We know it’s the little foxes that destroy the vineyard – overspending here and there, not automating payments and lifestyle inflation that tends to overpower us.
Many people will cut every single thing that gives happiness from their budget. This is not a sustainable strategy and doesn’t make sense. For this reason, I wrote this post to dig into what you can do to keep your budget in check.
Mini money hacks
Have a debit order/automatic monthly payments
Automating all savings, investing and other expenses means that the money is out of sight and out of mind. This empowers you to focus on the money you do have, as the most important things have been paid for.
Have a weekly meal plan
By planning your weekly meals, you will free up your mind to focus on more important things. You will know what you need to buy and what you have at your disposal.
Buy things in bulk
Be a shopper, not a buyer. This means if something is cheap, buy it in bulk. If something is not cheap, then don’t buy it.
Know your prices
Know what things cost. Don’t just buy things because they seem cheap. Have a browse every now and again in your favourite supermarket and don’t buy anything.
Swap the cappuccino for coffee
Don’t get rid of the things that add value to your life – but if it doesn’t add value, then swap them out or cut relentlessly on that spending. If you don’t really care about the quality of coffee, then go have a coffee at a cheap place!
Budget for excursions and keep to them
As part of your budget, you need to cater for splurging here and there. If you know you overspend, take the money in cash for the evening and spend that money.
Get another insurance quote
As with the name of my blog, frugality is very important. You want to make sure you spend your money wisely. You can always review your medical insurance, car insurance and as I recently read, even pet insurance. Think about it – if a simple call can save you R 200, then you can save R 2 400 per year. That can make a big impact on your budget!
Check out your bank statement regularly
Yeah, we don’t do that often enough. As mentioned in previous posts, it can make a big difference to have an app like 22seven where you can see where your money is going – maybe you have a zero balance and your debit orders are bouncing! Being in the know can stop you from paying unnecessary charges and help you discover fraud early on.
Fix it, don’t replace it
My wife’s phone’s screen broke. It didn’t just break, it shattered. But it’s still working, Why not get the screen replaced? Your jeans have a tear in them – do you really need new jeans? Why not get your mom or someone to mend it for you?
Call the bank for an interest rate decrease
Yeah, I did this – and FNB actually negotiated the rate down for me. Come on, give them a call!
Use rewards programmes
Are you using apps and loyalty programmes to your advantage? Am I using all of the rewards programmes? Nope, but I am using a few of them. And to save paper and space in my wallet, you can use the company Apps – Woolies, Starbucks, Burger King, Makro, and Pick n Pay all have mobile apps.
For more info on these check out my blog post here!
Conclusion
There are many awesome opportunities to save a little bit of money – but have a huge impact. As mentioned above, something like a home loan 0.25% interest reduction can make a huge difference in the long run!
Happy investing!
