Or maybe the new year is a great idea to improve your financial condition and take care of the family budget? There are so many ways where we can look for savings or get extra money. Discover my proven ways!
The new year is often, for many people, the time of New Year’s resolutions. I also always write goals for implementation for the coming year at the turn of the year. And every year, as soon as I remember, I set new financial goals. These are both financial goals for running your own business, as well as financial goals related to your home budget. For example, one of my New Year’s resolutions is to try to save a minimum of PLN 500 each month and reduce spending on monthly shopping. Of course, if I save more, I will also enjoy it. And very much!
But let’s think about how to improve the financial situation in 2019?
My ways to save money
1. No credit card! I do not use a credit card. Although when we were taking a mortgage to buy an apartment, the bank pressed a credit card – which was supposed to reduce the costs of debt. However, we never used it. So I think, what is the purpose of getting into debt using a credit card? After all, you can wait a month or two and put down your money to buy what you need. It is probably not possible that there is a more impatient creature in the world and bathed in hot water than I am. So if I can temporarily refuse something, to buy it in a few months – without using a credit card – you can definitely YOU too! I believe that you can do it!
2. Create a home budget. It’s hard to see what you spend foaming from your home budget if you do not follow what you’re spending. It is worth controlling, because a summary of your monthly household earnings and expenses will help you find savings. Did you know that people who track their home budgets write down monthly inflows and outflows have more savings? I follow our home budget from August 2018. The future brother-in-law made me realize how important it is to know the monthly amount of money in our home finances. I was afraid that controlling the home budget is a time-consuming occupation. I thought that I did not have time to deal with such “shit” as remembering to always take a receipt from the store. And then save in a specially prepared file in Excel the sum of each receipt. The program will automatically calculate how much money we made and spent in a given month. Thanks to it, we’ll also find out if anything can be saved. Controlling the home budget also allows you to make savings, teaches you smart and thoughtful shopping.
3. Sell unnecessary clothes and knick knacks . There is a simple way to help your home budget! In the closet, in the attic or in the basement you have so-called przysasie ? Look for knick knacks that you do not wear, old books and anything that will make your home go flat. And exhibitions for the classifieds portal. Sell for part of the market price.
4. Pay bills and liabilities on time ! Do you know that delaying the payment of bills may result in an additional penalty fee? That’s why I regulate the monthly bills in our home budget first. And they include the rent fee, the cable TV fee, invoices for the telephone subscription, and the internet bill. Every two months I also pay a bill for electricity (or as soon as it appears). I try to do it right away, not to forget. The same is with the payment of gas bills. At the end of the year, we receive invoices for the next year. And I always pay immediately, because I do not want to be afraid that I forgot to pay one of the fees. If you do not make payments on time, you can also be included in the list of debtors, and this makes it difficult to get a loan if you ever need to get it. May it not happen, but you know, it can always be the first time. Or like the third one. Yes, so far in my 30-year life I took two loans. But both are already paid off.
5. Look for additional or occasional work . Maybe you have talent, passion or skills that help you earn extra after working hours? Can you sew, do you like DIY, do you do wooden wonders? Tell your friends about it on social media and announce it on classifieds portals and in the local press. There are also many companies that are looking for part-time employees. Perhaps this is a great solution in your case. In our city, for example, often look for part-time cleaners. But maybe you will find something consistent with your interests! Maybe ask in local companies? Perhaps they need additional help in distributing leaflets or office work? Be creative and you will definitely come up with something. As for me, I am a person who is not afraid of any work. I remember that there was a period in my life when I was doing an extra job, distributing leaflets, writing articles commissioned to local newspapers, performing Virtual Assistant services in friends’ companies or working as a pollster or a Mystery Customer. Can you? Yes of course! All you have to do is want it! Move your ass and … act! Work! And act again!
6. Set up a deposit or savings account . If you control your monthly budget, you can save money every month, as well as make every additional and unexpected cash injection into your savings account. Of course, you will not earn millions in this way, but if you keep savings in a sock, then you do not have the opportunity to earn even a zloty. And yet there is not a million without a zloty, and what’s more, if you can save PLN 200 a month by keeping your savings on that account? You will receive an additional PLN 1,200 during the year. Hiding savings in a piggy bank, jar or sock, you also risk being thieved to steal the money you have accumulated. Unless you have a safe:)
7. Use promotions, sales and loyalty cards. This is how you sometimes need to take a moment to look through the advertising newsletters or online promotions. But thanks to this, you can plan dishes, reaching for food products at a good price. Advertising bulletins in supermarkets most often change on Thursday, so I always try to browse them on Wednesday looking for discounts. I write the promotions found in them and on this basis I create a menu for the next week. I also have a wallet filled to the brim with loyalty cards, with which I can save. And so in my portfolio there are: a card for CCC club, my Biedronka card, PayBack card, Vica Club card. I also have an application from Rossmann on the phone. There are also many promotions of the type buy 5 coffees at McDonalds, and 6 pieces you get for free. In one of our local bars is a loyalty program, buy 9 kebabs, and the next you get for free. Saving is never too much!
