It can be tought to follow a strict budget at a time when you are constantly
bombarded with opportunities to consume. Here are some simple solutions
to reduce your spending that won't make you feel like you're sacrificing your
quality of life.
1) WRITE IT DOWN - If you don't make any effort to track how much you money
you are spending, you may be seeting yourself up for a nasty shock when your
credit card bill arrive. Keep a simple tally of the money you spend each day in
a notebook or on your phone. By writing down you'll become more conscious
of your spending habits. You might even be surprised to see how much you
spend each month on food, coffee or other routine purchases.
2) THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX - You don't have to shell out cash every time you want
to get together with friends. Instead of going out for drinks or dinner, host a
potluck dinner, a board game or movie night, or visit a museum or gallery.
3) GET CREATIVE IN THE KITCHEN - Buying ready-made food and drinks from
restaurants, take-out places and cafes is much less cost-effective than cooking at
home. To help you make the transition, carry portable snacks like fruit or granola
bars in case you get hungry on the go. To save time on meal preparation, try
doing most of your cooking on a designated day of the week like a Saturday or
Sunday, then use the leftovers for lunches and dinners over the following 4-5 days.
4) MAKE YOUR PRESENTS - Whatever the occasion, making a gift is always mor
personal and it usually costs less then buying a finished product from a store. There
are tons of homemade gift ideas online on sites like Pininterest. Try your hand at
making a handmade photo album or scrapbook, a painting or a sketch, homemade
treats recipes or knit hats or scraves.
5) HANDLE WITH CARE - The three R's (reduce, reuse and recycle) don't just apply
to protecting the environment. Reducing the number of purchases you make will
help you save money but you can also get more bang for your buck by taking good
care of the items you buy. By being careful with you stuff, the longer it all will last
you. Replacing things gets expensive fast.
