Living frugally doesn’t have to mean cutting out all of your favourite things or being bored – it can be fun.
The key to change is to doing it gradually so you hardly even notice it. Make a list of all the areas of your life that you feel you spend too much money on and think of ways to save cash in those areas.
Once you have your list, prioritise it and tackle one section at a time. Don’t move onto the next point until you have successfully incorporated the first into your life and no longer think about it.
Food is one area in which everyone in the west overspends regularly. Eating out in restaurants, ordering takeaways, buying food we don&’t need and cooking more than we can eat all adds up, and the rising food costs mean we cannot afford to carry on like this.
Taking just a few minutes each week to plan out meals can save your family a fortune. Make a shopping list and stick to it when food shopping. When dishing up dinners try not to pile plates high – it is better to let people come back for seconds or even thirds than to have mountains of uneaten food on plates.
If it’s left in the pot it can be saved and reheated. If you do eat out, take advantage of voucher sites and choose restaurants with ‘two for one’ offers.
If you are an impulse buyer, try to find other forms of entertainment than wandering around the shops. Spending time with the family in the local park is just as rewarding and completely free.
When you do need to shop, try browsing charity shops or second-hand stores instead. You can often pick up nearly new items of high quality for a fraction of the price.
If you see something you really want but aren’t sure you can afford, make a mental note of it. When you get home, check out the internet to see if there is a cheaper version out there. If not, wait a couple of weeks before purchasing as you may find you go off the idea.
Eliminate unnecessary expenses from your life. It may sound obvious, but so many of us sign up for things or simply carry on as we are without really thinking.
The biggest expense for many is living in a two-car household. Sit down with your partner and work out if it is really a necessity or if you could manage with one.
While you’re at it, go through your monthly expenditures and see which ones can be pared down or eradicated entirely. Do you really need a Lovefilm subscription and Sky+? Planning ahead can prevent you from panic-buying – if you see something in the sales that a friend would like for their birthday, buy it and save it.
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