When every cent counts it can be hard to understand how to stretch your money further, but with a little creativity and some innovation, even a tight budget can allow for some serious savings. Here are four tips on how you can get ahead.
Find the change
There is always money to be saved somewhere, it’s just a matter of finding it. This is why a budget is so valuable. For the tech savvy, feel free to take advantage of Microsoft Excel. A simple notebook will also work well, so long as you’re evaluating exactly where your money is going.
Once you understand where your money is going each week, you’ll also know where savings can be made. Are you spending too much on takeaway? Or maybe you’re sending too many texts on the wrong phone plan? Write down your weekly expenses to find and eradicate the non-essentials.
Curb the spending
Everyone has their nasty little secrets, like that monthly high-interest credit card statement. If this sounds like you, get rid of it. Credit cards are the primary offenders when it comes to spending unnecessary cash on interest and bank charges. Where possible, don’t use your credit card – it’s not your money. And if you have to use it be sure to pay it off by the due date.
Also consider a debit card rather than a credit card. This allows you access Visa or Mastercard tools, but without the bank benefitting from your over-expenditure.
Paying promptly applies to all bills. Instead of reacting to costs, be proactive about how much you are likely to spend on charges, including monthly phone and electricity charges, and make sure you set money aside in advance to avoid those painful late fees.
Diligently does it
With something as simple as a meal planner you can shave hundreds off your weekly bills. Take the time to plan out what you will eat and factor in how leftovers might be used for lunches or subsequent meals. If you do this with specials or seasonal produce in mind, you’ll be well ahead of the grocery spending game.
Put your money to work
With just a few savings under your belt it’s time to build on your hard work. But why should you put in the hard yards when you have found some perfectly good cash to do it for you? Investing need not be the domain of the wealthy (half the time it’s how they got to be that way), so put your money to work.
Through something as simple as investing some cash in the stock or currency market, there is the possibility of quickly reaping solid rewards. Companies like Learn to Trade can take you from novice to experienced trader in a short period of time using their forex trading strategies to potentially increase your wealth.
A tight budget doesn’t have to be constricting. Instead, it’s an opportunity to find some savings, create some strategies and get yourself ahead in the financial game.