How to Save Money by Creating a Budget

With all this talk of a depression, it is high time people take back control of their lives, creating and keeping a budget will help in this endeavour. Though not rocket science, the simplest things are sometimes the hardest to remember. Included below are a few tips on saving money as well as a simple budget plan.

How to Prioritise Finances While Creating a Budget

Supplies

 Notebook
 Pen
 Folders
 Phone

Save all receipts for one month, then sit down in a quiet place, and go through them. Gather every bill, all the way down to movies and soda pops. Even the smallest amount leaving a bank account adds up quickly, such as that £2.00 debit card charge for withdrawing money from the wrong ATM. Itemise each receipt on paper, in clear writing with subheadings. Keep each item in its own folder and compiled in its own genre:

 Utilities
 Insurance
 Entertainment
 Miscellaneous

Once everything is down on paper and in front of a person’s eyes it makes the job of weeding out needless expenses that much easier.

Write down everything that is not a necessity on a separate piece of paper. After compiling and tallying every have to pay and keep bills, and go back through the non-necessities. Once one knows how much they have to pay out it is easier to see how much extra money there really is each month. Pick a few things that the entire family likes to do and stick to them. A variation of this method is to keep that money freed up each month and use it on one fun thing everyone has agreed on for that month. It gives people something to look forward to, be it a trip to the zoo or even a small family shopping spree.

Bargaining, Bartering and Talking Yours Bills Down for Easier Budgeting

Yes, it seems hard to believe but dentists, doctors and various other services can at times be gotten for nearly free. Some professionals will trade out their services in exchange for artwork, landscape work, or a myriad of other services. It never hurts to ask and sometimes this can save many thousands of dollars.

If a service provider has made a mistake on one’s bill, they normally want to make up for it. Simply call customer service and explain the problem while allowing them to know how they can make it right. If they want to keep their customers badly enough they may offer credits, discounts or free services in the future.

Be firm, kind, and professional, while remembering, that a billing error is not customer service’s fault. If a customer is kind and respectful and the customer service representative is rude and hard to deal with; simply hang up and call again making sure to politely explain the situation thoroughly. An even larger discount can be had for such a terrible example of the companies’ customer service. Remember to get the person’s name so they know whom to reprimand for bad behaviour.

How to Stick to a Budget

It may be not as hard as people think; it is easy to choose between that £30.00 purse and paying the water bill. At least it should be. One would think a person’s co-workers would rather not smell terrible body odour in trade for that leather clutch, save some embarrassment and opt for the water bill.

If friends and family have a hard time dealing with the lack of playable income, be firm and remind them about the budget. If they are persistent and cause much grief, it may be time to step away from them a bit. Some people are toxic and it is best to cut them out of one’s life. If older children are the problem, have them get a small job to earn their own play money. Creating a simple budget for them will more easily help them understand the hardships that have recently fallen upon the family.

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