After the holidays are over and January finally rolls in, a lot of us can feel a little strained with our money and this can last for the first few months of the year as we recover from those festive spends. Towards the end of January we should all be settling back into a healthy routine with our finances and making sure that we are able to live well and save up for the future.
Managing money as an adult can a a big responsibility for us to take on and unless we want to have to get a chapter 7 bankruptcy lawyer during our lives, we need to get it together. Here are some of the ways you can change the way you think and your habits to save more right now.
Know that you can’t have it all
It’s a sad fact in life that a lot of us will come across things we want but can’t have now and again. It’s ok not to have everything as an adult and even though you might really want that new dress or those concert tickets, you need to know when to say no and save your money instead. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t treat yourself once in a while, but just try to be aware of the things you do have an appreciate these more.
Think long term
When you live out your day to day life it is incredibly easy for you to spend lots of money without even thinking about it. Let’s say every morning you buy a coffee for £3 from the local cafe. If you do this every day for a week this will be £15, and then every day for a month will be over £60, just for coffee. When you put costs into perspective like this it makes it much easier for you to save up and avoid spending what you don’t need to spend.
Know when to save and splurge
The best habit you can get into with your money this year is knowing when you should save and when you should spend. It can be hard sometimes if you don’t have a set of rules in your mind but you should have a little guideline for when you should save your money and not spend it.
Life is about enjoying yourself as well as saving so make sure to strike a balance between the two.
Wait
We all know the feeling when we are in a clothes shop and we see an item which we simply HAVE to have right now… but do you really need it? The best way to stop yourself buying items on a whim is to wait for a day or two, and if you are still thinking about the item and you haven’t forgotten it, then you should buy it for yourself. Doing things like this is always good because it stops you impulse buying and gives you time to see whether you actually want or need the item.