8. Create a financial cushion , or collect money that will cover your monthly expenses and liabilities if needed for half a year or more.
9. Negotiate bills for lowering monthly costs.
10. Each additional cash inflow, such as: tax refund, birthday gift or bonus at work, pay into a savings account.
11. Cook dinners for a few days. Then you will save time spent cooking, but also bills for gas or energy, depending on the type of stove you have.
12. Do not throw away food that will remain. Learn to use stale bread, but also all leftovers from meals. Do you cook a broth? Do not throw away meat and vegetables, for sure you will prepare a delicious stuffing, pate or cutlets. Instead of throwing old slices of bread into the basket, dry them and grate the breadcrumbs. And remember that throwing food into the bin, your money also lands in it.
13. Create your own savings goals : daughter’s wedding, holidays, renovation at home? You can prepare various envelopes or a jar. And each month, after receiving your wages and paying your monthly obligations, try to put down PLN 100 or more for each of them. And only the remaining funds are allocated to the purchase of food and necessary expenses.
14. Instead of losing money for driving a car or city transport, choose a walk or a bike ride e. In this way you can, for example, commute to work. And more physical activity means less body fat and more health.
15. Buy equipment and good quality products so that you do not exchange them too often. And it happens if you buy bad products.
16. Do not go to the store with an empty stomach , because you spend more money.
17. Check that the price of the product on the supermarket shelf and on the receipt is the same. I have been overpaid several times on purchases in Kaufland several times. But if I did not ask for a refund, I would pay too much.
18. Do not buy under the influence of emotions. If you intend to make a purchase, give yourself time to think about it. Will you still buy this item after 7 days?
19. Create an additional source of income. Use your skills and passions. Are you writing? Write articles on commission! Are you good at math or geography? Offer tutoring. You like animals? Check if your friends and their friends need someone to regularly bring the dog out while they are at work.
20. Simplify your life. Think about it, maybe you have a subscription to a magazine you do not read anyway. Or maybe you bought a fitness pass, but you probably do not have time to go there as often as you want? After all, you can also play sports for free. Roller skating, cycling, jogging, Nordic Walking is definitely cheaper sports. Because you do not have to pay a monthly subscription to indulge in these physical activities. Mostly, you only need good quality shoes and ready. In addition, these sports are done in the open air, or oxygenate the body, and this is beneficial to your health and well-being. Think about how you can ask for your life to spend less money? Perhaps you do not need to eat expensive, considered healthy, food products imported from abroad? After all, the perfect replacement for Manuka ‘s expensive honey is our native honey bee. Instead of expensive, because of marketing, chia seeds, buy our Polish linseed. It costs pennies, and has a lot of properties on the body and is a great cosmetic. Do you need to have designer clothes? Look for clothing for yourself and your loved ones in chain stores or lumpexes. That way you will save a lot of money! And do not buy so many clothes, after all your wardrobe breaks in closets anyway.
Saving does not have to be synonymous with poverty. However, thanks to our cost-effective life and reasonable spending of money, we can live in financial prosperity.
Plan for Saving Over Time
It is known that in a month or six months we will not save a million. Let us set real goals. Let it be at the beginning, even 100-200 zlotys each month. It is also about developing a habit of saving. Scheduling savings is one of the most important steps to long-term financial changes in your life.
Can you become rich thanks to systematic savings?
Yes of course! And this is the only way to wealth or affluence for 80% of people. So for all those who did not win millions in Totolotka or did not take over a huge company after their parents or simply do not make money every month. Do you know that many wealthy people spend their weekends, walking in the woods or cycling, instead of getting into debt for an exclusive vacation? They have learned the enormous power of the systematic saving of money.
Why do I care about saving money in 2019? For me, savings are synonymous with security. If you have your own savings, you are not afraid of sudden needs, making your dreams come true, developing passions or even helping those in need. It is worth having savings! Take care of your own!
The most Important Rule of Managing Money!
Home budget and personal finance can be extremely simple. If you want to make savings and become richer, prepare a plan of action and strive to achieve your financial goals. Remember that you can improve your financial life in 2019 (but also in any moment of your life you choose)! Simply simplify your life, try to look for opportunities, promotions and sales. Saving does not mean that you have to live in poverty. Is it possible to live more modestly, to accumulate savings and in this way to strive for financial security?
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