but just a little creative planning can go a long way for making your financial dreams come true – whether it’s to save for college; a week-long excursion in Bali; a down payment on your dream house, or saving for your emergency fund.
Change your attitude about your money and come up with some inspired action to save. Here are a few ways you can get started on saving money – you never know when you’ll need it!
For some, a “budget” may sound like a harsh and stressful task to create and follow. In reality, creating and sticking to a budget plan can be way less stressful than constantly worrying if you have enough money in the bank, or being surprised by an overdraft fee.
If you write it down, you know how much you have to spend, and can use easy tools to remind you of upcoming payment due dates. When creating a budget plan, be honest about your spending. There are a variety of digital budgeting apps and services that can do the math for you, like Mint.com or Acorns – all you need to do is enter in the amounts you spend, like on rent/mortgage, gas and food each month.
Once you set up a budget plan, include a certain amount that goes toward savings. Stick with this plan, and watch your savings pile grow with ease.
As consumers, we are truly blessed with options when it comes to getting what we want. But first, we have to know what we want, to know what to look for. If you know you want to save money, do a little research to help you find competitive rates and creative tips.
Think about why your bills cost as much as they do – and whether that cost is right for you and your lifestyle. For example, if you are never home during the day, then look up electrical provider plans that give you a discount for using most of your air conditioning during the evening when you’re actually home. Here are a few other ways you can shop for deals:
Get real about how much TV you actually watch and how you watch it. If you are rarely home to watch, do you really need a full cable service package? Why not stream a TV service for a low monthly fee through your internet service instead? That could be the difference in spending $100 a month versus $17/month just for TV shows you may or may not watch.