Save Money With These Proven Tips
Out of all the looming New Year’s resolutions, none are more prominent than saving money. This is due to the incessant nuances that not having enough funds adds to our daily lives. Out of all the aspects of life it affects, nowhere is the purveyance of poor spending more evident than in New Year’s resolutions. Clocking in at 53% of people polled, saving money dominates Americans’ resolutions each year. This managed to beat losing weight and getting in shape, which makes finances the number one thing Americans want to change.
Unfortunately, it takes more than a hopeful promise to revolutionize your finances. Even though over 40% of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, only 8% achieve their goals. Over 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February, which means America has a huge problem staying accountable. While the amount of potential excuses is endless, not following through usually boils down to unrealistic goals or lack of willpower. Not having the proper game plan compounds this problem, since it leaves users at the whim of fate.
Save Money With These Proven Tips
Even though the New Year’s resolution statistics may seem hopeless, there are proven ways to reach your financial goals. By adopting a few drastic changes, revolutionizing your finances becomes attainable. To help our readers save money, we compiled a list of ways to start saving. There’s no reason to repeat last year’s spending mistakes, so get ready for some real change. From apps to budgeting, there are plenty of tools that make all the difference. Saving money is a skill that’s honed through practice, so make it your hobby.
Top Ways to Save Money
Tip #1: Use a 50/30/20 Budget – Without a setting a budget, attaining your financial goals is nearly impossible. For this reason, taking a serious look at where your money is spent every month is essential. While this can be painful for some, this is a crucial first step to gaining financial freedom.
When examining your monthly spending, check to see if it fits within the 50/30/20 rule. This universal budget dictates that 50% of your after-tax income should go towards the basic necessities to survive. This includes housing, utilities, groceries & car payments. The other 30% should go towards items that won’t drastically affect your life if they aren’t paid. The final 20% should go towards paying off debts and saving.
If any part your spending exceeds these proportions, identify what’s draining your finances. Once you know what the problem is, either replace it with a cheaper option or completely eliminate it. While this can be a scary process to undertake, fitting your spending within the 50/30/20 budget is well worth it. There’s no reason to let your finances run wild, so get your spending under control before it’s too late!
Tip #2: Adopt a 30-day Purchase Rule – One of the biggest hurdles to saving money is impulse shopping. Even if you don’t run to the store for a shoe sale, everyone is guilty to a certain degree. Advertisements, labels and product placements in stores are all designed to get customers to purchase things they don’t really need. The odds are stacked against strategic shopping, which is why the 30-day rule is indispensable.
Every time you are tempted to make a purchase that isn’t absolutely necessary, wait 30-days before going through with it. Instead of telling yourself “no”, just switch the mantra to “later”. This allows shoppers to resist temptation while still hoping to eventually indulge. Most of the time, the impulse to purchase is fleeting. After a few hours or days, what seemed like an epic purchase will feel silly and unnecessary. For those who have a problem with impulse shopping, the 30-day rule is the perfect way to break free from this self-induced spell. Quit giving into clever advertising and start only buying when you really need to!
Tip #3: Use Apps – Now that the amount of quality apps is endless, customers have multiple tools to keep themselves accountable. For those who need help monitoring their spending, Mint is a great program for taking the mystery out of finances. If you need to go out shopping, RetailMeNot is the perfect app to find sales and discounts. If you want to invest but don’t know how, use Acorns to put your spare change to work. The list of apps that can save your budget are endless. Your smartphone has the potential to be the perfect sidekick, so use it to take your finances to the next level.