To get on the road to financial freedom, you’ve got to have a budget to help you focus on achieving your financial goals. If you’d like to own your own home someday or pay off all your credit card debt, you need to plan ahead and set aside money to make your dreams a reality. But saving money can seem impossible when you’re already reaching to pay all your bills. Fear not – it can be done! Check out some of these easy tips to help you start saving money.
Spare Change MattersDon’t underestimate the power of the penny! If don’t think you can afford to put any extra money into a savings account, commit to saving your loose change for that purpose. At the end of each day, put all your loose coins in a jar or a cheap piggy bank. As your jar fills up, stop by a Coinstar machine and deposit the cash into your savings account.
Let Online Banking Help YouOnline banking makes it easy to transfer money to your savings account. If have direct deposit for your paycheck, you should be able to set up an automatic transfer so that a portion of your money automatically goes to your savings account. If you never see the money, in your checking account, you won’t be as tempted to spend it. Most experts recommend that you automatically deposit 10% of your take-home pay, but if this is too much for you to start with, try to work up to it.
Learn the Trading GameIf you’re great with kids, why not volunteer to watch a colleague’s children in exchange for a free ride to work? Or offer to trade some of your world-famous pies for some auto repair work from a car-loving friend. Everyone have some skills – use the things you’re good at to trade for the goods and services you’d otherwise pay for.
Cut Your Utility BillsWith the explosive growth of modern technology, it seems that there’s some new gadget for every task. Using all these tools can make your life easier, but it also increases your energy bill. One night a week, wash your dishes by hand, or hang your clothes to dry on a clothesline in your laundry room. Buy a carpet sweeper or a manual lawnmower to replace their energy-guzzling alternatives. You’ll cut your energy bill and develop a new-found respect for your pioneer ancestors.
Live the High Life on a BudgetBuying a $5 coffee everyday or catching dinner and a movie every Friday night with your partner can quickly chip away at your savings. If you can’t give up your Starbucks, consider switching to plain black coffee with a bit of flavored creamer. You’ll save money as well as all those calories in your grande caramel macchiato! Learn to cook a nice dinner to serve by candlelight in your home and follow it up with your favorite old movie on the couch.
If some of these tradeoffs don’t sound like much fun, try to keep your financial goals in mind. Picture yourself moving into your new home or driving down the road in your Ferrari convertible. If you stay focused on your goals, you’ll find it much easier to stick with your budget and save more money. For more easy ways to save money, visit The Sexy Secretary - a great website with lots of tips on living the good life on a budget.
About the Author:
This article was published by Sarah Russell on Smart Young Money – a collection of money management resources for teens and young adults. For great information on using credit, managing debt and more for young people, visit http://www.smartyoungmoney.com.
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