There are a lot of tips and tricks out there on the internet when it comes to budgeting and saving money. I'm going to share some of my best ones that I have picked up over the years. I'm pretty sure I've done blog posts on this topic before but it's always good to update and recap. Here is some cheap ideas you can do if you are a little bit broke or more and still feel the need to treat yo self. 1) Home made beauty products If you are in a pinch and you need to get some new beauty products but you don't really have the cash to burn for it. Then look into some DIY beauty products. For me, I like to keep it simple. I forgot that green tea has a lot of beauty and health benefits. So drinking more of that is beneficial for your insides, and if it is good for your insides then your outside will show it too. Not only this, but let some extra green tea cool down and put it in a spray bottle. This will act as a nice eye spray if you get itchy eyes like me. If you want your hair to grow or give it a good deep condition but can't afford to buy a mask, use coconut oil or olive oil if you have some in the house. Other stuff I discovered recently was that flax seed is meant to be amazing for healthy hair and improving growth of hair. 2) Upcycle If you want to vamp up your living space or bedroom, youtube videos on budget DIY are always inspiring and helpful. Raid through your recycling bin and see if anything can be salvaged. Don't throw too much stuff away like jewellery boxes etc, you might be able to upcycle them. 3) Discount websites are your best friend So if it's coming up to Christmas or you have a month with a lot of birthdays in it. The likes of Wowcher and Groupon are great for getting ideas on gifts for people and at an affordable price. If you want to shop online for products, open a new window tab and type in the place you are shopping and include the words " discount code <insert year here>" and this might help you to get some good deals going. Some really good clothing websites that are affordable if your wardrobe needs a spruce up are listed below. Just bare in mind that you might be best looking at the websites sizing chart as I find different shops use different sizing methods. (ridiculous but whatever) Now onto the saving part.
1) Goals What is it you want to save for? First things first, fold page in half like a hot dog. On one side write down your short term goals and the other side write down your long term goals. 2) Research your Goals thoroughly Then take each item and give it it's own page. Write that goal in the middle of the page and brain storm all other costs that are involved with your goal. For instance, if you want to save for a car, you will need to write down that petrol will be needed to keep the car going, tax, insurance. You can use comparison websites to gauge an idea of what these costs might look like. 3) Income and Outgoings Now work out how much money you spend each month, look at your bank statements. Write them all down, look at each area individually. You might be spending £40 a week on snacks, you could evaluate where you shop and if there is anywhere you can buy them cheaper. For instance I found that buying snacks in my job was working out to be cheaper than bulk buying them in a local shop. Highlight all the bills you CANNOT NOT PAY... This includes but isn't limited to, electric bills, rent, mortgage, food, car payments, insurance, gas, phone payments oil etc. Research if you are getting the best deal out of all your mandatory bills. E.g. I personally found paying for a phone outright and buying a good model but not a high end brand such as iPhone or Samsung etc can work out so much cheaper. Buying a sim only deal with cheaper brands such as ID or GiffGaff can save you so much money. I was paying £40 a month for a phone AND sim and that was WITH NHS discount!! I'm now paying £16.50 a month for my sim and I've already paid for my phone. Bigger bills such as electric etc you can use the likes of moneysupermarket.com or uswitch to find out if you are paying the best deal for your bills. 4) Tally up your numbers Work out how much you can save if you buy different products how much money you will or ideally will have at the end of the month. Then work out how much you can put aside each month. Ideally it's better to put more aside than you spend. That way it forces your to be mindful of what you need to spend your left over money on. However depending on your financial abilities, it's good to start small and work your way up. 5) Find cheap things to do There is nothing worse than not being able to do anything because you're broke Something I discovered recently is that Groupon has outings and getaway break discounts! Keep your eye on that. Cheap ideas for things to do when you are bored. But also make a list of things you can do that are free. This could be a home workout instead of a gym membership, going for a walk, crafting stuff with recycled items, tidying and cleaning, Pinterest can be very helpful for getting inspiration for things to do that are free. Tailor it to your interests and what you have currently. These are some tips that I have found to be very helpful to me in order to try and save for different things. I managed to save enough money to take 6 weeks off work, buy a photoshoot for my new baby nephew, birthday and anniversary gifts. The key is to be realistic. If you need any more advice the Money Advice Service is great for tips and budgeting tools that you will find beneficial.
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AuthorI am a 25 year old nurse, who is trying to find herself. This blog will contain epiphanies I have, my yoga progress and other such things. Enjoy. :) Archives
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