Contributed post
It can be hard to live the frugal life if you’re somebody who feels the urge to spend a lot of money on luxuries. Of course, that doesn’t mean you necessarily have to give up on nice things. Everybody needs the occasional treat. But you need to get your finances in order if you want to have the necessary disposable income to treat yourself to big purchases. After all, you need to have something left for the essential expenditures in your life. Here’s some money-saving advice for big spenders.
Be smarter when shopping
If you’re prone to splurging on items when shopping then you need to find a way to curb this bad habit. For starters, you should try the 30-day rule. If you see a non-essential item in a high-street shop or on an online store then you should leave it for 30 days. If you still want the item then you can buy it, but if you’ve forgotten all about it or lost interest after that much time has passed then you’ll have avoided a wasteful purchase. Obviously, making a budget is a good idea too. If you’re aware of your disposable income then you’ll know your upper spending limit when it comes to luxury expenses. You could even restrict your spending by taking out a set amount of money from a cash machine after every payday. It’ll encourage you to be self-disciplined.
You can save money when shopping for necessities too. You should always look out for discount codes. You have the entirety of the internet at your disposal, so you’re wasting a valuable resource if you don’t do research to see if you can get discounts or cashback on certain purchases from certain sites or stores. When it comes to your weekly food shop, you can also save money by growing your own vegetables in your garden. Rather than spending money on a bag of carrots from your local supermarket, you could have an endless supply in your own backyard. It’s cost-effective to take the self-sustainable route when it comes to food.
Cut down on your household bills
Maintaining a household can be costly. You have to pay for utilities, internet, insurance, and many other things that all add up very quickly. Of course, you can reduce some of these necessary costs if you’re a little wiser about the way in which you use resources around the house. For example, you could cut down water usage by having quicker showers. Set everyone the challenge of halving their showering time and see if you notice a difference in your water bill at the end of the month. You should also avoid leaving the water running whilst you brush your teeth. Think of all the simple ways in which you could save water around the house.
Of course, energy consumption is the biggest thing you can reduce if you want to save money at home. Many households are wasteful when it comes to energy usage. You should turn off plugged-in devices at the switch by the socket when you leave the house, first of all. Even a TV that’s left on standby is using electricity. You can always reduce your energy bill by insulating your house more effectively. With thicker windows, for example, you won’t need to generate so much heat to keep your house warm. In turn, you’ll lower your energy costs. You might even want to check out this Simply Switch Energy comparison tool to see if you could be getting a better deal on your energy prices. Think of creative ideas such as these if you want to cut down your household bills and save huge amounts of money every month.
Save money on car-related costs
Buying your car is one of the biggest purchases you’ll ever make, but the initial price is only one cost of many. You need to account for any other costs when you’re buying a car too. Fuel, tax, and the congestion charge are just a few examples of the many costs that come with buying a car. Of course, there’s a lot you can do to save money regardless of the car you already have. People put a lot of importance on the “fuel economy” of a car, but the most economical way to use fuel is to simply drive carefully. Speeding and accelerating too hard are both examples of behavior that’ll burn through your fuel more quickly. If you want to save money on petrol then take it easy on the road. You might surprise yourself when you see how much money you save every month.