4 Money Saving Tips To Avoid Busting Your Budget
Are you a budgeter? If yes, then great job. You’ve already made the most important step you could to take control of your finances and stop living paycheck to paycheck. Maybe you’ve even been budgeting for a long time and have long left behind the paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle – if so, again, great job.
But it doesn’t matter if you’re a newbie or a seasoned budgeter, you still might have trouble, at least from time to time, sticking to your budget. It’s normal – temptations promising exceptional things in exchange for our money and time are around every corner these days.
We’re living in a world constantly surrounded by ads on sites like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. And when it isn’t an ad, it’s our friends and family telling us about the latest grand purchase or experience they enjoyed.
All of which makes us want to have the same – and spend money to attain it. All of this just makes sticking to our budget much harder. Luckily, there are some ways to avoid temptations and actually stick to our budget. Here are four money-saving tips to avoid busting your budget.
1. Automate Your Savings
The easiest way to save money? Treat it like you would treat your utilities. The moment you get your paycheck, some of it should go into a high-yield savings account.
While the temptation to withdraw from your savings is always there, it’s been proven that, for most people, drawing cash from a savings account is much harder than it is from a checking account – which makes it somewhat easier to resist the latest budget-busting temptation coming your way.
One of the greatest things about this strategy is that if you want to save more money, you can experiment with the amount going into your savings account. Increase the monthly deposit little-by-little every month. And when we say ‘little’, we mean little. Start by $10 at first, then by $20, and so forth – until you find the point that’s the most comfortable for you. That comfortable point would be before you are forced to pinch pennies in your budget – because that opens up a whole new can of worms.
2. Stock Your Fridge With Things You Like
No list about money-saving is complete without the advice to skip the takeout and instead cook your meals. And it’s perfectly understandable why. Most Americans spend a frankly terrifying amount on takeout and food delivery. It does have its upsides of course; it is a time-saving and tasty alternative to cooking. But you’d probably be surprised by how much you could save if you would just choose to cook your meals at home.
What these advice lists often skip, is that it matters what you buy and cook. The fact of the matter is, if you just buy rice, beans, and lettuce because that’s the cheapest option, you are going to get tempted into ordering take out. Instead, it is better to spend a little more and buy the food that you’ll enjoy eating, then buying the cheapest option and having to force yourself to eat.
Humans are emotional eaters. We need to enjoy what we’re eating just as much as we need to perform the act of eating to deliver nutrients to our body. Otherwise, you’re gonna break one of these days and start busting the budget for takeout again.
3. Don’t Be Too Frugal
Russians have a saying that goes, “a greedy man pays twice”. This means that a person who tries to go for the cheapest option simply because it’s cheapest, without caring about the quality, will end up spending more money in the end.
This includes things like car maintenance, lock maintenance, vent cleaning, etc. in your budget. Because if you notice problems and postpone dealing with them, you’ll only end up paying more when the problem exacerbates into a full-blown emergency.
Even if you don’t have an emergency fund – which you should definitely look into that, sooner rather than later – or have already depleted it, the truth is you’d better get some quick cash now, then end up paying twice as much later.
But just how do you get cash quickly to handle these issues before they get worse? Where do you turn when you have gone through your emergency savings?
4. Look Into Payday Loans In South Carolina
If you need money quickly, then the best payday loans in South Carolina could be a good option for you. Payday loans are loans that you get when you are in between paychecks but need cash to cover an unexpected situation.
They’re quick and easy to acquire since we will accommodate any credit score – good, bad, or even non-existent. You can even apply even if you have a bankruptcy. The process of applying is another added benefit. It is so easy and convenient to apply with us at Carolina Payday Loans.
How Do I Find Payday Loans Near Me?
Our process is so simple that all you have to do is fill out a short form online to begin. Go to our website and submit the online form you’ll find on the top of our homepage. The form is automatically sent to the nearest payday loans location near me, where one of our loan representatives will contact you.
Once you are off the phone, gather up your government-issued valid ID to prove you’re of legal age, a blank check from an active checking account in your name, and your most recent pay stub. Once you have all these items, just head on down to our store to sit down with us.
During the meeting, the representative will examine your documents to see how much cash you qualify for – which can be anything up to $550. They will then determine if you qualify for approval. If you do get approved, you will finish signing some papers and the rep will hand you the money. The whole process usually lasts around 30 minutes.
Let’s face it, no matter who you are, your budget will need some readjusting. With these money-saving tips, fixing your budget has never been easier.
Note: The content provided in this article is only for informational purposes, and you should contact your financial advisor about your specific financial situation.