Anna Maria Richards
Saving money is very important. In cases of emergency or old age, it’s better to have some cash sitting in your bank account. Young people must have 3-6 times their monthly expenses as an emergency fund. However, it’s not the easiest thing to do. With the growing expenses in one’s life in today’s world, saving money will take real hard work, but it is a good thing that there are several options women could do to save money. Here are some of them:
1. Prioritize Your Needs
This is probably one of the essential rules in saving money. A lot of people mess their budget because they can’t resist buying their wants first. If your budget does not allow it, cut down on your unnecessary expenses. For example, if you need to attend a casual party and you have something to wear in your closet, do not buy a new dress; wear the one you do have instead. Learn to prioritize.
2. Keep A Budget Notebook or Use A Money-Saving App
With all the expenses one has every month, it’s straightforward to get confused and lose track of your budget. Therefore, it’s very much suggested that you keep a budget notebook. If you have one, you can write down the ones you need to pay for in that particular month. You can also check which ones you have already paid and which ones you haven’t. Moreover, if the situation demands it, you can also easily see which ones you can adjust to fit your budget that month.
If you’re a more modern type of person, you can use a money-saving app instead of a notebook to keep track of your finances. There are apps such as Seedly, and You Need A Budget that will not only help you keep your finances organized but will also give suggestions on how to save some more.
3. Make Sure to Save A Certain Amount Every Month
Another must-do to save money is to make sure that you keep a certain amount of your salary every month. The said amount could vary as that would depend on how much you earn and how much your monthly expenses are, but the real important thing here is that you continuously and consistently save some. You can set up a different bank account for the sole purpose of savings, and once you’ve deposited you’re money in there, you’d do well to forget it’s there at all.
4. Use Cash
More and more banks are offering credit cards to more people. This is very tempting, as having a credit card will help you a great deal in times of emergency. However, having a credit card can also put you in significant debt as it’s effortless to spend unwisely with it. To avoid this, do remember that credit cards do not offer free money; you’d still pay for whatever you purchase using it. Therefore, use as cash as much as possible. Money is so much easier to track. Only use credit cards for unexpected yet essential products that you can’t buy with cash.
5. Accumulate Points and Rewards
If you do use credit cards, use the ones that will give you as many points and rewards as possible. The locations and rewards you can accumulate from buying certain products can be spent on other things that you need. They can also give you discounts on specific products in particular stores, which will allow you to save more. You can use coupon websites such as Honey, Retailmenot or GoMontana to get the best deals on everything you buy online.
6. Buy in Bulk
This applies to items you regularly need. There will be times when you go to the supermarket, and you see that an item you usually buy is on sale. Try to purchase the said item in bulk. Why? You are going to buy it anyway, so you might as well buy a lot of it while it’s still on sale.
7. Be A Wise Spender
Of course, you are also allowed to indulge yourself with things that make you happy. However, it’s still advisable to spend wisely while you do so. For example, you can go to coffee shops that offer freebies or discounts when you reach a certain number of cups. This way, you spend some, but you also gain some.
CONCLUSION
These tips may sound easy enough, and they can be, but only if you’re dedicated and determined. As long as you follow them diligently, you should be able to save some money for your future.
