Now more than ever before, money is a hot topic. But even if you're not stressing about money right now, you should still be actively implementing budget and money-saving tips into your everyday life to set yourself up for the future. Check out some of my top tips below!
Shop smart at the grocery store.
Going grocery shopping is one of the easiest ways to waste money. I generally try to shop for two weeks, so a lot of planning is done before I go shopping so that I can ensure I don't miss anything. Before going to the store, make a list of all the items that you need. By creating a shopping list in advance, you decrease the chance of purchasing random items at the store. Also, pay attention to the items you're buying by looking for the store brand or the generic brand, and by knowing the prices of items at different retailers.
Analyze your weekly purchases.
Have you ever taken a look at how much money you spend a week or even a day on things that aren't essential? A Starbucks coffee every other morning, drinks after work and grabbing lunch out every day adds up and you could be unknowingly spending $100+ a week! Instead of cutting everything out, be smarter about your daily purchases. Make your favorite coffee at home, look for places that offer happy hour drink specials and treat yourself to lunch out once a week instead of every day. Take it a step further and find out how much you're saving a week and transfer that amount to your savings account!
Calculate how much money you need each month for bills.
Create less stress for yourself by planning out ahead of time how much you need for bills each month. Let's say you have rent, cable, wifi, a car payment, car insurance and health insurance to pay for each month. Find out the exact totals of all of these things, add them together and divide by the amount of times you get paid in a month. This is how much money you should be taking out of each paycheck. My husband and I have a separate bank account that we share that's solely used for bills, so each week we transfer the amount I just discussed above into this account and all of our automatic payments are set to come out of this account.
Actively put money into your savings account.
Don't be the type of person that spends their paycheck within a few days. Once you've taken out the money for your bills, transfer a little into your savings. Even if it's only $10 or $20, at least you're adding something to the account each week or every other week.
Score your favorite brands for less.
Most of us have certain brands we love to wear, but they can sometimes come with a hefty price tag. Instead of going directly to the department store for an item you love, check out your local consignment shops for gently used pieces. While it may be a print from last season, you can still find dozens of designer items at a fraction of the cost. A lot of consignment shops do discounts on certain days, so you could end up grabbing something you've always wanted for a steal!
Get a credit card that offers rewards.
An easy way to rake up extra money is with a credit card that offers perks. I have a Chase Freedom Unlimited card that automatically offers 1.5% cash back on every purchase. Generally, I utilize my credit card as much as possible and pay it off as soon as the items post to the account. This way, I get money back from my purchases and I can transfer it directly to my savings account.
Do you have any money or budgeting tips you swear by? Let me know in the comments below!