savings – Personal Growth Cafe

June 16, 2019March 23, 2018

Seven Ways to Save Money Without Sacrificing Your Lifestyle

Are you looking for ways to save money, but don’t want to sacrifice your current lifestyle?

You’ll be surprised at how many different things you can do to achieve this.

Below are just a few ideas you can utilize to start saving money during these rough financial times:

1. Eating Out: For some people, eating out is one of their biggest variable expenses, but you can still save money without sacrificing your lifestyle.

You can often find restaurant coupons in the paper or online.

You can also cut your bill in half by sharing a meal.

We all know restaurant portions are huge and can probably feed at least two people.

Cut down on the amount of food you eat and save money by sharing a meal with a friend or spouse.

2. Gas: There’s several different ways you can save money on gas by simply thinking about how many unnecessary trips you take and planning fewer trips where you can.

This is where planning your day and clustering errands into one trip is key.

Also, if you have more than one driver in your family, the person who drives the furthest to work or school should use the most fuel-efficient vehicle.

It sounds obvious, but that’s because it is!

3. Consolidating Payments: Often your lender or bank will give you a loan to help reduce your monthly costs and interest payments.

If you can’t get a loan, see if you can transfer your high interest balances to a lower interest credit card.

If you have high interest credit cards, one of the smartest ways to reduce debt is to negotiate those interest rates.

4. Cut Out Unnecessary Fees: There are often hidden fees on credit cards, bank loans, and bank accounts that you may not be aware of.

Be sure to read the fine print before signing any contracts.

You’ll also want to check your monthly statements for any fees that you may not be aware of and call to complain if you spot anything funny.

In addition, avoid bouncing checks and cash advances.

Both insufficient fund fees and cash advances are probably one of the largest money suckers, but the easiest to avoid.

Being in control of your money and knowing where it’s going will help you save money on unnecessary fees.

5. Budgeting: You need to know how much money you have coming in and directing the money where you need it to go.

Budgeting means being in control of your money instead of your money controlling you.

When you’re on a budget, you can actually save money without losing the lifestyle you desire.

6. Gym Fees: Belonging to a gym is a helpful way to lose weight and stay in shape; however, the fees can be very costly.

Besides, you can still stay in shape and get great workouts at home, while saving tons of money.

Workout DVDs (or even free videos on YouTube) cost a lot less than a monthly gym membership and there’s a huge variety to choose from.

If you use the gym and it’s keeping you healthy, than it’s a good investment.

After all, your health is important.

But you should also be realistic with your workout expectations, meaning, if you haven’t gone for months, you’re probably not going to go all of a sudden, so you’re better off cancelling the membership.

7. Groceries: If you’re like most, your grocery bill is one of the biggest bills you have, next to house payments.

You can cut this bill by hundreds each month easily.

A little planning and effort is all it takes.

Using online and paper coupons, in addition to your grocer’s weekly sales flyer can cut your grocery bill by 25 to 30 percent.

The average family of four spends over $700 a month on groceries.

By using coupons and shopping the sales, you can save over $200 a month on groceries.

Couldn’t we all use an extra $200 a month right now?

Here are some other ways of saving money without sacrificing your lifestyle:

Turn off lights when not in use.

Open windows instead of turning on the air conditioner.

In the winter, wear sweaters to keep warm and turn down your thermostat.

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth.

Take showers instead of baths.

Unplug any electronic devices when not in use.

Finding a better way to enjoy the activities you love will not only save money, but will also reduce financial stress so you can maintain the lifestyle of your dreams!

How do you feel about your current lifestyle?

How have you adjusted your lifestyle based on the finances you have?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Also, as your gift for taking this to heart – and this is profoundly important… to us ALL – go to UnitingPlanetEarth.com/ignition/ and do the Uniting Planet Earth 7-Day Quick-Start Ignition Program… and Allow it to Transform Your Life.

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

November 26, 2017

7 Tips to Grow Your Savings Account Without Depriving Yourself

Surely we all agree that having a savings account is important. What’s hard, however, is putting that concept into practice.

It’s difficult to add to a savings account when you find yourself living paycheck to paycheck like many people find themselves having to do these days.

The good news is that even the smallest of contributions can have big impacts on the future of your account.

There are certain things you can do to add to your account without it being a burden.

Try these tips to effortlessly boost your savings:

1. Small Automatic Deposits. Chances are you need all or most of your paycheck each period.

However, you can save a small portion of this amount by having it automatically deposited into your savings account.

Most banks will allow you to set up automatic transfers. Each time your paycheck is due in, schedule a transfer to savings.

Even if this amount is $5, it will add up over time.

2. Pay With Cash. When you pay for your essentials with cash, you’re really seeing the exact amounts of money you’re spending as the money changes hands.

