They say money makes the world go round. This is obviously not scientifically true, but rather, it can be true of our personal worlds. Most of our life is shaped by money in some form, from our careers to our savings for the future. A lot of what we do in our daily lives does, indeed, revolve around money.
While there are more important things in life like family and happiness, there’s no getting around the importance of money. We need it to live the kind of lives we want to live, so therefore we need to look at this topic with the goal of making the most of our finances to live the best possible lives we can.
One way to make the most of our money is by saving it. We’ve put together a few simple, helpful ways that you can begin saving more and spending less.
Ready?
Let’s dive in.
Create A Budget
The best way to remedy a problem is by first becoming aware of it. A budget can help you identify where your money is going each month and where you may be spending unnecessarily.
It’s always a good idea to track your income and expenses throughout the month. The more aware you become about your spending habits and what you need versus what you want, the easier it will become to make the necessary cuts and changes that will save you money going forward.
Declutter Your Home
The author Marie Kondo speaks about the “magic art of tidying up”. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? One of the best ways to save some money is to get rid of the things you own that don’t bring you any joy or value. You might be surprised at just how much stuff you have and how much money you can make by selling it.
We’re not saying sell everything you own. Just the useless things that, if you’re honest, you don’t need (you’ve probably got a few things in mind already). For the sake of your financial future, that dusty, oversized crystal goblet taking up all the cupboard space can be sacrificed.
Cancel Your Subscriptions
If you look closer at what subscriptions you pay for every month, you’ll most probably find that you don’t need half of them. If you’ve been paying for a gym membership for the past six months but haven’t managed to go regularly, cancel it until you’re ready to commit properly.
You’ll be amazed at the money you save once you’ve gutted your Netflix, Amazon Prime, Showmax, Apple TV, and Disney+ accounts. If you find that you can’t live without these subscriptions, just pick one and ride it for all it’s worth! It’s all about boxing smart with what you pay for.
Also, don’t forget to turn off auto-renew when you make a purchase.
Pack Lunch
This may be one of the easiest ways to save money, but it also seems to be one of the hardest to maintain. The last thing on your mind when you’re rushing out the door in the morning is what you’re going to have for lunch. It’s much easier to just walk across the street to your favourite local spot and grab a quick bite. This may seem harmless in the moment, but trust us, these quick bites add up.
A better solution is to prepare your lunch the night before, or even the week before. This will help you to cut out the unnecessary spending at lunchtime, and rather save that money for use on something better.
Start Somewhere
If the thought of implementing all of these money-saving practices is overwhelming, we get it! We’d suggest picking one or two practices to start with, and once you begin seeing positive financial results, you can pick up more as you see fit.
The important part is to start somewhere. Anywhere. Just start! You won’t regret it.