|
| | Everyone knows the internal struggle with the "gimmie monster." By sticking to our chosen saving strategies, most of us can win most of our bouts with him. But sometimes, the monster wins too often. | Finance & Insurance For some of us, spending is an addiction, and the gimmie monster devours all of our savings.
If you are losing the battle with your urges to spend, despite knowing you can't afford the things you are buying, you may need to try some radical means to avoid temptation. Ten Tips to Saving Money - Complain - Don't waste your hard-earned money by not complaining if you have purchased something which is unsatisfactory.
- Pause for thought - The four-day wait works. If you are about to buy something which isn't a necessity, and you have a little quiet voice somewhere whispering to you, listen to it, and wait four days before you make the purchase.
- Follow your finances- If you don't already know how to do it, learn how to balance your bank statement - It does NOT tell you how much money you have.
- Watch the pennies - Keep a record of every single penny you spend for at least one month - you'll learn a lot.
- Get every last drop - Get every last drop out of citrus fruit. Roll a lemon, or other citrus fruits, with your hands, back and forth on the worktop surface before squeezing it and you will get more juice.
- Watch the interest - There is no such thing as 0% interest. When you see that advertised, it simply means that the cost of the interest is in the purchase price. If you are in a position to pay cash, then ask for this money back.
- Stop running - A process that can prolong the life of your tights is to wash them before you wear them. Use soap. Soak the tights in lukewarm water. Rub the soap on to your hands, not directly on to the tights. Wash the lather with a squishing, not rubbing, motion. Rinse thoroughly, blot with a towel and let them dry naturally.
- Tin tactics - Small tins of paint may be a better deal than large ones. You will waste less paint on the small tin than you will by letting the big tin dry out or get dirty. Also, if you drop the wretched tin, it is not quite such a disaster.
- Hit the keys - Use a computer spreadsheet to help with budgeting. Keep your bank balance on it.
- Never mind the cornflakes - just look at the packaging - If you have bought packaged cereals, make sure you get your money's worth by using the packaging, which is MUCH more valuable. In scientific tests, rats that were fed the cereals were poorly nourished; those that were fed the packaging fared better. Surely you can learn from a rat?
- Cereal boxes can be used as file-holders. The bags inside cereal boxes are excellent for storing breads and for using in the freezer. Wash them and use them again.
|
| |
|
|
|
Finance & Insurance
Credit Report Centre
