Every stylish man/woman must be prudent. Why? If you throw
away money, you are unable to make it work for you. Unable to save money for
certain projects at home or you go broke before the next salary comes? Seemed not
to have surplus while there are so many bills to pay? Uhm! Here are a few means
of saving money and making it work for you:
. Saving is an art, learn
it!
Let’s try this trick: Split your income into 10, save the
tenth part and spend the rest. Easy? Then do it again. To figure out what’s the
ideal amount for keeps, you need to keep track of your earnings. Mind you, your
drawers and closets are no piggy banks. Rather, get to the bank.
. Learn to recycle
Do you know that some of the items at home/office could be
put to use more than once? Rather than spend money buying new items, learn to
recycle them and put them to serve other purposes.
. Never subscribe to
credit buy
If you are one of
credit purchase freaks, you’d better drop the habit. Why? It takes longer to pay
than you could imagine! It could hurt paying too. Hire purchase? Still the same
result, just that you could incur debt and you service it a longer period even
when the goods are no longer useful to you.
Mortgage? That’s a great idea, at least the property is
yours. Auto loans? Understandable but never go for cars you can’t maintain.
Credit buys on food and clothing? Don’t dare! Are you indebted already? Ensure
you have completed payment of outstanding debts before buying any other thing.
. Watch it with phone
cards!
Talk is cheap, they say, but when you buy phone cards, they
are not. Why spend hours on the telephone talking when you have over a dozen
ways to spend your messages? Make use of your BlackBerry, use Short Message
Service (SMS), send e-mails etc. Doubtful? Then keep records of your phone
cards every month and see how much goes into ‘just talking’ from your purse.
. Be the
smart-shopper
Can’t do without designer’s labels with your low income?
Then wait for the release of the diffusion line. At least you can have the same
item at a cheaper price. Moreover, keep track of various sales and discount
offers in either the malls or market. You can also target end-of-year sales and
make your buy on time. Petty frugalities? Don’t be amused, they help in saving
cash.
. Buy in bulk
Bulk buying is cheaper, saves time and sometimes guarantees
quality. This way, you escape rising prices of products you have stockpiled.
For food items however, you need a good storage and preservative device for
perishables like vegetables and fruits.
. Never buy on
impulse
An impulsive buyer lives life for the moment. Don’t buy anything
that catches your fancy as long as it’s not a need. Or you want to go back to
the store and say, ‘I don’t think I need this anyway.’ Remember, some stores have
non-refundable rules. Plan your purchases and always draw up a shopping list
when going to the mall.
. Don’t indulge waste
One of the bad practices at home is making meals for more
than the mouths available. Learn to measure before cooking and know which
quantity serves certain number of people. Or are you a ‘ready-to-go’ eater, who
patronizes restaurants and eateries? You save cost when you cook your food at
home – it’s neater and cheaper.
Credits: Sunday Punch
Anna
Okon
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