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You have made a plan to save money this year.
Great!
You have checked your bills, figured out where you are spending all your money and you have put a stop to all the unnecessary.
If you haven’t done either of these, it’s a great place to start. Knowing where all your money is going is a good thing.
We were spending thousands of dollars a month on completely unnecessary stuff. Not fancy car payments or monthly vacations. Simple regular daily things that just weren’t needed.
You can read all about it here.
Where do you start when you want to save money?
Start with where you are spending. Track your spending for a week or two. Keep all your receipts and then spend a few minutes on the weekend going over the bills.
Check and see if you really need all the stuff you are buying. Is there something you can cut out? Or is there something you can DIY at home instead of buy?
What is your one – the key place you spend most of your “extra” money?
I am not talking groceries or your mortgage payment. Both of which I will give you some savings ideas on below. I am talking about where are you spending your “going out” money.
For us it was eating out and coffee. These items were wrecking our budget.
As someone who gets up before the sun rises coffee and drive thru just went hand in hand until I got the best coffee maker and travel mug.
Eating out was taking a dip into our cash flow as well. And I am not talking burgers and fries. I am talking weekly family dinners out at nice restaurants.
Yes, I agree that eating out as a family and giving Mom a night off from cooking is great. So what we did was get a great meal plan, everyone pitched in and started saving money.
Home cooking is the way to go.
Saving money.
Saving money isn’t hard, you just need to make some smart choices with your money. If you are wanting to learn more about money, paying down debt and getting ahead you need to checkout this book, it is amazing.
Frugal living and saving money go hand in hand. Cutting down on the extras to save money, so that you have more when you need.
A great example of this is choosing the generic brand or “on sale” brand at the grocery store over the name brand. Or cooking a great home cooked meal instead of dining out.
Simple choices that can save you a lot of money.
Related Posts:
21 of the Best Ways to Save Money in 2019:
- Freeze the credit/debit card and pay with cash
- Brown bag it and bring your lunch from home
- Skip the meals out and enjoy some home cooking
- Grocery shop with a list & coupons
- Bulk buy and stock up on things you regularly buy
- Bake it instead of buy it
- Toss out the single use and start fresh with re-usables
- Skip the paper products and start using cloth napkins
- Call the bank and ask for a new rate
- Lock up the thermostat
- Turn down the temperature in your home
- Start having cooler, shorter showers
- Wash your clothes in cold water
- Start shopping online or at your local thrift store
- Spread your shopping around. Shop where the deals are
- Opt for a staycation or try Airbnb to save on holidays
- Learn how to do simple, small repairs on your own
- Do it yourself. Painting, gifts, repairs and so much more
- Swap babysitting with friends
- Choose cheaper entertainment options
- Be happy with what you have
Big money savers.
If you are looking to save big money this year look at all your big ticket items. Your mortgage, your car payments and your fees. Can you sell something and downsize?
Do you live in an area where having only one car works? If you do think about this, you would be saving the monthly payment, the insurance fees, the gas, the detailing and the maintenance.
It all adds up!
We have friends that just sold their big fancy house to down size to an old timer with property. They put enough money in the bank for one of them to quit their job and stay home with the kids.
Life gives you options. It is not always about having it all. Its about being happy with what you have and knowing you can pay for it.
Have an amazing day,
Cynthia