8 easy ways to save money this week

8 easy ways to save money this week

I get it; it’s not easy to save money. We get caught up in routines; we head to work or school, head to the gym, then head home and likely grab some food because it’s so late, and then try to relax a little before we do it all again the next day. Sometimes it certainly feels that we’re spinning our wheels when it comes to saving money or improving our financial situation and we feel hopeless. We’ve all had lofty goals of “saving more money” or “getting out of debt” but when it comes down to it, these lofty, unachievable goals just seem to depress the situation further. Remember the old saying, ‘what’s the best way to eat an elephant? One bite at a time’, well we can apply this saying to personal finance as well. Here are 8 simple things that anybody can do this week that will help improve your financial situation.IMG_0466

  1. Throw open the windows and turn on a fan. Depending on your energy usage, you could be spending anywhere from a $40 to $400 each month. Instead of using your expensive a/c, use the beautiful fall weather to help regulate the temperature in your house.
  2. Meal plan a couple of meals on Sunday. Eating out can consume so much of your monthly budget. I know it’s tempting to stop for Chipotle or take-out Chinese on the way home from work, but that’s $10-$15 that you could be saving. Even if you have to go the unhealthy(ish) frozen meal route, that $5 frozen meal can be cheaper than the take-out pizza. In addition to meal planning, also plan for some time to cook. Pasta is always easy or how about throwing some fish or chicken over rice. Cooking at home doesn’t have to be that involved or time consuming; it just takes a little preparation!
  3. When you do go out, stop ordering alcohol at dinner. What seemingly is an affordable meal out can quickly turn into a regrettable expense when you throw in 2 beers or glasses of wine. Restaurants know that alcohol is a moneymaker and always make sure to ask for drinks as well as telling you drink specials. Instead of enjoying an $8 glass of wine while our to eat, open an $8 bottle at home and enjoy! Ordering drinks with dinner is a sure-fire way to over-spend and it’s so easy, simple and healthy to just get water instead.
  4. Watch the game at home instead of at a sports bar. Buffalo Wild Wings and other sports bars of that nature are awesome to go but you certainly pay for what you get. Those wings, apps, burgers and brews add up fast, and what happens when you go into overtime?!? Gotta stay hydrated! Instead of watching the big game out, consider watching it at your house and inviting a few buddies over, or doing the same at a buddy’s house. You’ll find yourself having as much fun with friends at home but without the $35 tab.
  5. Carpool at least once or twice. I know I say this all the time, but why wouldn’t you carpool if possible? Why take two cars when one will do? Whether this is done while going to work or sharing a ride to the concert this weekend, carpooling can save you some cash at the pump. Even with gas hovering around $2/gallon, that’s $2/gallon I’d rather not spend!
  6. Say no to the impulse buy. Retailers are so good at convincing us to throw away our inhibitions and to say ‘yes’ to purchases we not only don’t need, that we’ll also probably regret before we even get home. Resist the temptation to snag that candybar in line at the grocery store and say ‘no’ when Chic-fil-a asks if you’d like to upsize your combo. Say ‘no’ to the appetizer special at the restaurant and walk away from the specials on post-workout snacks at the gym. Basically the whole vending machine should be off-limits as well. If it wasn’t in your plan, get in the habit of saying ‘no’!
  7. Go for a run. Now I realize that this won’t apply to everybody, as some of us have monthly gym memberships (ugh Crossfit is so expensive) but for those of us that pay per class, how about substituting one class this week and going for a run? Whether it ‘s a run outside in the park (ideal) or running on the old treadmill in your apartment complex (less ideal), going for a run is a great, free way to get some exercise.
  8. Set a maximum for this week and stick to it. Even if you don’t have a budget, you probably know how much you should spend each week. Take your paycheck, double it, pull out rent, utilities, your phone bill, and some for savings and divide by 4. This number will be a good ballpark for what you should spend this coming week. Whether its $100 or $1,000, ingrain that number into your head and keep a running tally throughout the week. A $20 dinner Monday night means that another night this week you should probably stayIMG_9642 in. Oh, you’re heading to the game this weekend and you’re responsible for bringing burgers, so you probably should pack your lunch on Thursday and Friday to leave room for the burger purchase on Saturday. Keeping the big picture in mind will help your spending stay in line.

Getting in good financial shape isn’t easy and isn’t always fun. Setting lofty goals for yourself can derail you early on and leave you bummed out and still in bad financial shape. Instead of trying to move a mountain overnight, why not start with a couple of small, easy to do financial moves that will start helping to improve your finances? Try a couple of them out this week and see how things are looking for you!

Thanks for reading! Hey, how’s your bank savings account paying interest? Get close to 1%, which could be 10x what your getting now with a Capital One savings account. I use it and so should you! 

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