If times are tough and you need to make some cuts to get ahead, don’t worry about it. Chances are you’re over spending on some non-essentials that you can cut without missing very much. Below are some ways to cut your spending and still have a life.
Make your own meals
Yeah, it’s nice to be able to step out to grab lunch or dinner at a restaurant whenever you feel like it, but it adds up fast. Not only is it not cheap, a lot of the food we eat at restaurants isn’t very healthy for us. You don’t have to give up going to restaurants, but you need to control how often you go and how much you spend. Pick a day of the week for lunch or dinner, set a budget and stick with it. A good compromise is to order take-out from a restaurant you like; you get the same great food but don’t need to give a tip!
Get rid of cable
The cable companies have come up with ingenious ways of packaging their products that cost you more for the few TV channels that you really want. However, with the availability of high speed internet, you can watch a lot of television shows for free and exactly when you want. You can save a lot of money each month and not even feel like you’re going without.
Pay as you go
Cell phones can really eat up a lot of money for power-users. Many people get carried away with text messaging or phoning when they really don’t need to. If you use your phone a lot for work, see if your employer will provide a phone for you. Pay as you go is a great way to limit your phone calls and encourage you to use a land line whenever possible. You can’t overspend this way and it will only take a few instances of running out of air time to teach you to curb your gabby ways.
Go to the library
Remember the library? It’s a great source of free resources. If books aren’t your thing you can also borrow music and DVDs from the library. You may not be able to find the latest hits, but the price is right and you may find some previous releases that you missed or some old favorites. Many branches also have free internet if you’re forced to go without.
Ditch the credit card
Many people spend more than they have because of their credit cards. Breaking out of the habit of ‘buy now pay later’ may take some time, but is necessary for some people to stop the spontaneous purchases. You don’t need to cut up your credit cards – just leave them at home as much as possible. Another trick for the die-hard shoppers is to freeze your credit card in a block of ice; this will force your spending urge to ‘cool off’ while your credit card thaws out!
Carpool or bike to work
Many of us can’t live without our car, but if times get tough there are ways of getting by. If you’re not too far away you can consider biking to work. The cost of a decent bike can be recovered in less than a month compared to car payments, gas and insurance fees. Not only are you saving money, you’re getting in shape at the same time. Alternate options include carpooling or taking the bus which provides similar cost savings while keeping you out of the elements.
Jenny Spooner hired a personal finance advisor from a reputable company to help with her budgeting. The advisor has saved her lots of money and time. Jenny now recommends this ‘New Life Outlook‘ company to her friends.
Article Source: 6 Easy ways to Cut Spending
