Trying to save money on a tight budget can be a real challenge. Saving money, in general, is hard but throw in a small budget with limited room to move around can really throw you through a loop.
While there are a lot of great savings tips out there, these are my three favorites that don’t cost a lot of time nor do are they lifestyle changing. Doing them is easy, and once you get the hang of it, chances are you’ll find more ways to save!
Stop Throwing Away Your Groceries
The average American household wastes about $2,200 a year. That is A LOT of money. Now, maybe you aren’t the average household, and there’s no way that you waste that much money, but I can pretty much guarantee you that you waste way more money than you think.
I find that as a single person, wasting money on food is really easy to do. Food is typically priced at a better deal when you buy a larger amount, so I end up buying a regular size of ricotta cheese that goes bad before I end up using the whole thing because who needs that much ricotta cheese?
If you’re trying to save money on a tight budget, it’s important to look at your food consumption and waste habits. Further, try to shop more often and buy smaller amounts, and try planning out your weekly meal plan ahead of time and stick to it. I’ve managed to help curb some of my bad habits and save some money by doing this.
Get Rid of Unnecessary Costs
Maybe you don’t need that monthly subscription to the third streaming service or the iTunes music monthly subscription when you spend most of your day listening to podcasts instead. If you’re looking to save money on a tight budget, take a look at those monthly or yearly recurring costs and see which of those you aren’t using.
A while ago I realized I was paying $10 a month for a magazine subscription service that I hadn’t opened in the last six months. Clearly, I didn’t need it.
Chances are there are one or two costs that you occur regularly that you probably don’t need. Cutting them probably won’t make you a millionaire or anything, but it will free up a bit more cash for you to save!
Shop Around
If you’re trying to save money on a tight budget, don’t buy the first thing you see on the shelf. Take a peek around and compare prices. Check out the prices at different stores, scope out the sales and check online. A lot of times the things I’m looking for, whether big or small, can be found cheaper elsewhere.
This is especially in the case of bigger items and definitely electronics! With the exception of Apple products, you can almost always find electronics cheaper by looking around. Use price matches to your advantage and make sure you’re getting a good deal.
I buy nothing without poking around on the internet and checking out a few stores. I’ve saved tons of money over the years by giving up a bit of time to see if I could find something cheaper.
Are you trying to save on a tight budget? What are your savings tips?
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Tae started out as a journalist before following the money into the corporate world. But it turns out that the grass isn’t always greener and now you can find her spending most of her time writing about all the things she loves. Namely, money, travel and business with a hefty dose of self-deprecating humor. She is a podcast fanatic, blogging aficionado and loves to find new ways to turn passions into cold hard cash!
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