5 Easy Money saving Tips at home that anyone can do
The virus which we all thought would just be for a week or month has been lurking around the world for more than a year and a half by now. And simply by looking at daily statistics, it for sure wants to stay a bit longer.
How has it affected your finances so far? Everyone for sure have felt an impact one way or another but the question now is, what are you doing to make this effect less on the negative side. With most governments still encouraging people to stay indoors, for sure most of us find the urge to do one thing…..to use our phone.
Checking on Social Media is a great way to check on friends and loved ones and simply to catch up. It’s been the modern way of picking up the phone and dialling to make a call. There’s also one thing Social Media can harm our finances if we don’t be mindful enough of our actions.
Have you noticed how many sponsored posts you see as you scroll along your Social Media account? It doesn’t matter whether you go in Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. All of those commercials you’ve once hated on the Television has now moved to this great new avenue to encourage customers.
What’s more fascinating for me personally is great they are on tracking.
Looking for a computer chair? Simply search one time. It doesn’t matter if it’s in any internet browser or social media account and you’ll be surprised what happens next.
Yes, you’ve guessed it right! All your ads have now been changed to different advertisers selling computer chairs. This may be helpful if you’re really looking to buying one but if not, doesn’t it feel like you’re being pushed to buy one as well?! Worst if you’re one of those who easily get persuaded and give in.
Know that you aren’t alone in this and most of are in the same shoes as you, at home and only a few clicks away from spending. If I can control my spendings, then you can do too!
Here’s how to do it:
Do not save as default your credit card details
Most of us buy have purchased something online. From daily essentials to the things you won’t even imagine people would buy such as a Live Ant and its farm. How weird could that be?!
Purchasing online really can’t be avoided nowadays as this has become one great means of buying stuff. There’s a great side to this such as by doing so, you can help the economy and at the same time help flatten the curve of the virus. The downside however is the convenience it gives that at a simple click of a button, your purchase is done. Goodbye hard earned money.
One way to save yourself from this convenience is by NOT SAVING AS DEFAULT YOUR CREDIT CARD DETAILS. This has save us a lot of not necessary spendings. Give yourself sometime to think about that impulsive purchase. It doesn’t mean you’ve “Add to Cart” means you can “Check Out” that easily. Trust me, that simple 5 steps top up from where you’re sitting just to get your credit card from your wallet can save you unnecessary spendings.
Re-evaluate your Subscriptions
I’ve been a fan of Spotify since forever but never felt the need to give-in to their consistent ad to subscribe. I understand not everyone thinks like me. My sisters are premium members and never mind to spend $9.90 a month on it.
Here’s my side of the story though. What is a minute of patience and listening to their ads to $118.80 a year that I can save and use for other more important things?!
If you’re one of those who seems to be a member of every subscription service you can be of, then this is the time to scrutinise each one of them if they are really worth to keep, otherwise, it’s time to part ways.
Here are some of the Subscriptions you might want to look into:
1.Video Streaming Services such as Disney +, Netflix, HBO Max, etc.
2.Gaming Services such as Playstation Now, Xbox Game Pass, etc.
3.Music Services such as Apple Music, Spotify, etc.
4.Dating Apps such as Match, Tinder, Bumble, etc.
5.Fitness Services
6.Marketing Emails – Unroll.me is the best way to do this!
Reduce electricity
If there’s one thing most employees who work in offices miss during this Pandemic, that for sure is the centralised AC. That’s the only place you wouldn’t mind being in the cold all day as you don’t need to bare the cost of paying the electricity bill.
Working from home is a different story though. I guess aside from the usual distractions you might have working from home, the heat especially if you live in a tropical country like Singapore is one of the challenges why people can’t concentrate much working from home. Not that you can’t afford to buy an AC but if you use it 24 hrs a day, I’m sure it would hurt your pocket in one way or another.
Opening your windows to let the air come in your home can help do the trick. Doing that can also let natural light come in that you won’t feel the need to use lights. Using the ceiling or stand fan is also more cost efficient.
Cook your meals
This may be tricky as the culture here in Singapore has always been to buy meals from hawker centers. You may have a change of heart though if you learn that cooking your own meals can help you save money.
Do not know how to cook? That isn’t a problem nowadays as there’s YouTube. You can find how to cook any dish you can think of. And if you are to contest that you live alone and cooking is much trouble some, then I urge you to try meal planning.
Cooking 3 to 4 dishes that you can alternately eat throughout the week is way more healthier and cost efficient than eating out. Try it for a couple of weeks and you’ll be surprised how life changing it can be!
Track your Spendings
I’m not here to insult your brain in any way. I’m sure your memory works better than mine. But here’s one fact, our brain works like a computer. If you put too many information on it, no matter how big the RAM of computer is, there would come a time that it will slow down as its capacity has already been reached.
That’s why not matter how much advanced computers are nowadays, external hard drives are still a marketable business. There’s even “the cloud” nowadays as another option to save your files. If you still haven’t got the idea until now, then let me tell you straight. You need to unload your burdens.
Machines reach a certain capacity of burdens, and so are you. Making a list shouldn’t hurt your ego. Taking it as a tool to release whatever you have in your mind can help you focus and concentrate more on important things.
If you find this blog post interesting, you might want to learn as well on how to earn Money with the use of your Phone.
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Hi Patty, grateful you’ve found your way to my blog. Welcome to this motherhood community!
As per your question, yes, I/we do track all our spendings and we now do have an excel spreadsheet Both me and my hubby have backgrounds in finance so that’s where we feel more comfortable doing our listings. As for an app, I heard great reviews of Mint but haven’t personally tried it.
Just so you know, I used to do it manually using paper and pen though when we just got married and never had issues with it as well. I’d be happy to have a good chat with you if you would want to hear more on how we do it. https://calendly.com/mommywithagoal/20-minute-discovery-session
Hope to hear more from you! xoxo, Jeannine aka MommyWithAGoal
I have never been good at saving. I have always just tried to make more money. But, I am trying to do some things differently. I think my biggest issue is not tracking my spending. I don’t even know where all my money goes. I do most of the things on your list. I cook all my meals (or at least most all of them). But, the tracking I have never been good at. How do you track your spending? Do you write it all down in a log or do you have an app?
True money saving is really important specially these covid times. We need to control over selves from unnecessary online shopping. These Tips are really helpful and much needed. Thanks so much for sharing.
I have always been slippery when it comes to saving money. Will apply the tips given here to save some and invest them in a good place.
The tips you mentioned in your post are actually worthy. Especially the subscription one, even I chose to be patient with Spotify rather than subscribing.
These are some simple and effective ways to save money on a monthly basis. A penny saved is always worth it.
These are some really effective ways. They are super easy to follow if one is dedicated. Thank you for this post. This is helpful.
Great tips on saving money at home. yes, like you I also do not like keeping unnecessary subscription services. also, I prefer to cook and enjoy homemade meals. it is good for health and cut on extra expenses too,
This is a great post where you have shared amazing tips to save money at home.
I feel it’s easy to follow all these tips shared by you
This is really needful and beneficial article,so helpful. Managing your finance is really a big task. Thankyou for sharing this.
These are some amazing tips to save money conveniently. Saving is necessary for all and to know the exact ways to save is very important.
I am not an expensive girl since childhood and after being a student of finance I am very much alert in making smart expenses.
So I make a budget every week. And I try to stick to that. I have also started noting down the major expenses, so I have a good idea what’s being spent where. Saving money needs some good planning and you have shared some vital tips.
Great content – useful tips for saving long term :))