15 simple tips to save a lot of money
On payday, it seems to you that the world has become a better place, cafes and restaurants lure you with their menus and smells, and shopping centers are becoming almost home. But just a week later (plus or minus a couple of days), you suddenly notice that there is almost nothing left of your salary and you barely have enough money to survive until your next payday, not to mention the fact that this month you have not managed to put aside a penny, although you sacredly promised yourself to be economical. If you are familiar with the above situation, then our material is just for you. We decided to share with our readers very simple tips on how to save a lot of money.
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1. Limit the purchase of unhealthy food (such as hamburgers, hot dogs). Sure, buying one or two hamburgers a month won't put much of a burden on your household budget, but if you eat them every day, you should know that you are wasting your hard-earned money clogging your arteries with cholesterol plaques. Eat homemade and healthy foods to not only save money but also keep you healthy. Being healthy means saving on medications, since illness always comes with additional costs. (Photo: Matthew Mead / AP Photo).
2. Save on groceries and other goods by buying them at a discount during supermarket promotions. You will be surprised how much you can save by purchasing products at a discount, coupons, and special offers. There are now many sites on the Internet where you can find out about promotions in stores in your city. (Photo: Mike Spencer / AP Photo).
3. Avoid visiting shopping centers unnecessarily. Their interiors are designed so that visitors spend as much money as possible there. Good lighting, bright windows, pleasant music - all this makes us buy a lot of things that we don't need at all. If you don't need to buy something there, just don't go there. (Photo: Chameleons Eye / REX).
4. Buy clothes from online stores. As a rule, clothes in online stores are cheaper than in regular stationary ones. Buying clothes online will also save you money with coupons and discounts. (Photo: SeongJoon Cho / Bloomberg).
5. Give your friends and family handmade gifts. You can make them yourself or buy them from online stores that sell very beautiful, often unique, and very inexpensive items. (Photo: Future Publishing / REX).
6. Do not eat often in cafes or restaurants and do not order food at home. Working outside the home and a busy schedule very often force us to eat in a cafe, and after work - order food at home. If you add up all the amounts that you leave every day at catering points, the total for a month can amaze you with its size. Try to plan your day so that you can make time to prepare meals at home. (Photo: Giorgio Cosulich / Getty Images).
7. Buy clothes in classic styles and neutral colors. If often, looking at your wardrobe, you cannot find a blouse (shirt) and a pair of shoes that match your trousers, our advice is just for you. Classic clothes in neutral colors will also save you from your everyday dilemma: what to wear? It is enough to choose fashionable accessories and jewelry for such clothes and you will not need to buy new things every month. (Photo: foto76 / Getty Images).
8. Shop for clothes in thrift stores. This advice may not be to everyone's taste, but these stores can actually pleasantly surprise even the most demanding shoppers with good-quality items. Cheap doesn't mean bad. (Photo: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images).
9. Buy only high-quality equipment from well-known brands. By buying cheap electronics and appliances, you save money only in the beginning. As a rule, such equipment consumes a large amount of electricity and breaks down quickly. (Photo: iStock / Getty Images).
10. Buy food in small wholesale. This will allow you to save a lot and have a large supply of food at home (which is another good way to save money in the context of inflation, that is, constantly rising prices). Supermarkets sell goods in small wholesale at lower prices and offer discount cards to such customers. (Photo: Richard Jones / REX).
11. Carpooling or sharing trips is a great way to save money when commuting or traveling. Moreover, sharing a car will reduce the harmful effects of exhaust gases on the environment. (Photo: Universal Images Group / REX).
12. Replace incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs. LED bulbs use less energy and last much longer than conventional bulbs. You will not only save money but also make your personal contribution to environmental protection. Double Win! (Photo: Mark Lennihan / AP Photo).
13. Going to the store, make a list of necessary purchases. This is the golden rule that anyone looking to save money should follow. By buying according to the list, you do not have to throw away foods that you bought too much and that you will not have time to eat before they go bad. And one more tip: never go to the store on an empty stomach. Scientists argue that a hungry person tends to buy and spend much more money than a well-fed person. (Photo: Cliff Owen / AP Photo).
14. Try making one day a month a no-shopping day. Do you remember the last time you didn't spend a dime in a whole day? No, then try not to spend a penny on the day you have chosen and you will see for yourself that it is not so difficult. (Photo: WestEnd61 / REX).
15. If despite all our advice, you still do not have enough money to pay, then the thought of a loan becomes very tempting. However, in order not to fall into the credit "trap", it is worth following the following rules. (Photo: iStock / Getty Images).
First, calculate how much money you actually need to borrow. Resist the temptation to take more than you planned. Secondly, in order not to wake up at night from nightmares later, you must take out a loan for such an amount, the monthly payment for which will not exceed one-third of your family's income (in case of loss of work, illness, etc.). Thirdly, remember that the fewer documents a bank or credit institution requires from you to issue a loan, the higher the interest rate on it will be (i.e. the loan will be more expensive). Fourthly, if you decide to issue a credit card, then compare the offers of different banks, you can do this here since some of them offer their customer's such favorable conditions as a refund of part of the money spent or interest-free use of funds for up to 50 days. which will allow you to save a lot. Fifth, pay your loan payments on time, otherwise, the bank will start charging high-interest rates for delays and then you will have to take another loan to pay off the previous one - this is how people fall into the credit trap.
Keywords: Money | Simple tips | Lifehacks | Cafes and restaurants | Shopping centers | Payday | Save money | Economy