9 Rules For Saving Money
Saving can be difficult if you don’t know where to start. In this article we take a look at 9 small changes you can make to help you start saving for a big purchase or rainy day.
If you don’t budget effectively and you have a hard time saving your money, you will need some tips and advice on what you can do. Saving your money is important as it will be able to help you afford a down payment on a new home, your children’s education, and other things. You also need to have money set aside for a rainy day as you never know when you may have an emergency and you need to have a lot of money at your side.
When you have money that provides for your needs, you need to make sure you are setting aside money in your savings account. You have to really look at your financial needs and then focus on saving money and not spending more than you make.
Make A Commitment
To save money you need to make a firm decision to dedicate yourself to it. You need to put in the effort to save money and you need to make sure the people in your life that use your money also understand that you have to save money and you need to work on getting out of debt if you have debt. As you start small let’s say with $50 a paycheck, you will see this amount start to add up and before you know it, you have an extra $600 or more in your account. This is a great motivator to keep saving money and will help you to see the importance of saving money when you have to pay taxes or you need any emergency car treatment.
Payoff your Debts First
This doesn’t mean you only save when you have all your debts are repaid. Some of us have bigger debts and needs years to repay them. However, do you best to pay your debts in the shortest time possible. The peace of mind that comes from being debt-free cannot be compared and it will make you a better manager of your money.
Set a Budget
Once you are determined that you are going to save money the next thing you need to do is to set a budget. This will help you to avoid overspending and other things. Set a budget for everything including your entertainment needs. This way you won’t spend $50 to $200 more when you are on a vacation and you need gas money. Budgeting is the key to saving money and with diligence you will be able to make it work.
Don’t Overspend
Always spend within your means. Do not overspend as this really gets you into debt and causes you to struggle financially. You need to avoid overspending and you have to really keep yourself from splurging on temptations. Trim your budget and your grocery bill where you can. This means you want to cut out the things that aren’t good for you like soda and sweets. Cutting down your grocery bill can save you thousands of dollars a year and you really do need to take this extra money and put it towards your savings account.
Keep Limited Funds on you
If you know you struggle when it comes to buying things you should try and keep cash on you or a very limited amount of money. When you do this it helps you to stay on budget and prevents you from overspending money. Carry cash so you know exactly how much you have. This helps you to prevent yourself from spending when you really should not be spending.
Don’t Dip Into your Savings
To keep money for yourself and emergencies, don’t dip into your savings account for any reason besides absolute necessity. It is hard for you to start saving money and when you deplete your savings, it can be even harder for you to rebuild it.
Cut up the Credit Cards
I’m not going to talk about reasons to say no to credit, but I want to stress out the importance of being careful about credit card spending because it can make it very challenging for you to be able to save money. Credit cards can really destroy your account and can get you into debt that may be almost impossible to get out of. Cut up the cards and just work on chipping away at them over time.
Cut up that Unwanted Subscription too!
Today, subscription boxes, magazine, or services are getting more popular. Many of us are prone to subscribing on things we don’t need, and more often than not, we simply neglect them without realizing that every month they deduct funds from our cards. To solve this, try requesting for your card statement for the last three months and investigate a pattern of deductions. If you see a same amount deducted to your card monthly, chances are, you might have a completely forgotten subscriptions.
Stash Your Coins
Have you watched the movie Journey to the Center of the Earth? At the beginning of the movie, you will see that after work, whatever coins Trever Anderson (played by Brendan Fraiser) has on his pocket he emptied it out and stashed it on his coin jar. So by the time they needed money for plane tickets, that coin covered it all. Never underestimate the power of coins; you’ll never know when you’ll need them. Yes, they may be small amounts, but consistently fill in the jar and you’ll be surprised how much money you saved.
Saving some funds for the rainy does you more good than harm. After all, we all have to experience dire situations, whether we like it or not. It is better to be prepared at such situations. Alway keep in mind these fundamental rules on money saving and try your best to implement any of the tips mentioned above. You don’t have to stingy; you just need to be wise.
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