Small Steps to Making Your Budget Work
- Create a “top-three” priority
list. Choose three areas
in which you’d like
to cut expenses. Write your
list in big letters and post
it in a prominent place,
such as on the refrigerator
or on the wall in your office.
Spend as usual on other items,
but keep a close eye on your “top
three.”
- Review
budget categories in which
you spend the most money.
Trimming 5 to 10 percent
from these categories will
make a big difference in
your savings. Prime categories
to trim are groceries, entertainment,
and clothing.
- Budget for
impulses. You are only human,
so put a small amount into
your budget for impulse items – just
don’t go over your
budget.
- Make
a list when you shop, so
you can limit the time you
spend in a store. The more time you spend shopping, the more likely you are to spend impulsively.
So make your list, get in
and get out.
- Resolve to cut
out one expense that brings
you neither joy nor prosperity.
Write your resolution on
a piece of paper and post
it prominently, so you
won’t
forget. Put the money that
you would have spent in
an envelope or your savings
account.
- Sign
up for the free Money
Club Makeover, 21
Days to Boost Your Savings.
- Include next
Holiday season in your budget.
After paying off this year’s
bills, put aside $50 to $100
a month for next year’s
Holiday presents. You’ll
emerge from next year’s
holiday rush debt-free. Reserve
a bit of your funds so you
can buy all of your decorations
and cards for the next year
right after the Holiday.
- Enlist your family’s
help. Have a family meeting
and brainstorm ideas for
saving money. Are dinners
out really worth the expense?
Or could you have a rotating “cooking
night” and experiment
with new foods at home? Does
anyone in the family have
a fun money-making idea that
could help ends meet?
- Go
for an entire day without
spending any money. As you
stop yourself from spending
money for this experiment,
you will begin to become
more conscious of the times
you do spend money.
- Have
fun for less. Take yourself
(and your partner if you
have one) on a date. Make
it fun and inexpensive, such
as a trip to the beach or
the zoo, or to hear live
music. Bring a picnic or
stop off for your favorite
food. Revel in the luxury
of your freedom to enjoy
this moment.
- Think about what matters most to you, and how you can use your money better in the future to bring you more pleasure, joy and love.
