Some people just seem to have the knack of making their stretch further than others, but most of the time this trick does not involve any smoke or mirrors, but simply an understanding that every cent counts.
If you are unfortunate enough to be caught up in a Work-cover claim and need to use someone like Henry Carus & Associates to help get your finances back on track, you will certainly appreciate just how important it is to take care of the small change, as well as the big numbers.
Getting the grocery bill under control
One of the biggest household expenses other than your mortgage or the rent, is the money you spend each month on groceries.
Everyone has to eat of course and you can’t avoid spending a reasonable amount of money on food, but there are some smart and painless ways to compromising in any noticeable way.
One of the best tips is to make a shopping list before you go to the grocery store. That way you end up only buying what you have on the list rather than picking up random items as you go down each aisle.
Stores are designed to tempt you to buy extra items, so use a list and resist temptation to stray beyond what you need. You will save whole lot money in no time at all and still get to enjoy nice meals.
Go back to cash
Another excellent trick that allows you to rediscover the true value of the money that you are spending each week and month, is to go back to cash.
Everything is geared up to pay using anything other than cash, including using your smartphone as well, but it doesn’t feel like you are spending real money when you just swipe a card or wave your smartphone at a terminal, which means it is way too easy to lose track of exactly how much you are spending.
Try drawing out the right amount of cash that you can afford from your budget, on shopping, eating out and general entertainment. When you are counting out cash and paying for things with real money, it is amazing how frugal you suddenly become, especially when you get close to running out of money.
Try going back to cash for a month and see how much difference it makes to your bank balance.
Compare and shop around
Unfortunately, when it comes to paying for things like insurance, utilities and other essential expenditure, your loyalty to one supplier is rarely rewarded.
Don’t just accept the renewal quote you get from your insurance company next time it is due, before at least checking comparison sites and seeing whether you can get a better deal elsewhere.
Many companies rely on customers being too lazy or loyal for their own good to shop around. Check to see what you pay elsewhere and if you want to stay with your existing company, ring them up and ask them to match the quote if they really want to keep you as a customer.
These are just some of the subtle but savvy ways to make your money go further, as small changes can often result in big changes to your bank balance, in a positive way.
