How can i save up money?
Lately i've been having a hard time saving money...how can i save? i know i should only spend my money on gas but i buy things whenever i go out and i cant help myself. How i can learn how to save and use my money towards gas and my relationship with my bf?
Public Comments
- Dont take your purse or wallet with you, unless you have planned to buy something. Write lists and stick to it.
- The first thing you need to do is put a budget together. Write down everything you absolutely MUST pay. For instance, you know your utilities run about the same amount each month. If you have car payments, credit card payments, installment loan payments, etc you need to list all of them. In your budget you should also include an amount for savings and entertainment. You might even skip a movie or treat and put that money into savings. If you want to save you should put a specific amount or percentage of each check. Even if you can only save $5/per paycheck it will mount up before you know it. Put yourself on an allowance. Put a certain amount of money in savings out of ever paycheck. If possible, you may be able to have it payroll deducted and put into a savings account. If you have direct deposit then have a specific amount transferred to a savings account the day your check reaches your bank. Out of sight, out of mind as they say. If you don't have direct deposit then decide how much you want to save and don't deviate from it. You also don't want to deviate from your budget for things such as entertainment. You NEVER want to spend more than budgeted if you want to save. It takes discipline to save money. If you get a raise then put the excess into your savings. Once you get used to saving it will become much easier. When you start seeing your nest egg grow it will motivate you even more.
- You have to start thinking S-M-A-R-T. What kind of cutbacks can you make? For example: I drink bottled water. Now at $1 a bottle on something that covers over 65% of our planet is not smart. So I bought one of those water filters that screw into your faucet. I have bottles that I refil over and over again. I take them to work. Do you have a lot of small appliances around that house that are always on? I cut my electronic bill almost in half by unplugging all the clock radios and night lights. I also bought some of those florescent bulbs that look a lot like a regular bulb. These things use 80% less electricity than regular bulbs. You would be surprised, but these small things add up. I know I was spending money on the water filter and energy efficient bulbs but these things will pay for themselves in a month providing they pertain to you. If you really need the money right away start cutting back on your food costs. Romain noodles cost a dime and they taste just as good as campbells chicken noodle that costs $130 a can. Ok no chicken in romain noodles, but you are probably just missing about 4 tiny pieces of chicken. Put a brick inside your toilet 'chamber'. You will use a little lesser water each time you flush..Before you know it you will be ahead. Wanna be creative? Find yourself leaving lights on? Buy a motion sensor switch, the lights will turn on when you enter the room and will turn off (by a set amount of time) when you leave the room. I have one, they cost $15 at HomeDepot. Need new windshield wipers for your car? Who says you have to buy 2? You only need the new one on the drivers side, leave the old wiper on the passenger side. So remember you have to start thinking S-M-A-R-T! Yours truly seahorsehawrey.
- Please see this article: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1282754/some_ways_to_save_money_when_on_a_tight.html?cat=3
