Finances can be scary to tackle, especially if you’re on your own. Between school, work, free-time activities and hanging out with friends and family, budgeting appears to be more of a road block than an amplifier to some. Nowadays, efficiency in the minds of many is what’s quickest for our busy schedules. The reality is, budgeting provides the most efficiency and ease when it comes to finances. Befriend finances and learn 4 of the greatest budgeting tips and tricks to make life smooth and fun!
1) Bills
Whether it be rent, car insurance, cellphone or internet bills, they’re the first thing to calculate out of your monthly budget. Setting aside money for these future payments first, prevents scrambling at the end of the month and the possibility of frustrating late fees which can impact your spending abilities in the months to come. Taking on these bills also is the easiest step when it comes to finances as there are no surprises and the same amounts can be predicted relatively each month. Such bills create a standard of what can fit and what can’t fit in within your monthly habits. Although bills are not generally a fun task generally, they do provide a sense of relieve and stability once paid off.Â
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Another essential item to calculate is food. Of course, if we all could, we would buy what we want, when we want, all day everyday; take-away, bakery sweets and treats, a nice rack of ribs or lamb chops. Although a necessity, food doesn’t come cheap at all. In the matter of food, and food shopping, one must always plan out meals for the weekly or bi-weekly grocery store trip. Planning avoids the cursed grocery store wandering and unhealthy eating habits. Additionally, it reduces the great blow of take-away charges. Most importantly, you should never enter a food shop hungry. Hungry growls and aches lead to an even more horrendous receipt with food that is sure to last you only 15 minutes after returning back home.
With petrol prices fluctuating on the daily, public transportation or carpooling, are great money saving and eco-friendly tricks. What more? With most cities offering public transportation cards, you could cut your daily transportation costs in half! Although most busses or metros don’t go directly to your preferred destination, walking doesn’t kill anyone and nor does it kill the environment. Moreover, it saves you from extra bills like car insurance, parking meters, mechanic shop costs and much more! Budgeting for transportation isn’t so tough though. All it takes is a simple calculation of how many times you need to head somewhere roughly and back.Â
Thinking about heading to the cinemas lately? Or maybe that new dress in the clothes shop window is begging to come home with you? Even though entertainment adds joy and excitement to life, there is a cost for such temporary feelings. Spending 100£ on a new outfit might seem justifiable in the moment, but in the weeks to come you might regret using that money. To avoid overspending and shopper’s guilt, it’s best to look for opportunities to save in every direction. In regards to clothing, some shops annually run sales in store and online. In fact some stores may honour online cheaper prices compared to in-store pricing. Additionally, discounts come in handy so it’s best to ask or to check online for existing deals. As for evenings out in the city, most places offer happy hours or weekly deals once a night. Tired of staying at home? Go out and have fun but in cost-effective ways.Â
Blog Post written by Dalia Donor | 11:00 , 22 OCT 2021 Â
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