Keep Your Wallet Full With Wise Spending Tips
Posted at by ifydcat on category Personal FinanceIn such a tough economy, you may feel that your chances of stepping out of debt and poor finances are one in a million. The article below will help you see that managing your personal finances and getting out of debt can be as simple as spending your money more wisely and getting a tighter grip on your wallet. The advice below will give you some great management tips for your personal finances!
You may have noticed that when purchasing a brand name item, may it be clothing or mouth wash, you are essentially paying for the company name behind it. The basic ingredients are the same in almost all beauty products and cosmetics save for a few additions like Acai berry or jojoba. For every popular product that you can see stocked on the shelves of your local supermarket, consider purchasing the generic store brand. The ingredients in painkillers, mouthwashes and even canned food items are usually the same; they just don’t come with the brand name attached or the fancy packaging.
Eating out is always a fun thing to do, especially with a group of friends. This behavior can get pretty costly in the long run, however. Even if you are not such a great cook, you can still prepare your own food to eat at home or to take to work with you. For example, you can make your own eggs and sausages every morning. For lunch, consider packing a sandwich, a piece of fruit and prep yourself some salad to use as an alternate to sandwiches. Dinner doesn’t have to be complicated either! Buy some frozen foods you can thaw in your oven or microwave. The items you buy in bulk that are frozen are usually the same thing offered by local take out restaurants. Limit your visits to these restaurants to one to two times per week and you will see an increase in the money you have saved.
Buying new items is always tempting, but local thrift stores such as Goodwill and Salvation Army often offer brand new or gently used items that can be considered designer. You obviously won’t get the same thrill as you would when shopping at the mall, but you can get similar or even the same items at a fraction of the cost. Buying used items can save you significant amounts of money that you can easily see on the first month of savings.
Everyone has a main job, but it may not always be enough to make ends meet. Consider getting a side job to pay for your extras. You don’t even have to necessarily leave home to do so! The Internet offers you great ways you can earn money. Sell some of your older stuff on online auction sites or consider joining a survey site to earn some extra income. Many savvy people on the Internet have made almost as much money as they do with their main professions.
Use a journal to keep track of all of your current spending; find something small enough to fit into your purse or wallet. Having a bank account does some of it for you, but it is not detailed enough! Write down everything that you purchase or pay off in a given day. This helps you track your spending habits; this way, if you need to look back on how well or poorly you budgeted in the past months, you can find your problem areas.
Everyone loves money, but if you have less of it, you can feel the stress of wanting to constantly do better. This article can help you do better and reach your personal financial goals with just a few easy steps. Next time you go out shopping, consider everything you have learned today!