If you are one of those people that is always surprised at how little money you have left at the end of the week, it’s time to do some investigating and decide where you are needlessly and mindlessly spending.
Once you start to pay attention to every time you spend money, you just may be surprised at how easy it is to do. But don’t start beating yourself up just yet! Recognizing the small things you do every day that add up is the first step to making small changes that can save you a lot of money.
Avoid Impulse Buys
When you are out at the local shopping center and you see (insert item here) that you absolutely have to have, abstain. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment and feel strongly about something in that particular instance. When impulse is getting the best of you, the best thing to do is walk away. Think about it. Go back the next day or in a couple of days and see if you have the same reaction to that item. If you do, get it; if you don’t, don’t.
By having a healthy approach to unnecessary wants, you can keep overspending to a minimum in the future. By all means, do the things you enjoy, but if you have high roller friends, don’t try to keep up with their lavish lifestyle.
Dealing With Debt
Sometimes life’s lessons are learned through experience. Trying to fight your way out from under the weight of debt can be done. Consider transferring balances from high interest rate cards to one offering a 0%. The money you’ll save from paying the interest will help you to pay off the balance quicker and cheaper.
If a balance transfer isn’t the best option for you because your outstanding balances are too high, consider taking out a personal loan. A loan will allow you to consolidate your debts into one manageable balance paying considerably less on interest charges.
The important thing to remember when taking steps to pay off your obligations or debt consolidation is to make sure you don’t continue to live beyond your means and end up in the same spot. The experts at Hawkeye Associates can help you with a debt consolidation loan that will put you on the right path.
New Habits
By taking small steps every day, you’ll be surprised how much money you won’t spend needlessly. Do yourself a favor and get an understanding of exactly how much money you are spending by grabbing lunch out every day. If you figure you spend about $15 for your midday meal, that adds up to $300 in the span of a month!
Think about your morning coffee treat on your commute to the office. That $5 latte doesn’t seem like much of a splurge, but doing that on the ride to work every day is an extra $100 you spend without even thinking twice about it.
The reasonable conclusion is if you bring your own lunch to work and pour home-brewed coffee into a travel mug, you can see yourself about $5,000 in a year. Two small changes can make such a big difference to your budget.
Shopping Savvy
Take a look at your expenses and determine if you are needlessly overspending. Insurance is something that once you have it, you don’t typically revisit the expense. It’s time to reconsider that complacency. Shop around! Among competitive markets like insurance and cell phones, make sure you have the coverage you need at the best price on offer.
Examine where you spend your money. Understanding your shopping habits will help you to make the changes you need to make sure your hard-earned cash isn’t slipping through your fingers.
