Saving money doesn’t have to be difficult. It also doesn’t have to be a specific amount of money that you stash away in a protected account that you can only access when you’re 120. Saving money can be a creative behaviour that forms part of your daily spending habits.
Truly a penny saved is a penny earned. When you have made wiser choices in how you spend your money, you will have a larger amount left over at the end of the month to apportion to any one of your spending choices.
Here are my end-of-the-month saving tips:
1. TRY YOUR HAND AT HANDYMAN
If something’s broken, give a fair shot at repairing it yourself before replacing it or calling a repairman. Get a handyman’s book or advice from the internet and give it a shot yourself. Google is awesome and can give you heaps of information to fix just about anything. Also, if it ain’t broke – don’t fix it…
2. KEEP A NOTEBOOK IN YOUR POCKET
I’ve wasted countless amounts of time and money simply because I’ve forgotten things in my head. Either you need to shoot out to the shops again, or you miss a special deal. I keep a small notebook with me to jot down ideas and things I need to remember, then I check it regularly throughout the day. There\’s a reason your grandfather did it!
3. INVEST IN A DEEP FREEZER
A deep freezer, after the initial investment, is a great bargain. You can use it to store all sorts of bulk foods, which enables you to pay less per kilo. Even better, you can store lots of meals prepared in advance, enabling you to just go home and pop something homemade (and cheap) in the oven, and cook less.
4. CHECK OUT LOCAL PARKS AND WALKS
Exploring your city could reveal a labyrinth of parks, trails and tracks for cycling, hiking, running or any other fun outdoor activity you might enjoy. You can go have fun for hours – and it’s all there for free. Take some fruit in the car and a large water bottle and you won’t find yourself spending any money of snacks and refreshments. All you have to do is discover it.
