Often, the thought of saving money (or reducing your expenses) can seem daunting, especially if you have a big money goal in mind. To help get yourself into the mind set of saving, start by looking to see where you can save in your day to day expenses. You’ll be surprised at how much you can save each day or week, and without much effort too!
Here are our top 4 simple ways to save money every day.
- Plan your meals ahead
Deciding what you want to eat a week in advance isn’t always easy, but it definitely makes life easier. Plus, it saves you ordering take outs at the last minute (which are expensive), and shopping for dinner on the fly (also expensive and you end up buying a whole lot more than just what you need for the night.) And with that in mind…
- Shop for groceries weekly, not daily
If you’ve got your meals planned for the week, and your grocery list written down, you know exactly what you need when you go into the shop. Which means you’re less distracted by everything on offer and hopefully less tempted to buy things you don’t really need.
- Buy generic branded products
Just like generic medicine, generic (no-name) household products and groceries are exactly the same as the more well-known brands. And unless you really do have a preference for a particular branded product, you can literally save hundreds each month simply by opting for its generic counterpart. This is especially true for household cleaning products, toiletries and even school stationary.
- Take lunch to work every day
Buying lunch and snacks every day adds up very quickly, often without you even realising it. For example, if you’re spending R 30 – R 50 per day on lunch alone, that’s R 630 – R 1050 per month! So, take an extra 10 minutes in the morning to pack yourself lunch (left over dinner, salad, a sandwich, fruit), and your wallet will soon start to feel the saving.
There you have it. 4 easy to implement ways to start saving money right away. But don’t just leave it at that. Have a think about where else you can cut costs in your day to day expenses. Good luck!
