We’re always going to have big expenses in life, but some of them are going to be considerably more expensive than others. And there’s a lot of us out there that can’t come to terms with that fact, and thus we overspend and over budget, which doesn’t make for a healthy household! However, it’s never too late to turn things around. You can still cut a cheaper deal with any service providers, start buying own brand products, and generally just think more about how you spend your money.
So if you’re feeling a little foolish when it comes to spending money, it’s time to save some pennies on the biggest expenses out there that we absolutely have to fork out for the life essentials. And depending on who you are, these can vary. But let’s take the most common out of the bunch and see where we can trim the fat, making sure we still have a savings fund all ready for a rainy day after we’re done spending.
Finding a Place to Live
One of the most expensive things out there that you’re going to have to contend with is house prices. No matter if you’re looking to buy your own home, or only have the means to rent somewhere, you’re going to be losing a lot of money per month on simply keeping a roof over your head. So you immediately need to set out with a plan in mind.
One way to do that is to go for a place to live that’s smaller than what you were planning on. Even with kids, having somewhere that’s a little downsized compared to your original housing wants is going to save you a lot of money in terms of mortgage payments (not to mention you’re more likely to get the mortgage rate you need!). You also won’t spend so much on rent each month, and with plenty of people imagining rent as a price you’re always wasting money on, it’s worth it.
Saving on the Car
If you’re a semi-independent adult or even someone with a family, you’re going to be needing your own transport. And that means you’re probably going to own a car, and that’s a huge investment to go in for. After the house, it’s the next big expense you’re really going to have to think about. It needs to be good enough to get you safely from A to B, and a lot of models can have issues with that.
So for your first car, it’d be a good idea to buy second hand. These are cars you know you can afford, and when you’ve got a reputable dealer on your side, you know they’re going to work well as well! You can even find a car that’s only outdated by about a year, and thus nearly new; it won’t look much different from anything else on the road.
Then you’re going to need to save on car insurance, which is something that gets everyone in the neck when they’re looking for a deal. But if you’re already checking out comparison sites, you’re already in the perfect place to start.
Plan Out Your Meals
If you plan your meals in advance, you can simply nip round the store during your weekly shop to get what you need. Not only are you going to be able to stick to a healthy diet better, seeing where you’re missing the essential nutrients, but it’s going to make the supermarket trip less of a time suck. You can be in and out in a good ten minutes, then on your way home to unpack and put your feet up before it’s time to get the kids from school.
Of course, you can still head over to the reduced section to see what valuables you can find at a discount, but when you’ve got preparation against all those supermarket tricks to get you to spend more and more money, you’re going to find the affair a whole lot cheaper. You might not even notice it’s happening, but soon those extra pounds might just start dropping away (both in financial terms and for your body!).
So saving money on life essentials doesn’t have to be hard, and there’s always some nifty tricks you can use to make sure you’re sticking to the plan of spending less and less. These things you can’t just cut out after all, and you should never be expected to, so try to make them less of a suck on any of your resources.
Photo Credit: Toa Heftiba Hello I’m Nik
Money Saving
