Wednesday 16 November 2016

How to Save Money | Tips & Advice

How to Save Money and Spend Less
Have you ever found yourself buying and eating out too much without even thinking about it? Manage your life and take control over where you're putting your cash. This post will help you save money and start a weekly budget plan. After you start, you won't believe how much your spendings are connected to your self-growth, self-discipline and goal-setting. Once you try to take charge of your finances, you will want to change your whole lifestyle.

Let's be real, most of the time we don't buy that coffee or that t-shirt for the item itself. We mostly spend money for the satisfaction of going into a coffee shop and just buying a drink without thinking or making a purchase for the short-term happy feeling of having a new "addition" to your life.

. . . .

How to set a weekly budget


Think of it like an income for yourself. It's as if you are paying yourself a certain amount of money for the week.  Try weekly budgeting for at least a month. Here are the first steps for deciding your budget and making it work:

1. Take note of your spending habits and your income. Come up with the minimal number of dollars that you need a week to spend on necessities; such as groceries, gas, and more. Make sure that number also leaves room for savings from your income.

2. Jot down the minimal number for necessities, and add an extra 10% to that number for more spending room. 

3. Realize how many days a week you would like to socialize and go out. For me, it's usually giving myself two days of leisure/ hang out, that's $25-40 for the weekend. You can lessen your leisure spendings if it takes away some room for saving or if you have a higher saving goal and you are serious about reaching it in order to invest in a new business, or an end goal.

4. Stop using your credit card or debit card unless needed. Take out the cash amount for the month in 4 parts for every week. Once you know that minimal weekly budget, make sure you start keeping track of the spendings through carrying cash.

5. Every Monday pay yourself the cash that you would like to use for the week. Make mental notes on your plan of spending; for example weekdays, plan to spend only $5 a day. Weekends, $15-20 a day. Mental notes don't have to be a strict plan where you stress over small changes, they are just good to control the unneeded habits such as driving thru for a coffee in the morning.

. . . .


Why set a weekly budget?


1- Financial awareness. First and foremost, being aware of the money you are spending will allow you to think twice about that Starbucks drink that you only buy out of habit. 

2- You will be able to save money even if you have a moderate income. 

3- You will start living your life with less clutter. Setting weekly budgets will help you eat healthier and live better. It teaches you to organize your time more efficiently, such as grabbing a smoothie and food on the go. You can talk to and encourage yourself with "Yas, power to you, you don't need that corporate food"..

4- You will be able to see your re-occurring payments on your credit card and keep track of them. Are you paying monthly for a car, rent, Netflix, a domain... By cutting out your credit card expenses and paying with cash you will be able to really see and take note of your important spendings. Maybe you will notice a monthly fee re-occurring that you don't need anymore such as an old domain. 

5- You don't have to be extremely strict with your budgeting. When there's a great chance to build nice memories with friends or go to that event you really wanted to, don't fully stop yourself and isolate yourself. Just organize your social time a little better.

6- If you go under your weekly budget you will be able to feel good and treat yourself.


. . . .

Example


Here's an example of a weekly budget of an individual who feels like he/she will never be able to save because they're spending more than they're making. He/she has a part time job really close to home, lives with family, and have a goal of putting some money slowly into starting a business.


Income: estimate of $700/ month

Necessary spendings/ week: $60
- $20 transportation
- $30 food/ groceries
- $10 other home needed self-care products

Added spending room: $6
- 10% of the necessary spendings.

Leisure/hangout: $40
Two social days

Total weekly budget: 
$106

Monthly savings if followed this budget: 
700- 106(4) = $276
. . . .

If you do end up following a budgeting model, let us know how it goes! Also, comment your thoughts and any other tips you have to save more and spend less.

Stay gold,

Selftimers

12 comments:

  1. Using cash instead of a card has helped me SO much with my budget now that I'm in a city for uni. Love these tips!!
    xx Alyssa
    VISIONS OF NYC // @alyszsa

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is a great post! I've been keeping track of my budget recently by using a spread sheet on excel. It's slightly terrifying to go through at the end of the month, but I'm very glad I have been. Your layout is a great way to do it as well. It would be so much easier to save money by just taking out the amount of cash you need for each week instead.
    Thanks for an awesome post, guys!

    Lindsey Elyse | lindseyginge

    ReplyDelete
  3. These are such great tips! I think that getting the cash out at the start of the week is a fab idea

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