5 Hidden Savings You Might Be Missing
Guest Post: Contribution by Allen Michael
For a lot of people, saving up can be a challenge. Especially when your hard earned money is in plain sight, it could be tempting to spend some until it’s gone without knowing it.
Most of the time for some people, budgeting is the easiest step in the process of saving up. Following through is the hard part. It would seem like saving up a percentage of their money would only let them barely survive every month. This thinking can be a hindrance to saving up.
That being said, it doesn’t have to be so hard and such a sacrifice. Here are five tips on hidden savings you might be missing that may be of help.
1. AUTOMATE YOUR FUNDS
This is a good first step to do to help you in managing not only your savings, but also your bills. By automating how much goes into your bills and savings account each month can help you decrease unnecessary spending and make saving up less unappealing.
Automating your finances can help in lessening your worries as well, as it automatically transfers an amount of your choice to your different accounts and bill payments. Out of sight, out of mind.
On that note, automating your finances doesn’t have to be thought of as your money disappearing automatically. This would make saving up seem like a such a sacrifice and make it much harder to do. Think of it as transferring your money to another account for future purposes.
When doing this, it’s best to start small. You can slowly increase the amount you save up as time goes by until you don’t miss it anymore. Without knowing it, you can end up saving half of your salary each month.
2. OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND
When it comes to saving up, it’s best if it’s out of sight or, at least, uneasily accessible. It would not matter if you automate what goes in to your savings account if you can easily withdraw what’s in it.
When opening up a savings account, make sure that you cannot easily access what’s in it. Disable the ATM card and avoid local branches to keep you away from impulse spending.
3. SET ASIDE FUNDS
EMERGENCY FUND IS A MUST
Setting up an emergency fund is a wise choice to make. You can set it aside in a piggy bank where you regularly put in a certain budget for it. However, it may be best to open up an emergency funds account and automatically transfer small amounts every week to make sure that you have something to lean back on when disasters strike. This can translate to car troubles, sudden hospital emergencies, broken home appliance, et cetera.
Make sure that although it’s easily accessible, you won’t be tempted to spend it for other reasons. If you’re using a piggy bank, make sure it’s not see through and can’t be easily opened. If it’s in a bank account, however, make sure you can easily withdraw the funds on your local bank without availing for an ATM card.
INVEST
It’s also a smart move to open up an investment account. Investing doesn’t have to be too complicated. You can set up with something basic and easy, and inquire at your local bank if you’re interested and see what they can offer.
When it comes to investing, it’s usually advised to have at least six months’ worth of your salary in your savings account to have a backup in case of unexpected salary loss.
Another easy but great way to invest is through insurance. There are a lot of options when it comes to this. You can choose if you want one for medical purposes, retirement, educational insurance (for your children, if applicable), and so much more. This may take a long while to take effect but the benefits you’d receive is all worth it.
4. IT’S ALL IN THE DISCOUNT
Discounts and using coupons is very much overlooked although it’s a great strategy to save money. This is very helpful when doing your grocery shopping, especially.
Ask about discounts when you purchase tickets to movies, plays, or events. Look for special promos when eating or ordering out or when buying at groceries. Use coupons on grocery flyers or coupon sites. Discounts and using coupons can get you a long way.
When dealing with discounts and coupons, however, make sure that you’re only using ones that are on your grocery list so as to avoid unnecessary spending. It’s easy to get caught up in buying things you don’t really need when everything is for less.
5. GET A LIFESTYLE CHECK
Saving up doesn’t have to mean cutting back on living the ‘good life.’ It just means you should keep your lifestyle habits and spending in check. Why spend so much on groceries, bills, and other extracurricular habits when there can be a much cheaper or free alternative?
DELETE AND UNSUBSCRIBE
You may not be aware of it but you might have subscriptions that eat up your funds every month. Subscription payments can be easily overlooked with time, and often, it is one of the most unnecessary expenditure.
Take the time to check and review the regular payments going out of your credit card and bank account. Check and see what are the services you no longer need, and cancel them.
This works for your subscriptions of magazine, streaming, cable and gym. Ask yourself if you really need these things, when you can find a free alternative for it online.
The same goes with your mobile apps. It’s best to do away with any subscription or online shopping apps on your phone, as well, to evade the urge to spend more. It can be hard to avoid unnecessary spending online when you get notifications everytime there’s an ongoing promo or sale.
UPDATE YOUR GROCERY ROUTINE
Grocery shopping is where budget can vary but you can save a lot at the same time. It requires a lot of planning and budgeting to make sure you’re not spending on extra items you don’t necessarily need. It’s not something you need to do on a weekly basis, as well.
Trim down your expenses by grocery shopping for only once a month. Plan what you’re gonna eat and the necessities you’ll need for your home, then set a budget. Using your coupons and discounts would help with saving a lot on your home expenses, too.
By planning and going out once a month, it will help you trim down on expenses and avoid impulse buying.
CONCLUSION
Saving doesn’t have to be too difficult. There are just different ways people do to save successfully. These tips on hidden savings may just be the ways you’re missing to save up effectively.
Remember to start small, set aside funds, and get your lifestyle in check. It doesn’t have to be too hard as long as you have a goal in mind.
About the author: Allen Michael is the founder and editor of The Stick Vacuums (https://thestickvacuums.com/), a website focused on helping others keep a clean home as efficiently as possible. Allen stumbled onto stick vacuums while trying to help his family keep their home clean with less work, and has since become an expert on saving money and time in your home.