Guest post from Amy of Deliberately Here
Do you find it nearly impossible to save money?
Your budget might be stretched to the limit or maybe you tend to spend any extra money you have before it gets to your savings account.
Either way, you've come to the right place!
There are countless money-saving tips, tricks, hacks and ideas all around us. With seemingly endless information available on the internet these days, how do you know which ideas to implement into your life? And how do you even know if it will work for you?
Although I can't guarantee every single one of these money-saving ideas is going to work for you, I am pretty certain you will be able to pick at least one or two out of the list to implement into your life.
Here are 4 smart ways to save money even on a tight budget…
1. Stop paying late fees.
Do you find yourself forking extra money over at the end of every month just for late fees?
Everything from credit cards to libraries charge late fees. Late fees are often overlooked because the fee isn't usually outstanding, so it can feel like you're just paying a few dollars. But over time that few dollars adds up to a significant amount, especially if you are paying late fees on a variety of things every month.
How can you stop paying late fees? The first thing you'll want to do is create a bill tracker. This is something that you write down all of your monthly bills and their due dates on.
You can write down who the payee is, the amount due, and the due date. Then add a section where you can check off when you pay it, so with a quick glance, you can see when your bill is due, how much it is, and whether you've paid it or not.
2. Do all that you can do, then keep going.
If you're stuck feeling like you've tried every money-saving trick out there and still nothing is working, keep going.
With perseverance comes growth. If you keep pushing through the hard times, keep searching for deals, keep cutting costs, and keep finding more ways to live frugally, you will start to see growth in your bank account.
It won't be instant, and it might not even be very much, but it will be a start. If you decide to stay committed and stick with it your savings will soon start to grow, slow and steady.
If you find yourself feeling discouraged, like you will never be able to save up money, read these 3 Things to Do When You're Discouraged About Your Finances.
3. Create a budget.
Creating a budget for your family allows you to see exactly how much of your money is being spent on different things.
With just a quick glance you can see how much money goes towards specific bills, how much money should be going into your savings account each month, and how much money you can spend on fun things like movies and treats.
4. Start meal planning.
Meal planning is a great way to save money on groceries and eliminate food waste.
When I first started meal planning, I didn't like it. I tried really hard to get into the groove of things, but as someone who loves to cook and bake, I felt like my meal plan was restraining my creativity in the kitchen.
After a failed week of meal planning, I gave up.
About a month after giving up meal planning, I created a budget for my husband and I, and I quickly realized just how much money we were truly spending on groceries. We were spending more on groceries per month than we were on rent — for just two people!
When I saw the numbers in front of my eyes, I knew something had to change. So I gave meal planning another shot.
This time, I was determined to do whatever I had to do to make it work, while still getting creative in the kitchen.
Now, a year down the road, we're still meal planning and we've even managed to cut our monthly grocery bill in half from sticking to our meal plan and eliminating the food that goes to waste.
I hope that equipping yourself with these simple and effective money-saving ideas will help you and your family save money and give you the encouragement to stick with it through the tough times — you know, the times when all you want to do is splurge and spend money.
Rest assured knowing this: Saving money doesn't have to be complicated or complex; it is practical and just requires that you have the self-control to keep going even when you're discouraged.
Hi, my name is Amy. I blog at Deliberately Here, where I enjoy helping people navigate a frugal and fulfilling life. My husband and I live off of one income, and I have a passion for helping wives and moms who long to stay home find ways to make it possible.
