Holy recession, Batman! But there are things you can do to combat your own personal financial situation. Remember: every little bit helps.
First, understand where your money is going. Mint.com is a great free service for this, you input your account information, and it helps you see where you have room to trim the fat.
Next, downsize. One of the best ways to accomplish this is limiting your intact of fast food and beverages, which are not only bad for your body but horrendous for your wallet. Say you have an affinity for caffeinated beverages. Instead of assuaging your dependancy with a daily Starbucks visit (up to $6 a drink), switch to buying to the packs of Starbucks drinks (4-6 dollars, for 4). Same method of buying in bulk is effective for everything from 5 hour energy shots to toilet paper. The more you buy in quantity, the more you save. While the start up capital to switch to bulk will be a less than seamless transition, do without this week to put yourself in a better situation next week.
If you're one of those that refuses to give up going out to eat, shop around for deals. Many restaurants these days are offering discounts, take advantage of them! If you have little ones, check out Kids Meal Deals, you can search by area and day of the week to find out where they can eat for free or cheap, usually with the purchase of an adult entree.
Identify your vices. For you smokers and alcoholics, this section is for you. Stress will always be a trigger, at least fall of the wagon in a fiscally responsible way. Save your liquor drinking for home (generally, paying for 4 drinks in a bar or restaurant equals the cost of a bottle- that will yield more than double the number of drinks) and drink beer while you're out, or better yet, find your area's happy hours and open bar nights. Instead of haunting the same spots daily, and overspending, branch out and find deals. You'll not only save money, but most likely make more friends (unless you're an antisocial douchebag) and get some great experiences out of it. For smokers, buy cartons instead of packs, or switch to a cheaper brand than your usual.
Consider getting rid of your TV service. Between Netflix, Hulu, Crackle, Redbox and Blockbuster, nearly everything you want to watch is available, without paying for excess channels you don't watch. There's also several great forums for free TV and Movie watching, one of my favorites is Quicksilver Screen.
Let's talk about shopping habits. First of all, STOP BUYING SHIT YOU DON'T NEED. Buying something because it's on sale that you'll never use is just as destructive as splurging on name brand items. Learn to differentiate between want and need, it's the most vital skill you can acquire to save money. Also, for online shoppers, stop paying for shipping. Consider consulting FreeShipping.Org, and avoid paying an extra 5-20 dollars per purchase. If you have to pay shipping, use the standard shipping option and not the expedited versions. You can wait a few days longer for your product, and really, you should be planning far enough in advance with your money to not need to expedite things. Never pay full price for anything, wait for sales or discount offers, or google checkout coupon codes for your favorite shopping websites.
Lastly, if you haven't sat down and made a financial game plan for yourself for at the very least the next 6 months, you're doing it wrong. Plan ahead, and you'll be more equipped to spend smarter and avoid impulse spending.
Hopefully these tips help. If you've followed my suggestions and are still having trouble, it's time to find a new job. Invest in your education and make more money in the long run.
0 comments:
Post a Comment