Then drop the change from these transactions into a jar when you get home.

Before you know it, you’ll be depositing large amounts of change into your savings account with little effort!

3. Credit Card Round Up. Some credit cards, such as one by Bank of America, will actually round up each of your purchases for you to the nearest dollar amount.

The rounded amount will be automatically deposited into your savings account.

Getting one of these card accounts could make adding to your savings account easier on you.

4. Add Up Your Charges. One month, add up everything you spend. It doesn’t matter how you’ve made the purchases – cash, credit, debit, etc.

In analyzing these expenses you’ll likely find some recurring expenses that can go. Perhaps there’s something you could live without.

That small expense will pay you back in the future if you add it to your savings instead.

5. Avoid Impulse Buys. Everyone has fallen victim to an impulse buy at some point.

Make a pact with yourself that you’ll never make them again.

Instead, when you feel the need to get something, give yourself a 24-hour cooling off period.

If you still feel that you must have it after that time, go ahead and spend the money.

If you’ve thought it over and you don’t need it, perhaps that money is better spent going directly into your savings account.

6. Avoid Credit Card Use. If you have trouble paying off your credit cards in full each month, stop using your cards.

Switch over to cash and debit card use and slowly pay down the balance on your credit card.

As your balances are paid off, the money you used to pay in interest to the credit card companies can be better spent in your savings account.

7. Reduce Everyday Expenses. Do an evaluation of your required expenses such as internet, phone, and grocery bills. See if there are any ways to reduce these bills.

For instance, maybe you could easily switch to a lower cost phone plan or start clipping coupons at the grocery store.

If you could find an extra $50 in your budget this way, you can greatly improve the look of your savings account!

While you don’t need to implement all of these changes at once, you should now have a better idea of the many ways you can add to savings.

Just remember that even a few cents can go a long way!

How do you feel when you go to the store?

How happy are you about shopping?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

November 15, 2017

Save Your Money by Getting Organized

As you grow up and move out of the nest, it can be tempting to let tidiness and organization go out the window. The truth is, being messy can cost you money!

Good organization is the keystone to making and saving money and if you want to do either, you’ll find that you can easily make some progress by organizing your life.

Schedule Your Bills

The first expenses you have to worry about each month are your household bills like the rent or mortgage and utilities.

It’s all the more reason to be organized so you can manage your money to pay these on time each month.

Use a calendar, planner, computer program, or online banking account to schedule when your bills need to be paid.Any delay can cost you substantial late fees and finance charges.

If you set up electronic banking, make sure you understand exactly how the system works.Some programs will not allow you to make a payment on weekends or holidays while others may need a few days to process the payment.

Pay your taxes on time or early. Penalties as well as late charges are added if you don’t file the proper extensions.Hire an accountant to help with your preparation, especially if you work independently.

If you work independently, you may also want to consider paying your taxes quarterly so you don’t have to worry about them at the end of the year.

Organize Your Paperwork

All of your paperwork should be organized so you know exactly where your receipts, financial statements, and bills are filed.

There’s nothing worse than going in search of a needle in a haystack when a question arises.

Everyday take a look at your desk area and think about what pieces of paper you can immediately get rid of.A wastebasket by your desk is essential, as is a shredder to prevent identity theft.

Utilize file folders or a portable file container instead of having piles of papers on your desk or counter tops.This will prevent you from losing important pieces of paperwork under a landslide of unimportant junk.

Consult with a Financial Advisor

Whether you have a substantial investment portfolio or just want to get started, consult with an expert who can help you reach your financial goals.

By organizing your finances, you’ll not only save money, but make it too!

If your current investments aren’t performing well, an advisor can help you move the money around to better performing funds that earn a higher yield or give you greater dividends.

If you don’t have any investments, an expert can listen to your financial goals and recommend an investment plan for achieving those goals.Even starting off modestly will often bring you some annual dividends. Every little bit helps!

Consolidate Your Debts

Get in control of your money by consolidating large debts with one loan.

Research which banks or credit cards will give you the lowest interest rates and consolidate your payments into one.

This will save you money by paying fewer interest fees, but you must also limit your spending until the debts are paid off.

Ask a mortgage broker about refinancing your home or taking out a home equity loan to consolidate debts.

Be in control of your money and your life by evaluating your accounts regularly and staying organized.

A little bit of work each day and regularly monitoring your progress will help you reach your financial goals.

How has being organized help you save?

Which of the tip above can you start using to better your life?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

November 5, 2017

Tag: savings

Seven Ways to Save Money Without Sacrificing Your Lifestyle

7 Tips to Grow Your Savings Account Without Depriving Yourself

Save Your Money by Getting Organized

The money in my checking account cannot replace the joy, love, and happiness in my life savings.