The New Year is a time of magic, wish fulfillment, pleasant gifts, as well as festive expenses. In order to celebrate the holiday in a calm and cheerful atmosphere and, what is important, without debts, it is necessary to think over your budget before it starts.
Revisiting certain expense items will help you cut back on spending and save money for the holiday table and other joys.
In order to save money, you have to give up something. What can you save money on to keep your finances under control? Here are some examples of expenses, some of which you may want to reconsider.
Products
Most people spend more than 60 percent of their total income on groceries. You can try cutting back on this expense item to save a little money. What can you do? Change your approach to cooking. Revisit the list of groceries you buy each month. There are probably some things to change there:
- avoid overseas fruits in favor of local fruits and vegetables. In addition, it is worth buying seasonal vegetables or grown in a greenhouse, rather than frozen in packages. After all, their price is unnecessarily high. At the same time, the benefits to the body from their consumption is much less;
- to meat, which can be eaten at one time, you can safely add porridge, potatoes or more vegetables, thereby dividing it into several portions;
- say no to store convenience foods, they can be made at home and frozen, so much more profitable and healthier;
- replace expensive steaks with chicken, this will benefit not only the wallet, but also the body;
- dinners cooked at home. If you think about how much a person spends monthly to buy lunches in cafes at work, you will get a very tangible amount. It will be much more economical to take food from home;
- making shopping lists. Before you go shopping, you need to make a list of what you need for the month, then divide it into four parts and make a weekly purchase. The whole point is that by going shopping more often, there is a chance of spending more than what was planned;
- going to the market for fruits and vegetables. People are so used to supermarkets that the market is bypassed. And in vain, because there may be more profitable to buy some fruits and vegetables;
- be careful with promotions. Do not buy any product, even if it is a good discount. You should first think twice about whether it will be eaten. Otherwise, the food, even if it is cheap, will be lost without being eaten.
Home and Life
Housing costs are the second expense item that eats up the lion's share of the budget. Here, too, there are options for saving money. For example, the following:
- disconnect unnecessary services. This can be a different Internet tariff, cable TV, which no one needs anymore, etc;
- replace incandescent light bulbs for energy-saving;
- load a full washing machine. It is necessary to pay attention to what the maximum volume of the drum load and try to use it completely. The whole point is that the washing machine dials the same amount of water and takes as much detergent as for a full load. It does not know that there is one T-shirt in the drum;
- detergents. It is more profitable to buy them in large packages.
Entertainment and leisure activities
Entertainment can be just as interesting, but more economical:
- cinemas and restaurants. Instead of visiting public places, you can organize a cozy evening at home with friends or take advantage of movie theater promotions on weekdays;
- taxis. If possible, you can replace cab rides with public transportation or walking;
- subscriptions. You can check what subscriptions you are paying for (streaming, apps, courses). You may be able to cancel some of them temporarily.
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Revisiting your usual spending habits will help you save money while keeping the joy and comfort of the holiday.
Saving isn't about hard limits, it's about being conscious about finances.
Start saving today to make your New Year truly magical and carefree! May this
New Year bring not only happiness, but also financial stability!