We’ve all had those kinds of months where the final week is a barren wasteland of no money and no petrol, or no electricity, or no healthy food, or anything you run out of quickly, really. At the current petrol price, though, we’re pretty sure everyone runs out of petrol towards the end of the month.
As endearing as it is to share a common struggle with your fellow citizens, we’d guess that you’d rather not run out of money at the end of the month, right?
Right.
So, what can you do to end the month in the sweet spot of having enough until the next payday? The most common, and most correct, answer is to save better.
It’s surprisingly simpler than you may think to start practising better money-saving ways. We’re going to take you through some of the most essential and easy-to-implement money-saving tips we know, and hopefully, by the end of this article, you’ll feel more confident going into the next month!
You can start saving money now by turning your lights off and taking a seat on your couch to read this article.
Let’s do it.
Turn OFF the Lights
Let’s begin by explaining our light comment above. When you’re intentional about your electricity usage throughout the month, you’ll be surprised at how much unnecessary power (and money) is wasted by lights (and other things) being left on.
Make it a habit to switch off lights and appliances that aren’t being used, and keep your water usage to a minimum by not letting the tap run unnecessarily, and taking quicker showers.
If you forget to turn a light off or you’re struggling to build the habit up, don’t worry, Eskom will help you out now and again!
Pack Lunch
This may be one of the easiest ways to save money, but it can also be one of the hardest to maintain in your money-saving plan. It just seems easier to head to the shop and get a pie and coke, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, easier doesn’t mean cheaper or more filling. The pies add up.
A better solution is to prepare your lunch the night before, or even the week before. This helps cut out unnecessary spending at lunchtime and saves that money for use on something better in the future.
Budget for Coffee
Reading or working at a coffee shop is one of the greatest little pleasures out there, however, if not managed properly you could end up dropping some serious cash on coffees every month without even knowing it. There some money saving apps you could try to use to help with your budgeting.
We’d suggest settling on an amount you’re willing to spend on coffee each month and then sticking to that amount. Once it’s done, you’ll have to wait until payday for your next trip to your local, but you’ll be saving money while you wait. This step may be simple but every cent counts when we are exploring ways of saving money.
Save Better, Live Better
If you type “how to start saving money” into Google, odds are you’ll find a lot of helpful tips and tricks that may actually help you save money. However, we’d suggest not doing that just yet because you’ll just get overwhelmed.
Instead, try implementing these simple ways of saving money to start with, and then when you’re ready, head over to our ultimate guide to saving money for some more saving money tips.
You can do it!