Creating a budget is an easy task but following it to a tee is no easy feat. You will have to make many sacrifices, change the way you spend and earn and likely give up on things that you really want. Staying true to your budget is like following a diet plan. It demands strict adherence and some sacrifices too.
Here are a few ways in which you can ensure that you always stick to your budget.
Don’t use your credit card
If you use your credit card for all your purchases, you will definitely end up paying more than you want. The convenience of a credit card is one of the reasons why you will find it hard to stop yourself from spending. This is the reason why you should shift to cash. You will be very mindful of your expenses when you see cash moving away from you. It is a psychological hack that will help you spend less.
Delay gratification
If you have a spending problem, this step is for you. Most people buy things immediately, only to regret their purchases. Whether you are buying in-store or online, the feeling of instant gratification could make you bankrupt soon. Apart from vegetables and fruits or other bare essentials, delay buying everything else. If you want to buy crackers right now, try to stop yourself and tell yourself that you will buy it tomorrow. This scheme works when you have limited cash. There will be no way you will be able to buy something non-essential if you don’t have the money.
Cook at home
If you want to save tons of money, avoid eating out. The more you eat at home, the more money you will save. Not only this, learn to brown bag lunch as well, instead of going to a nearby fast food restaurant. Doing this will help you in saving more than 30% of your expenses. In fact, if you eat out almost every day, right from the breakfast to dinner, then this step could reduce all your expenses in a flash. Just try it. You will love cooking and eating fresh food every day.
Give up on that latte!
Many budgeting experts suggest that you should give up the morning coffee at the local coffee shop, especially if you are buying it from a fancy chain restaurant. As an alternative, you could buy some cost-effective coffee and also an affordable machine (like the Miele CM5310) to make your favorite kind of coffee right at home. This could actually lead to a lot more savings in the long run. The cost of the coffee adds up over time and you will be surprised at the money you are spending each month, just to get a caffeine kick each morning. A good way to substitute the caffeine boost is drinking homemade tea instead of coffee. You don’t need any special equipment for this and tea is usually ready in less than three minutes. You could look at convincing your boss to have an office coffee machine service delivered to your place of work instead, so you still get your caffeine fix but without the high cost from you.
Still not able to save enough? Don’t worry, paydaypixie.co.uk is here for you. If you have tried everything else and are still short of money, just get an advance. You can pay the loan back on your next payday. Once you pay the loan, give your budgeting a fresh start. You will be glad you did.