Have you noticed that even though you try to be careful with your money you still find yourself scrambling to pay the bills at the end of the month? It's amazing how money can flow like water from your pocket if you're not careful. Since today's economy virtually requires every man, woman and child to learn how to tighten their belts, it pays to learn how to stop spending money.
That's right. It's not enough just to learn how to save money (or even how to make money). Any fourth grader with a basic book on investments can do that. You need to learn how to plug the leak and stop money from flowing out of your house at the rate it has been if you're going to learn how to make the most of your financial resources. In other words, instead of learning how to save money you first have to stop spending it!
The first thing you need to do is sit down and make a list of things you HAVE to spend money on each month. Things like water, electricity, telephone and car insurance aren't optional. Once you've figured these things out you can start to figure out what you can STOP spending money on!
How much are you spending at the grocery store each week-and what are you buying? Many people don't realize that just shopping at the grocery store instead of going out to eat isn't a guarantee that they'll save money. In light of today's recent trends toward overpriced organics and the number of sweets and sodas on the market you might be surprised to find that you're spending way more money than you have to on food each week.
I'm not saying you have to forget the healthy stuff altogether-I'm just suggesting you look for some alternatives! Whole wheat breads and pastas are available through many generic retailers for a fraction of the price of their brand name competitors, and in many cases they're just as healthy. Steroid free meats can be purchased through retailers like Wal-Mart and Target for considerably less than most natural food stores, and do you really need all those cookies, sodas and frozen foods? Finding ways to save money at the grocery store isn't as hard as you might think!
You might be surprised at how easy it is to blow through $100-200 a month on little things like candy bars, knick knacks and Starbucks. Reasoning that it only costs you three to four dollars a day doesn't change the fact that that three to four dollars a day is going to total up to $120 or more at the end of the month! Try to carry healthy, non-perishable snacks in your purse, car and/or work desk, and pack your lunch as often as possible when you're out and about.
Finally, there's the shopping trips. How much of what you've bought in the last month did you really need versus what you bought because it was on sale? The first key to stop spending money is to stop buying things you don't really need and focus on the things you do. If you can master that you'll be amazed at how fast your savings account will grow.
Find out more about maximizing your financial resources during the recession by visiting www.1uptoyou.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment