Managing Your Personal Finances The Easy Way
Money is at the center of our way of life in the civilized world, and understanding how to manage it is necessary for even modest success. Often, people neglect saving because they feel they simply can't save due to daily expenses that are too high. In most cases, it is possible to save a little bit even with the high cost of living. Here are a few suggestions to help you set a little something aside each month.
Keep a piggy bank! You can get a big plastic piggy bank at most dollar-type stores for a dollar or so. Get the kind you have to cut a hole in to open. When you get change back when paying with cash, put it in your pocket or coin purse. When you get home, put your change in your piggy bank. If you have a windfall, such as a gift of money, put a set percentage in your piggy bank. Depending on the types of coins and the sizes of other contributions you deposit, you should have a tidy sum when your piggy bank is full. Use this money to open an interest bearing account such as a certificate of deposit.
Make your own beverages at home. Start with water. Don't buy bottled water. It is not regulated and more often than not, it just comes from a tap somewhere. Support your regulated local utility and save a fortune by simply filtering your tap water with an affordable carbon activated filtration pitcher. Carry a reusable stainless steel water container with you at all times to avoid spending money on beverages while you are out.
Make your own tea and coffee at home and carry them in reusable containers, if you wish to bring tea or coffee along. Filtered water and homemade tea and coffee cost pennies per serving. Compare that to several dollars for commercially prepared water, coffee and tea, and you can easily see that you will save a great deal of money by expending a small amount of effort.
In fact, any prepared food you purchase will be more expensive and probably less nutritious than anything you prepare on your own. If you take your lunch instead of buying it every day, you will save a small fortune. Bringing snacks along instead of purchasing them at convenience stores and from vending machines will also help you save.
Learn how to cook well instead of ordering take-out or purchasing frozen prepared dishes. Vary your diet and make it healthier and more affordable by learning about and using protein sources other than meat. Substitute eggs, cheese, beans, legumes, tofu and many other less expensive sources of protein for meat, and you will probably save money at the doctor's office as well as the grocery store.
Save the planet and your money by choosing alternate means of transportation. Even a smaller gas consuming vehicle, such as a scooter or small motorcycle, can save you money on gas. Using public transportation is also an excellent alternative to driving your own gas powered vehicle. To add a component of good health and save even more money at the doctor's office, walk or ride a bicycle.
Engaging in small, incremental savings, learning to prepare and enjoy your own foods and beverages and use your own power to get from one place to another will help you save an amazing amount of money. The fringe benefits of health and well-being are just icing on the cake. Follow the tips presented here to live a happy, thrifty life of abundance.
