12 Easy Hacks To Save Money For Better Life
Save Money does not need to be overwhelming. Here I will be discussing 12 Easy Hacks To Save Money For Better A Life.
Saving Money is an art where you have to control your emotions and desires. You don’t need to think about ‘How To Reduce your expenses’ to save a few dollars or start looking for ways to make money online. I know saving a few extra dollars creates a sense of financial security, freedom and flexibility but you can do that without feeling too stressed.
Always keep in mind that nobody is immune to emergencies and that if you don’t have any savings, you face the risk of losing a significant amount of money to unanticipated bills that can require you to take out emergency cash loans.
12 easy hacks to save money For life better
Set up a Budget
If you still don’t have the budget then you need to first start setting up a budget where you can differentiate between needs and wants. It is crucial to know where and when you are spending your money.
With a monthly budget, you can track where you have invested and where you have lost while shopping or having lunch at your favourite restaurant. This will help you to analyze how much you can save if you can cut down your unnecessary expenses.
While creating a budget, you are signalling your mind to focus on less spending and if you keep on doing that then you are good to go.
Whether, you are following the zero-sum method, the envelope budget or any other money-saving hack to reduce your debt or monthly expenses.
Reduce Electric Bills
Your electricity bills depend on the way you are utilizing them.
You can reduce your electricity bills even if you are working from home. In most cases, we all have the habit of using the air conditioner while working and switching it off feels like a task. Right?
Here, you can use windows as an alternative to AC and use Led Bulbs because they consume less electricity compared to regular bulbs.
If you are following the news, you must have noticed that electricity prices are increasing by 1.57 percent every year. As per the report by Electricity Information Administration (EIA), it is expected that electricity will increase by 4% in 2022.
Here are a few other items that can help you in reducing your electricity bills.
Lower Your Internet Bills
Talking about Internet bills which are increasing every financial year can become a huge pain in your money-saving goals. I know a lot of companies have chosen the option of Work From Home Jobs and you are left with nothing.
I recommend you closely track the plan you have selected. Check how many devices connectivity it offers as the internet plans with 4 connectivity have a lower rate if compared with a plan with 6-8 person.
You can also call customer care during Black Friday or Thanks Giving and ask if they have any exclusive offers going on for old customers. If now, then inquire about the new connection as they come with a 3-4 month bill credit of $300 to $400.
In case you are on a student budget, then a lot of companies offer student discounts with free internet for the first 3 to 4 months. Check that too.
Also Read: 7+ Ultimate Ways To Get Free Internet Access
Reduce Your Entertainment Cost
In a professional setting, entertainment is crucial because working continuously for long periods of time can be exhausting. But, it isn’t always about going to parties or watching movies for enjoying.
You can participate in extracurricular activities including football, hiking, graphic design, photography, and more. By doing so, you’ll be able to save money while also taking care of your physical and emotional health.
I advise you to join an office club where you can attend events or parties planned by your superiors or higher authorities. You’ll be able to establish healthy relationships with both your seniors and juniors.
Also Read: 8 Hacks Every Netflix Pro Binger Needs To Know!
Cut Down Your Grocery Bills
Grocery Bills are one of the big bills in any household if you are a family of four with 2 kids then you will be spending close to $900 or more. That’s True!!
I am not telling you to stop eating but you can avoid buying unnecessary items while walking down the aisle. Having a pack of Oreos, chips and some drinks in your refrigerator looks great. I love that too!!
But if you start looking at your bills, you will see that you are spending 10 to 15 percent of your total amount on junk food, which is unhealthy and unnecessary. I call these items – Budget Busters.
If you are planning to go to the grocery store, first check your pantry and make a list of items that you need before proceeding to the store. The list will help you not to buy items that are unnecessary.
A pro tip if you want to cut more – leave your kids at home. You won’t regret this decision.
Look For Discounts
If you shop a lot then consider learning this phrase.
“Are there any discounts available??”
I know it is hard to ask these questions as people don’t want to get judged.
But trust me, you’ll return to FinanceBrat to appreciate this approach. I love to shop, but by asking this question, I was able to save a significant amount of money, and there is nothing wrong with that.
