t even have to think about it.

More: Best high-yield savings accounts

2. Save your spare change for the future

If setting aside a piece of every paycheck doesn’t seem doable right now, another option is to save your spare change.

An app called Acorns is easy to use and works by rounding up every purchase you make with your debit or credit card to the nearest dollar, then drops that spare change into an investment account.

So if you spend $2.75 on a coffee, for instance, Acorns will round up your purchase to $3.00 and put the extra $0.25 into the investment account.

That might not seem like a lot, but just $2.50 worth of daily round-ups will become $900 per year.

Acorns also offers a retirement account, so you can start saving for your golden years now without stressing about the future.

And if you sign up using this special link, Acorns will add $20 to your account as soon as you make your first investment.

3. Lower your monthly expenses

Another way to save without budgeting is to trim some of the fat from your monthly bills.

Check whether you’re paying for any streaming services that you barely use or magazines that you can read online for free. Subscriptions that auto-renew are easy to forget about and could be costing you a lot.

You should also look into whether you can get a better rate on the essentials, like insurance.

Most people just stick with whatever rate they’re offered when they sign up. But by shopping around for a better rate, you could save up to $1,127 a year on car insurance alone, according to a CarInsurance.com study.