Sometimes the hardest thing about saving money is to get started. It can be difficult to figure out simple ways to save money and how to use your savings to pursue your financial goals. We have gathered 8 simple ways on how you could save money.
1. List all of your expenses
And we mean ALL of it. Be it a piece of cigarette, coffee, your groceries, etc. Categorize them (ex: utilities, food) and jot them down on a notebook. There’s a bigger chance of overspending if you don’t actually see and review all of the things that you spend money on. Always have the same notebook and pen with you all the time so that you could record all of your expenses real time. By doing so, you can see which category you are overspending on and cut it down.
2. Bring your own lunch to work
We know, bringing our own lunch to work is very unpopular, either because it takes a lot of time to prepare it or it is embarrassing. However, bringing your own lunch to work will have you avoid buying overpriced snacks from the vendo and the convenience store. You have more options to eat healthy food at the same time!
3. Staycations!
Instead of going on vacations, why not have a staycation? You can have a DVD marathon with your friends or by yourself. You can also cook a special dish and invite your friends over. If you love books, then why not stay in bed all day long with a good book? Of course if you’re just a bed-spacer, a staycation won’t be really much fun. For people who don’t really have places conducive for a staycation, you can forego a vacation for a trip to the museum or the zoo. You’d be surprised at how amusing a museum or a zoo can be no matter how old you are. Of course it goes without saying that you should make sure to go with people you like to ensure enjoyment on your part.
4. Create a budget
Now assuming you have gotten rid of all those impulse buying, eating outs, and other wealth corroding practices, it is now time to learn about budgeting. Budgeting is critical for you to have a limit on your spending. To make sure that you are indeed following your budget, it is important that you still continue to record ALL your purchases. When making budgets, it is ideal to do it every thirty days or every two payroll periods.
5. Don’t do something that you don’t like
One of the things that you will have to check within yourself is whether you are doing something that you don’t like. In most cases, doing something you don’t like leads to overeating or worse overspending. When you dislike the work that you do (and let’s be honest; a lot of us hate our jobs), there is a high tendency of “rewarding” yourself with a trip to the movies, a shopping spree, a vacation, a dinner, or a gadget at the end of a grueling week or every payday. If you find yourself “rewarding” yourself every week or every payday, why not “reward” yourself by putting the money away for the future?
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