I have always been a born saver, since I was a child I have been taught methods to learn to save and I continue to practice them. Spending less is not being stingy, it's being smart if you've saved enough money to spend on valuable things and experiences.
In this post I will teach you How to save money fast At home, in your company and in your general life with more than 20 tips, tricks, techniques and tips that I have been learning, as well as other ideas that I have found. You can see results in a day, even more in a month and great results in a year.
If you apply a step by step strategy, if you practice a good personal savings plan from today, you can achieve in a short time to save your money. Whether you are a student, parent, director of a company, child or retiree, you will be served.
I will also teach you easy ways to save money from home and for all those expenses you have and that you can probably avoid. They are ways to stop spending that are simple to apply as soon as you finish reading this article. With this plan you can save on:
- Home.
- Electricity and energy in general (heating, appliances...).
- Food.
- Banks.
- In the car / car.
- Much more…
Why save money? What is it for? Some say that the money is to spend it, and it is true, although it is worth spending it on valuable things or experiences. The problem with spending money on unnecessary things is that when you need it for truly necessary things, it is possible that Do not have enough .
For example, in my case, I do not buy a lot of clothes, I do not spend in cubas (from time to time a beer if) and I do not buy the latest technologies, like the last Iphone, tablet or television (I've had a Samsung Galaxy for 3 years Which has allowed me to do everything).
However, using methods to save has allowed me to Do other less common things , The most important to travel. At 15 I spent 200 euros I had saved to go to Germany, later another so much to go to Italy, then to other countries.
On the other hand, I never deprive Pay gym, snowboard, spend gas or dance classes. It has also allowed me to buy workshops or courses for my training quite expensive. And something that can reach Make a difference ; Lend enough money to my family so they do not have to buy on credit and the bank takes their money.
They are alone Some of the advantages Not to spend money on unnecessary things. If you are smart, you will resist spending and you will save the money to spend it In what will really make you happy , In things that are usually expensive but worth it.
It is also recommended that you have a"mattress"in case something happens that you did not expect and that causes you to spend a significant amount, such as illness, accident, damage to your home, car...
Do not you have the habit of saving?
If you're not used to saving, at first it will cost you to give up those little"luxuries."
But if you realize, that glass of 5 euros a Saturday will not give you happiness, nor the latest smartphone model, nor a new car. What gives happiness are the experiences; Traveling, sports, dancing, meeting people...
- What does not make you happy: buy a smartphone, buy a television, buy clothes if you already have a lot...
- What makes you happy: travel, practice sports, sing, dance, read, go to the movies, play games, talk with your friends, get out of gear...
Join those who have tired of giving away money and spend it only on what makes you happy.
To do it fast, you will have to eliminate those expenses that are not regular, that are not necessary and with which you can live perfectly and be happy.
Expenses that can be eliminated:
- Gifts.
- Travels.
- Clothes.
- Vitamins, nutritional supplements not necessary for your health.
- Products for nails, hair or makeup.
- Journals.
- Newspapers.
- Gasoline if you can walk or bike to places.
Expenses that you can not eliminate (but in which you change habits you can save):
- Food.
- Phone.
- Transport.
- Non-essential hygiene products (gomina, perfumes, makeup...).
- Entertainment: going out, gym, courses...
- House bills, car...
- Insurance.
I will also teach you some techniques that although once known were"logical", most people do not practice.
25 Tips, Techniques and Tips to Save Money
1-Do not use card
Simple use of the card makes it much easier to spend.
If you carry cash you will feel that you lose something, you will have it in your hand and it will cost you more.
2-Put in an envelope the money that you will spend in a month
This is a habit that gives very good results. If you know what you have spent the previous months, you can make an approximate calculation of what you will spend the next.
Put in an envelope that amount of money and see it out as you need it. Do not use card.
Next to the previous one, it is a technique that is usually used for people who have impulsivity problems when buying and that works very well.
3-Change bank
There are banks that give better interest and also that do not charge fees for keeping the account open or by credit card.
Do not be in the same bank because you have already years and have confidence in them. Find out, look for opinions and if you find a bank of quality and with better conditions change you.
I will not mention names, but at present there are banks that do not charge fees for having your account or for using cards. They also give more money for interest. This can mean several hundred euros of savings each year.
By the way, after what has happened in Spain, be much more careful with the conditions that signatures.
4-Note what you spend
This habit is very important.
If you point at a sheet that you hang in the refrigerator (or a place where you see it daily) what you spend each day, you will be aware of the unnecessary money you spend.
It is very easy to go out and have a beer, then go and take a T-shirt, then the gas. In the end you do not know what you've spent, but if you write it down, you'll keep from making the same mistakes again.
5-Do not buy unnecessary things
There is a phrase from Warren Buffet that says something like this: If you did not need it before, you do not need it.
If you leave your house without a will to buy, you happen to happen by a store and you come up in your mind this idea"I need it"is probably a whim.
How much clothes and things do you have in your house that you do not use?
On one occasion I went to Ikea with my mother and bought a support to put the iron on the wall! I insisted that we could survive perfectly without that, that our life would go ahead, but in the end he bought it... The support is still in a closet because nobody got to use it or put it on the wall.
6-Get accustomed to compare
Never buy anything expensive without comparing prices. The differences between one establishment and another can be surprising and will save you a lot.
You do not have to go moving from one store to another. Today with internet you can compare hundreds of shops in a very short time. If you have to go to the same store I also advise you to do it.
7-Buy in different supermarkets and write down your expenses
A very good technique is to go every year to three different supermarkets, buy what you usually buy and calculate the expenses. That is week 1 you go to supermarket 1, you take your usual purchase and calculate the expenses. The same with the super 2 and 3. In week 3 you will be able to check in which you have spent less.
