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If you are like me – a money-saving-freak – this post is not for you. But if you struggle to save some money for travelling the world, for paying your debts, for having enough cash for the things you really love and enjoy doing – keep reading and take your notes. At the end of the article, I have a gift for you that will help you even more!
Some of these bits of advice may not completely apply to your life, but they should be an example as to how the choices we make impact our spending in ways we don’t even realise. Every decision you make should be a reflection of your ultimate goal. If you are trying to save money, it’s time to get creative and to activate your will power. I’m not saying it will be easy, I’m saying it will be worth it, and you will be so proud of yourself at the end and really shocked how much money you are wasting.
So.. let’s begin:
1. Save a certain bill
There are a lot of people who when they receive a certain bill(like $5) or certain coin.. they put them aside. Start saving them as a ritual/in a jar with a label Journeys/New Life/Etc. It’s up to you to choose which one will be perfect for you. So if you put aside even one $5 bill/month, you will have $60 at the end of the year.
2. If you are a shopaholic
Take one thing out of your card every time you shop before you check out. This way you will actually find out if you really need this item or not – if you find yourself needing it in future situations you can go back and buy it.
3. Shop out of season
Buying out of season can save you a lot of money. For example, buy winter clothes in summer and swimsuits in the winter. You can subscribe to some shop newsletters like ZARA and H&M and wait for them to start their seasonal Sales.
4. Cut out potato chips, soda and junk food in general
The average bag of potato chips costs around $4. If you eat even one bag a month(which I highly doubt), this will be 12 bags/year = $60. Also, if you drink an average of 1can/bottle of soda/beverage per day, you would buy 365 of them, which will cost you around $360.
So you are saving at least $420 and getting a bonus – a healthier life!
5. Automatically set aside a portion of your salary
This is one of the smartest and creative ways to save money, and it’s the hack that will help you save money the fastest. With this method, I managed to save more than $1000 in a couple of months. When your payday comes, before even thinking about what to spend your salary on, set aside a part of it in a separate savings account. Decide how much will be ok for you and stick to it. For example, decide to set aside 10% of your salary each month. Your savings will build up pretty quickly if you do this, and even quicker if you choose to set aside a more significant part(but make sure you are not depriving yourself of anything you actually need). If you doubt your will power just imagine how much money you will have in 6months? Or 12months? Imagine all the things you can do with this amount. The end result is the best stimulus. So even $100/month is giving you $1200 at the end of the year.
6. How many hours you work for the amount the things cost
Another one of my favourites. Time is the most precious thing we have and something you’re never going to get back. So when you’re tempted to make your next purchase rather than thinking about how much money it costs, think instead about how many hours of work would pay for it. So if you decide to buy fast food for $20 and you work for $10/hr you purchase something that will be gone in a couple of minutes and will have to work 2 whole hours for it. Are you willing to do it?
Think about the reasons you go to work; all the reasons you spend your time doing whatever you do and the amount of money you get in exchange. Your salary is in exchange for your time, and while you’ll get another one next month, you’ll never get back the time spent working. So why not think a bit more before spending it and save it for it something more meaningful more important to you?
7. Use hotel shampoo and conditioner
Let’s admit it – all of us are getting those cute small packages with us when we leave the hotel. Just to remind us where we’ve been. Or because you are a collective freak like me. Instead of buying new shampoo and conditioner every month just start using those shampoos and conditioners you’ve collected. They won’t get better in time, believe me. So If you spend $20 for them every 3 months, you will have $80 at the end of the year.
8. Use coupons/Discount Cards
There are a lot of gas stations and supermarkets that are offering discount cards. Or others like IKEA and some pharmacies that are giving you a percentage of your purchase as points with which you can shop. And if you are still a student, you can get yourself one ISIC card and use all the discounts it is offering for shopping or for travelling.
9. Avoid going shopping at the grocery store hungry
This one is so important you have no idea! I mentioned it in my quick list of 26 things you can start doing to save money years ago, but I think it is worth mentioning it again. Make sure you make your shopping lists when you are not thinking with your belly and stick to it when you are shopping. I find myself buying tons of food that is not necessary when I want to eat whatever I see, so be careful with this one.
10.GIFT! Use my Monthly Budget Tracker template
Saving money is so much more fun when you can actually see your progress. And my template will help you with that! It is a printable PDF file that you can use to fill in on your computer(it makes the math itself, no worries!) or you can print it and fill it in however you want. You have to fill in every one of your incomes and expenses for the month so at the end of it you have:
- your total income,
- your total expenses,
- the balance between the 2 of them,
- how much you’ve managed to save and
- one special blank field for notes. Here you add where can you do better the next month. Maybe you can reduce the junk food, or the things you buy to pamper yourself?
And believe me, this one helped me a lot to save so much money so far. Way easier when you look at your budget instead of just thinking about it.
DOWNLOAD RIGHT NOW FOR FREE AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE
Just enter your name and email and I will send you the pass to my Resource library! There you will find even more useful templates and books:
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All of these little changes are adding up to huge savings. You can save more than $4000/year following these a bit weird ways to save money. There is no magical way – you just do tons of small changes and say “no” to items you wonder if you should buy.
Trying different things to save money can be uncomfortable sometimes, especially if you are not used to doing it. It can draw unwanted judgment from family and friends. It can also help you achieve your goals. Start making small changes today. Get weird! Save as much money as you can and start living the life of your dreams sooner than you imagined. It doesn’t have to be difficult. The more effort you put into it, the easier it gets, and in the end, it is totally worth it. Especially when you see your bank account bigger than ever.
And there we have them – 8+ creative ways to save money! Do you have your own secrets? What helps you to spare some money for a new trip or a gift for yourself? Share them with me in the comments below!
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What do you think?