Most people would like to reduce their spending but with all the expenses of day to day life it sometimes seems like an overwhelming task to save money. However by making a few small changes it can be easier than you think to make a substantial improvement to your finances.
REDUCE FUEL USAGE
The high and rising cost of gas means that everyone is looking at ways to cut their transportation costs.
Besides locating your most reasonable gas station you can improve the efficiency of your car by reducing its overall weight.
Remove unnecessary clutter and avoid filling the fuel tank to more than a half or three quarters full. Be aware that any wind resistance increases drag and makes your engine work harder. Items such as roof racks create substantial wind resistance and make your car use more fuel. Remove all unnecessary paraphernalia that causes wind resistance from the car.
When it comes to fuel efficiency air conditioning is one of the worst culprits for wasting fuel. Try to avoid using this unless it is really required, manual air conditioning wastes the most fuel but even climate control can guzzle up a lot.
AVOID THE BUDGET PITFALL
The key phrase to remember when budgeting is “live within your means”. Of course you can work out ways to earn more money if you really feel like you want some things in life that are beyond you but credit cards and loans usually only lead to charges, debt and a spiralling financial situation.
When drawing up a budget remember to avoid the budget pitfall and make a forward thinking plan that encompasses the whole year. Planning by the month is a good way to get a handle on basic food shopping or fuel costs but it leaves out seasonal increases in expenditure, repairs to a home or car and other more occasional expenses.
SHOP AT MARKETS
Not only is the produce at a local market better value than at a store but the food items on offer are probably healthier for you too.
As well as the deals on offer at a market you have the opportunity to haggle and if you become a regular customer you stand a good chance of favourable discounts from vendors who value your business. Heading to a market towards the end of the day means you can scoop up a bargain or two as vendors encourage people to buy items they do not wish to sell on another day.
BREAK HABITS
A lot of the expensive items people buy sneak their way into a budget gradually, starting out as a treat and then becoming ingrained as a custom.
Look honestly through your spending
and highlight items that are unnecessarily expensive or frequent. Whilst cutting down on or removing habitual treats is hard at first you will get over it and will probably end up wondering why you ever bought the item so often or at all in the first place.
Smokers all dread the part of the budget that nudges them to quit as the process is very hard and also very stressful.
However if you work out how much you spend on cigarettes in a week, a month and then a year and imagine what else you could do with that money if you didn’t need to smoke it will be a big motivation to try and quit. Sure it feels essential and pleasurable right now but once the addiction leaves you those feelings will be gone and your money will be back! Even if you don’t quit outright, cutting down alone will make you a substantial saving.
HOUSEHOLD BILLS
Are you getting the best deal? Don’t assume you have to go with one company on all your bills for the sake of neatness. With a little research you could save yourself thousands, simply by shopping around for the best rates.
SUPERMARKET SHOPPING
Supermarkets try to give the impression that they are working to save you money but they are not in the business of working just to help you out. Stores that are cheaper overall are hoping that you will buy more than you need when you are there.
Themed offers such as a Barbecue meal look tempting on a summer’s day and the various products are placed together in the hope that you will pick up everything you need (and don’t) in one go when if you looked carefully around the same store you could get the materials for your barbecue for less money.
Stores do everything they can to make shopping in them fun and also to get you to buy on impulse, placing expensive items in-between household essentials so that you are sure to see them and be tempted. When you go to a store, remember what you are going in there for and be aware that you are in an environment that encourages you to spend as much money as possible.
BURNING A HOLE
Unexpected bonuses and extra money probably come your way more often than you admit but immediately the thrill of getting the cash makes people rush out and spend it as quickly as they can on frivolous things. Savor the moment if you get a windfall and if you want to celebrate make sure you are not doing so by spending the majority of your bonus or being lax about hunting for the best options.