5 Habits To Help You Live Frugally

Check out these 5 tips sure to help you live frugally. How many of these habits do you practice?

1. Coupons

Remember when you were a kid and your Mom would drag you to the grocery store? She’d pull out a big book of papers and sort through them at the register. I would always wonder how much my mom would actually save by using coupons. The notorious “coupon book” actually is a great way to save money. Digital coupons may be a bit handier and greener, but cutting coupons can definitely help you save money during your weekly grocery shopping trip. Check your mail, newspaper, or the internet for coupons that could help you save hundreds annually. Also, make sure you shop around. Some places will price match with what you find in flyers or even online. Groupon also offers some really affordable deals for family fun!

2. Emergency Funds

If you follow along with our blog, you know we are big advocates of emergency savings. I know I sound like a broken record, but experts recommend saving six months’ worth of expenses. You never know what life will throw at you, and you want to be prepared for when it happens. Utilize automated payments, and have funds transferred to your savings account.

3. Buy in Bulk

Buy your groceries in bulk. Head to the nearest Costco or Sam’s Club and purchase your household needs and groceries at a lower price per item than you would at your grocer. If the cost is too much to buy in bulk, split it with a family member or friend.

4. Clean Sweep

Simplify your life. Do a clean sweep of your closet, attic, storage unit, or shed and have a garage sale. Take your gently used clothing to a thrift store and make some extra cash to add to your savings or for a fun night out with the family. Websites like Glyde are great for selling your old electronics that you no longer use! Poshmark is also a great app to sell gently used clothing.

5. Limit Eating Out

You never really know how much you spend eating out or purchasing Starbucks until you start adding up the transactions. For one month, record every time you eat out. You will probably be shocked at the total. Once you pick your jaw up from off of the floor and realize that this is fixable, you can start limiting the amount of times you eat out. Save money by simply bringing lunch to work, brewing coffee at home, or passing up a soft drink and ordering water at your next trip to a restaurant.

For more information on how to take control of your financial wellness, speak with a financial counselor through Balance. A financial counselor will help you avoid or resolve financial distress and establish personal financial control. 

New Year, New You.

Happy New Year! With a fresh new slate called “2017”, it’s time to plan your new year’s FINANCIAL resolutions. Check out these tips sure to help you improve your financial situation in 2017 and beyond. 

 1. BYOB – Build Your Own Budget. 

Do you even budget, bro? You may think you budget, but there is huge difference between keeping a balance in your head and writing things down. Keeping a monthly budget and noting every single transaction may seem like a tedious task, but it is the only way to fully understand your cash flow. If you’re not a paper and pen type of person, try using a spreadsheet and recording your monthly costs, or use a budgeting app to find out where your money is going. Maintaining this habit will allow you to set goals, adjust your spending, and most importantly, save your money.

 2. Check your credit score. 

Start the year off by checking your credit score. Checking your credit score will allow you to check for identity theft, review your credit history, and understand where you are at for future financial decisions, e.g. applying for a loan. Head to AnnualCreditReport.com and get your free annual credit report from all three reporting bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion, Experian). It will not hurt your credit score and it is free. Not the number you envisioned? Don’t get too discouraged, this is your year to change that. Easy ways to boost your score include paying over the minimum monthly payment, making payments on time, and maintaining low balances.

3. Build your emergency savings. 

Building an emergency savings isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon, and it is never too late to start. Experts recommend savings up to six months’ worth of expenses. Once you BYOB, you can determine how much you can set aside per month to build your emergency savings. The purpose of an emergency savings fund is to provide back-up in case your car quits, your roof starts leaking, you lose your job, or there’s a health emergency. Don’t wait for something happen; be prepared for when it does happen.

 4. Automatic savings. 

A quick way to save money is to utilize automatic savings. Instead of manually moving money into your 401k or savings account, set up automatic savings. With everything going on in life, sometimes it is easy to forget to move your money from one account to the other. Head to your closest U.S. Eagle branch and set up an automatic withdraw or transfer biweekly, monthly, or quarterly. Watch your savings grow!

 5. Make Extra Income.

If you plan on making a big purchase this year, paying off a large amount of debt, or want to stash some extra cash into savings, making some extra income may be the best option for you. There are so many ways you can make some extra money, it just depends on how much time you have to dedicate and how much you want it. You can go through your closet and sell clothes you no longer wear, pick up a second job as an Uber or Lyft driver, or go outside the box and start blogging. If you live in a large home and have an extra room, consider posting it on AirBnB. Another option is turning a skill set into income. If you’re great at tennis, maybe you can offer lessons on weekends, or if cooking is more your style, offer classes after work! Options are endless.

 2017 is your year for financial success. Before you make a purchase, ask yourself, “Do I really need this pair of shoes?” Challenge yourself! For one month, don’t spend any money on eating out; instead, move it into your savings account. Sometimes, we don’t realize how much money we can save by removing something out of our lives, even if it is temporary. Happy New Year!