If you are a student, you can enjoy discounts when opting for online or offline shopping on shoes and clothing. For students, brands like Apple, Adidas, Levi and Amazon Prime Student offer 15 to 50% discounts on every purchase.
In the end, you are not going to lose anything just by asking.
Cook Meal At Home
Sitting at a restaurant with your favourite meal and an amazing view. What a feeling! Isn’t it? Now let’s talk about the bill too which makes you feel uncomfortable.
An average American spent $150 to $600 every month which can sum up to $1,200 or more annually just on eating outside. Here, Meal Preparation can save you tons.
Cooking meals at home are fun as you will be learning how and what to cook as per your taste on a very low budget. It will not only save you more money but shift to a healthy eating process will help you feel more energetic.
You can try cooking quick recipes by throwing in a few veggies and some seasoning. There are plenty of recipes available which will cost you $1.5 to $3 per meal for one person.
Reduce Your Rent
Renting an apartment is an important decision as you need to be close to your office for easy transit. However, renting a complete house or apartment will significantly increase your costs.
You are aware that the cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment can range from $1,200 to $2,500, depending on the area. In addition to that, you will need to purchase a bed, bathroom necessities, furnishings, kitchen supplies, tenant insurance, and utility bills. Oops!!!
After adding up all of these costs, your monthly payment will range from $1,350 to $2,700, depending on your usage patterns.
Since you will be entirely dependent on your monthly salary, I strongly advise you to move into a shared residence for the first year. But while continuing to share, look for ways to make money passively or look for work from home job to generate a few dollars to cover the small expenses.
Track Your Spending
Monitoring your daily or monthly expenditure will help you see where you are losing a significant portion of your income and what you can do to stop it.
You can start keeping track of your spending by paying attention to your bank statement or grouping your expenses into categories like “foods,” “automobiles,” and so forth. This will allow you in differentiating and removing unwanted spending from your monthly budget.
Since it’s likely that you are paying for items or subscriptions that you do not require. I experience that with Netflix because I frequently sign up for a membership and forget to turn off the autopay.
Reduce Mortgage Interest
Being in debt can be very challenging as you have to pay monthly EMIs and interest. And if you think cutting expenses here and there will reduce your debt then keep dreaming.
If you are serious about lowering your mortgage interest rates, create a monthly budget and assess your financial management skills. There are numerous ways to pay your debt.
Savings can be used to pay off debt, which will lower interest and EMI payments each month. Alternatively, consider speaking with a financial counsellor who can provide advice on how to pay off your mortgage more quickly.
Negotiating for lower interest rates will save you a lot of money. Find professionals who deal with mortgage rates and work on building your credit score. A strong credit score will be your guardian angel.
Also Read: How To Payoff Mortgage Before The 40s?
Set Up Retirement Fund
You might assume that you have plenty of time to think about and plan your retirement because you are in your 23s, but have you ever stopped to think that in a year you will be 24?
I am not saying to stop enjoying your life and start saving immediately but putting in a few bucks is not a bad idea. Right?
If you are working, go for an employer-based 401(K) retirement account or Roth IRA if you don’t. You can use a Robo advisor who will set up and manage your retirement account.
Benefits of Robo Advisors
The Best Robo advisors have cost-effective charges and minimal account opening criteria. If required, they will let a financial professional aid you in clearing up your concerns.
Make An Emergency Fund
While building your life, sometimes it gets very hard to save money which can help you during a bad situation. I personally feel very uncomfortable while asking for some in case of emergency.
Therefore, I recommend you start a saving account aka an emergency fund which will help with sudden financial emergencies. It is better than taking loans from banks with high-interest rates.
Making an Emergency Fund can be a sign of relief in different situations.
Finally, never invest your emergency fund saving into anything that involves high risk, like equities investing, peer-to-peer lending, or cryptocurrencies, is a bad space for your emergency funds.
Also Read: Emergency Fund – Why You Need One?
Conclusion
I believe this 12 Easy Hack can help you save money which can be used to build a better life. Well, this saving will not make you a millionaire but it can bring a huge impact if you do that for a year or more.
As I told you, saving is an art and how you leverage it depends on the mindset you have with money. You may earn $10,000 per month but by month’s end if you nothing then you will find yourself in difficult situation after few years.
So, It is always recommended to start as soon as possible.