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Saving money can be hard. You might have to adjust your lifestyle a little and turn down things that you wouldn’t do normally. The main thing that you have to remember here, is that it is more than possible for you to save money without even realising.
A financial buffer is key. This can really help to stop you from getting in debt as well, by helping you to prepare for the little things in life that seem to creep up on you. Here’s how to build it up:
Set a Monthly Savings Plan
When you have a monthly savings plan, you don’t have to turn things down on a day to day basis. All you have to do is make sure that you meet the savings target that you set.
Sure, you may have to turn down the occasional night out, but you can still do the little things that you like, such as going to the vending machine or even going to a movie. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you’ve put aside enough to meet your goal for that month.
It helps to have a manageable target here, so don’t plan on putting down more than a couple of hundred every month or else this could end up making the whole thing more difficult.
Setting up an automatic bank transfer into your savings account the day after you get paid is one way to make sure you’re saving money on autopilot.
Utilise Your Technology
Every single day, you’re probably in constant contact with technology such as smartphones and tablets. It is more than possible for you to download a money saving app. This is a great way for you to stick to your budget and find out what you actually spend your money on.
Every time you buy something, all you have to do is log on to the app and document it. At the end of the month, you can then look back on the expenditure that you have. You might be surprised at how much you spend in some areas.
By doing this, you can also find the weak spots where you tend to overspend, so you won’t have any problems in finding out where you need to cut back.
Logging your spending in an app also makes you more aware of how your spend money. You might find yourself naturally spending less if you know you’ll have to record it!
Of course, sometimes spending is inevitable. In that case, look out for all the hundreds of bargain sites online. For example, did you know there are websites where you can get amazing fashion and homeware deals just for 5 pounds?
Slash Your Debt
A lot of people want to start saving because they want to have more money. The problem is that you can’t hope to have more money if you’re buried in debt. A significant proportion of your paycheck might be spent on paying off debt, and if your debt is at a high interest rate, it will keep on building month after month.
One way for you to get around this would be for you to cut down on the amount of debt that you have by applying for a low-interest credit card. If you are not sure if you can do this or whether you even need to then accountancy services may be able to help you with that.
They can help you understand where your money is going and some of them can even advise you on the savings accounts that are available as well. This is ideal if you have no idea where you stand in terms of your money and it is also ideal if you want to get out of the financial situation that you are in at the moment. You can even try and make more money as well, by getting another job or even by taking on some freelance work outside of your standard hours.
Once you’ve cleared your debt and followed the other tips in this article, you’ll find yourself with a little more financial breathing space each month. Now build that buffer to stop it happening again!