Maybe you rolled your eyes at that title but bear with me here. Saving money isn’t something that boring, old people do when they reach “that age”. It doesn’t mean that you’ve finally become a dull adult once you start to count the pennies and make jars for odd change or open savings accounts to create safety nets. Think of it this way: the better you become at saving, the less guilty you can feel about the occasional night out. In fact, you might be able to have more nights out and fewer nights in front of the TV if you learn to manage your money better throughout the month. If you want to learn how to put the “fun” in saving funds then here are some pieces of advice.
Look at your bank account.
Let’s start with the boring part of this fun task. If you want to become better at saving money for the things that matter to you then you need to know how much money you have in the first place. This isn’t a cruel prank to make you cry at the low figure you see before you but a lesson in basic money management. You know how much you earn on an annual basis and you can calculate how much money that leaves for you on a monthly basis. Once you have that figure, you need to work out how much of your earnings go on the necessities which keep you alive (or at least make life comfortable).
The necessary costs in your life most likely include your rent or mortgage payments, utility bills, petrol money (probably a necessity for work commutes), and food money (a necessity for... survival). You’ll also need to pool your remaining money towards any debts you might have incurred throughout your life. If you’re struggling in this regard then you could head to sites such as debtrelief.xyz for a little help. Most importantly, as explained over at wikihow.com, you need to avoid new debt. Once you know how much you’re spending on the important things in life, you’ll know how much excess money you have left over for non-necessities in life. This will be very important towards your quest to save money better; that disposable income is yours to do with as you please. Time to look at how to manage it sensibly.
Resist your inner shopaholic.
Don’t cry. It’s hard, I know. But as explained simply over at bankrate.com, the best way to save money is to start by shopping more smartly. And sometimes shopping smartly isn’t about looking for the best deals but avoiding spending money altogether.
Offers are your friend.
As we’ve discussed before, offers are something you need to chase wherever your shopping takes you. Shopping malls, grocery stores, and online businesses are all offering deals throughout the year. It’s about having a keen eye and spotting opportunities to sign up to a website so that you get a one-time free deal or purchasing a piece of furnishing once it’s in the sale. As suggested over at thesimpledollar.com, if you find a free customers reward program then sign up for it. You also need to keep an eye on deals after holiday seasons such as Christmas; stores are desperate to get rid of the excess goods which remain.
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