Money management is a difficult responsibility. As much as you want to save, if you have spending habit issues and you’re not doing anything to combat this, you’ll always find your money down the drain. Next thing you know, you just spent your paycheck on two impulse purchases and a couple unnecessary ones.
For you to achieve your financial goals, you need to track where your money goes and spend them more wisely this year. That means cutting back on unnecessary expenses to maximize your budget and save more.
Take a step back to evaluate your spending habits to streamline your finances and manage them better. Here are a few things where your money most likely goes and you need to cut back on:
Gym membership
Gym membership is costly and chances are you’re only active there for the first few weeks. If you’re not an athlete or generally a sports person, simple exercises like jogging and no-equipment HIIT workout at home should do for you. And if you can, focus on your diet and not just exercise since losing weight is 80% diet and 20& exercise. If you’re objective is to gain,
If you really want to go to the gym and try it out to see if it works for you, don’t pay for an annual membership. Instead, try it for a month first or a couple sessions and see for yourself. If it isn’t for you, then off to jogging and home exercises you go.
Morning cup of coffee
If running to your favorite coffee place each morning is a part of your daily routine, you better think about how much dent it costs on your finances. That’s about $3-$4 or more if you add breakfast sandwiches with it a day.
Stop this expensive habit and resort back to making your own coffee at home to bring in the office or better yet, take advantage of your office pantry. Not only will it give the same caffeine kick that your body and mind yearns for but it will also allow you to save more.
Frequent dining out
Nothing burns your money fast than one hefty dine out. If you tend to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, or any other occasion by dining out, it wouldn’t be a shock to discover that most of your finances go to this.
It’s only reasonably to cut back your spending on this luxury. Track how much you spend on eating out for a month or two, only then you’ll realize you’re putting a large chunk of your income on something you can cut back on. Limit your weekly eating out habit and make dining out a way to celebrate only special events and occasions rather than a regular routine.
Late fees
There’s nothing more wasteful and deplorable than voluntarily spending extra on late fees, of course, since you have no other choice than pay for paying past your due. Whenever you can, call out your credit card company and ask if they could waive the fee. This could work especially if you have a good standing in their record. If it doesn’t, at least you tried.
Make sure to mark your calendars and set up alarm for a day or two before your due date to avoid the hefty late fees. Or better yet, automate your payments for more convenience.
When it comes to financial management, you have to find the best system that works for you and you need to work around your financial priorities—cutting back on splurges. It may not be easy, but it’s a challenge you’ll learn to get good at eventually as you aim to reach your financial goals.
