Has the coronavirus lockdown left your finances in a precarious position? If so, you should seriously consider making a few cutbacks in your life. There’s no telling how long this period of economic uncertainty will last for, which is why you should actively attempt to cut your everyday cost of living.
To find out what you must do to perform this crucial task, be sure to read on.
Write down all of your expenses
You can’t expect to cut your everyday cost of living if you don’t know how much money you’re spending or what you’re spending your money on. The first thing that you must do, then, is take some time to write down all of your monthly expenses. And yes, this means all of your expenses! All those $1 expenses add up in the long run, which is why you need to take your entire spectrum of spending into account in this instance.
Once you have a better grasp of your expenses, you will find it much easier to put cost-cutting plans into place. This is because of the simple fact that you will have a better idea about what you need to spend your money… and what you don’t.
Cut your travel costs
Traveling is a necessity. It is also, however, a very costly experience. All of those gallons of gas that you pump into your car each month don’t come cheap. Your monthly bus pass renewal isn’t free. If you want to be able to get to and from your place of work (or anywhere else, for that matter) every day, you must be prepared to loosen up your purse strings.
Fortunately, there are a number of things that you can do to cut your travel costs. Here are just a few ways you can make savings when it comes to this necessity. Start by sourcing cheaper car maintenance equipment by shopping for discounts online — this Goodshop.com Valvoline coupon could help you save 20-50% off the regular maintenance of your vehicle. Then you should try the following:
- Carpool with your co-workers and share the travel expenses
- Conduct hotel and flight searches on a private browsing mode
- Take full advantage of business trip rewards programs
- Cycle or walk to work
Shop strategically
Unbeknownst to you, you could be spending well over the odds for the goods and services that you purchase whenever you go to the shops. Quite simply, if you’re serious about cutting your everyday cost of living, you need to shop strategically.
To perform this all-important task, you must:
- Never go food shopping on an empty stomach (you’ll be too tempted to fill your trolly with items you really do not need)
- Never enter the grocery store without a shopping list… and NEVER deviate from it
- Always give yourself a waiting/cooling-off period whenever you find yourself on the brink of making a major purchase
Do you constantly find yourself with too much month left at the end of your money? If you don’t want your finances to spiral out of control over the coming months, be sure to heed the advice laid out above.