Normally it is usually 10-20 euros (or in the currency of your country), but if you buy weekly, the difference can be 40 euros a month, that is 480 euros or more a year.
8-Learn the rule of 15 days
It's about waiting 15 days before buying something that"you consider necessary".
Many purchases are by impulse; You see the service or product, it comes to mind the thought of"I need it"and you go and buy it.
Try to be aware of that process, ask yourself if you really need it or if you can wait and wait for 15 days.
9-Join the rewards programs
There are shops, gas stations or any other service that have programs with which you are accumulating points and these give you gifts or allow you to spend the points on what you want.
If you spend 10 euros of gas per day, every euro gives you a point and a refill of gas costs 100 points, you will be having 3 days of"free"gas per month.
10-Make your own gifts
It is not a simple thing if you do not know how to make crafts, but it is a very interesting option if you want to avoid buying expensive things and do not know if they will be used.
In addition, personally I think it is much more original something done by oneself and shows more interest in the other person.
11-When you go to the supermarket make a list and eat before
In supermarkets they buy many products that are unhealthy and also make you spend more.
If you go to the supermarket after having eaten, you will not have appetite and you will not put in the cart products like chocolates or fries that are not essential for your food.
If you have made a list before, you will know what is really necessary and you will not buy nonsense that you do not need and that will make you fat.
12-Eat at home
Social life is very important and it is advisable that you go out to do sports, to some event, to a park, to walk, etc.
But if you want to save more, a very good option is to eat at your house and then leave.
If you leave without thinking this, you may get hungry and then spend on an ice cream, a hot dog or any other whim.
13-Get rid of everything unnecessary
Actually this is rather to make money, but in the end it will improve your economic well-being.
Sure you have books, clothes or appliances you do not use at home. Look for them and put them on sale, you may not get much out. The benefit you are getting will depend on the number of things you sell and their value. You may even have something old that is worth a lot.
Today there are many platforms to sell on the internet second hand goods, both in Europe and Latin America.
14-Use the bike or walk
The most economical, healthy and environmentally friendly means of transport is bicycle.
Also, in my humble opinion it is much more comfortable than having to wait for traffic jams or having to wait for the bus that is sometimes so late.
If you have work several kilometers, you will have no choice but to use the car or public transport but if you are nearby, think about buying a bike or walking.
15-Abandon expensive and unhealthy habits
It is incredible how expensive it has come to cost tobacco and alcohol. Besides being very expensive, they are unhealthy and pay taxes for them.
They are habits that only decrease your economic capacity and make your health worse. With the same tobacco, If you smoke A package every two days is 60 euros per month and 720 euros per year (if the package costs about 4 euros). It would be 120 euros per month and 1440 euros if you smoke a pack a day.
Keep in mind this too: your health is the most valuable and tobacco or alcohol decreases. On the other hand, taking care of your health can be very expensive in certain cases, so these habits have a possible additional cost.
16-Eat less
This advice would apply if you have weight problems or want to lose weight.
Sometimes people eat without hunger and it is one of the causes of gaining weight. Today there are millions of obese people in the world and the main cause is the sedentary lifestyle.
You can read this article on What to do to not be hungry .
17-Turn off lights and appliances
Remember to turn off appliances when you're not at home and if you leave them plugged in make sure they are not running out of light.
Leaving the stand-by lights on may cost you an additional 600 euros per year.
18-Install LED lights
LED lights are Good for the environment Because they do not pollute and spend little energy.
They are more expensive to buy (cost 4-10 euros) but over time you will pay off that amount of leftovers.
19-Buy products that produce the least cost
With this I do not mean cheaper products, but those that:
- Consume less energy: if a cheap TV makes you spend 1 euro an hour and another expensive 0.50 euros an hour, in the long run you will get cheaper the expensive TV.
- Do not break and have a guarantee: it will not do you any good to buy a very cheap laptop if it is going to be broken or has no warranty. In the end you will have to buy another and you will spend more than if you had bought something good.
Eye, quality does not mean it is expensive. Something can cost a lot of money and be bad. Like something economic can be of very good quality.
Always research and compare. To see opinions, you have platforms like amazon or ciao in which you will know the experiences that other people have had with some product.
20-Do not wait for things to break
If for example you keep your car in good condition, you will not have to make big repairs that cost you a bundle.
You better spend your money on an annual review and you have to do a little repair to wait for something to break and you have to make a big expense.
21-Do not buy for getting out of stress
I know perfectly well that feeling of"I'm going to buy this because I've had a bad day..."
It's actually absurd, because not by buying something you're going to be happier. To relieve a bad day you are vast with taking a walk or visiting a family member or friend. Or have a beer of one euro.
You do not need to give your rooms to big companies because you feel bad.
22-Always check your expenses
Today you can do it online. Almost all banks have virtual systems to view your accounts.
If you check them at least once a month you will be avoiding improper payments, expenses that you forget or even"bank mistakes".
I myself had to pay 180 euros to a bank to which we rescued all the Spanish for eliminating my account too late. I did not check it for long and they were charging me monthly fees.
23-Buy winter clothes in summer and summer in winter
The seasonal clothing is much more expensive.
If you buy in summer the clothes you will wear next winter you will save a lot of money, because they are very economical.
And they are designs that are very similar to not say the same as those that you will find"seasonal".
24-Make a list of priorities
If you have so many expenses that you do not know where to start, take a paper and pen and make a list of priorities.
You will be aware of what is most important and you will be able to eliminate expenses that are not essential.
And what do you do to save money? You can comment below. I am interested in your opinion! Thank you.