With all of the changes going on in the world, it’s going to be difficult for a lot of families to meet their monthly expenses. It was hard enough when work was plentiful and everyone could get a job. But now that unemployment is going up so fast, it is almost impossible to make things work with family finances.
What can families do to stretch their dollar and get more banks for their buck? I have a few ideas.
- Use coupons. I was in a dollar store the other day and I saw a sign that said that they accept manufacturer’s coupons. I started to think about that. A dollar store already has very low prices, but if you could find some coupons for items that they sell there, you could save even more money. It may take some work to find them for those particular chain of store, but it will be worth it if I can find it.
- Track your spending. What happened to that twenty dollar bill that you had in your wallet yesterday and what did you buy this past week? This used to happen to me a lot and I didn’t think much of it. Now that I think back I realize that some days I would buy a croissant on the way to work or maybe a small latte. These little expenses add up over time and before you know it you spend a thousand dollars a year on miscellaneous stuff. If you can get in the habit of tracking your spending, you will know where the money is going.
- Have a side hustle. There are plenty of things that you can do to help make extra money on the side. You can become a virtual assistant online where you charge a fee to design a website or help others promote their online business. Another idea is to list things on websites for sale and ship those items when they are sold.
- Cut expenses. Are you still paying for magazine subscriptions? Do you have cable or satellite television services? These are examples of things you can cancel so you can save money. People often forget about recurring expenses and think nothing of them. Do your best to check your bank or credit card statements to see what is being charged every month.
- Go back to food basics. A hearty soup tastes great with crackers and this kind of meal doesn’t cost much at all. Iced tea is my favorite beverage and it is very easy to make at home. You can cook all kinds of things with a simple potato. You don’t have to spend all kinds of money on food to have wonderful meals.
I hope you can use some of these money tips regarding budgeting and saving on weekly expenses. Now is the time to maximize the ways of saving money and cutting costs.
We will get through this worldwide ordeal one day and things will return to normal. Until then, we have to do everything we can to balance our budgets and save money as best that we can.
