“I need to fix my spending habits ASAP! How do I save money?”
Do you fall under this category? Do you see a clear flaw in your financial system? Do you spend more money than you should? Do you wish you could get your spending under control and finally beef up that savings account?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, don’t worry because you’ve come to the right place. I once shared with you how I saved $25,000 by 25.
Let’s get your spending issues fixed right now!
Stop making excuses
This is by far the very first step of this process. That $150 dress shirt may look good, but is it absolutely necessary? If you’re looking to justify your spending then I’m sorry because you’ve come to the wrong place. When you’re ready to stop making excuses, you can read the rest of this article.
Cut back
Have you simply tried consuming less? Have you tried downgrading a bit? I’m not hear to judge the decisions that you make. I’m in no position to do so. I just want you guys to try cutting back.
You might be thinking, what’s so special about cutting back? Cutting back can actually save you lots of money on an annual basis. Let’s take a look at some examples:
If you go out for lunch every single day and spend about $10, you can try cutting down to 2-3 lunches a week. Your wallet will thank you.
If you cut back from high speed internet to the regular speed you can save on average $10 a month. An extra $120 a year in your bank account isn’t too shabby.
You guys get the point. Complete elimination is bad. Cutting back is good.
Once you try cutting back on spending in certain areas, you’ll find that the small savings add up. A few bucks here and there can make a significant difference when you’re attempting to pay off credit card debt.
Try alternatives
Are there cheaper alternatives? Do you really need a membership from the most expensive gym in town? Do you really need to upgrade your laptop to the newest model every chance that you get?
There are always cheaper alternatives to every purchase. It could be the medium through which you shop (online vs in person), the brand (value vs established), the usage (new vs used), or even the quality.
Pay as you go
Have you considered paying for certain subscriptions/payments every time you actually consume instead of paying a flat rate? This is often referred to as the a-la-carte method. How does it work? Instead of signing up for a yearly magazine (or any thing else) subscription, pay per use. You will almost always notice that you don’t consume enough of the product to require an annual subscription.
Re-evaluate
We all live different lifestyles. Some personal finance pundits would mock how much I pay for my gym membership on a monthly basis.
Perhaps you could cut that tanning package this summer and enjoy the sun more often.
You could drop that gym membership and go for a jog outside every morning.
These are all just ideas. You don’t have to heed all of this advice. I just urge you to re-evaluate certain packages. You’ll be pretty surprised when you find out what purchases you can live without.
How do I save money? Are you still looking for tips on how to save money? First off, congratulations for making it to the end of this article! This means that I’m not that boring and that you’re really serious about cutting back on your spending. What will be the next step for you? Please do share. If you have time you can check out our monthly budgeting sheet.