How to save money: TOP 9 tips + list of apps for accounting finance
Read in this article – how to stop buying useless and painlessly turn on the "economy" mode for your budget. In other words, how to save money.
The content of the article:
- Say no to brands
- Pay with cash
- Don't pay bank fees
- Make only the purchases you need
- Shop online for less
- Do your own makeup
- Don't Forget Shop Services
- Joint purchases are sometimes cheaper
- A shopping plan helps you avoid unnecessary expenses
- Practical bonus: List of the best financial accounting apps according to Lifehacker magazine.
How to buy
1 Say no to brands
Branded products are not always better than non-branded brands. Study the composition of your favorite expensive yogurt or cosmetic product and find a cheap alternative.
The same can be said about drugs. There are a lot of useful infographics on the Internet about expensive drugs and their cheap counterparts. You can also get advice on this issue at the pharmacy.
2 Pay with cash
How long have you been paying cash for goods? Now many do not cash out at all, considering cards to be a more convenient and hygienic payment option. In addition, a flat and light card takes up much less space than a wallet or purse. But if you watch yourself when shopping, you will discover an amazing fact: when paying for goods or services with a bank card, you do not control your expenses, the situation changes, after you reread the bills, hold them in your hands.
In general, check for yourself – a person readily parted with what he cannot feel and touch. Real paper money is spent more frugally.
How not to get attached to the wallet
If you still like the electronic payment method more and you see more pluses than minuses in it, study it after making purchases or use a special mobile application to save and control your expenses.
3 Do not pay commission to banks
When you withdraw money through an ATM of another bank or make a transfer from your account to the account of a friend who is a client of another bank, you overpay. Pay close attention to commissions. Study the question and do not overpay. So you save your money.
4 Make only the purchases you need
A promotion on a product is not a reason to buy it. But this marketing technique works and promotional products continue to be in demand. The same can be said about personal discounts, the notification of which comes to you by mail or in the form of SMS. Having a coupon does not mean that you have to buy something urgently. The next time you receive a coupon, think about whether you really need this product, would you buy it if you didn't receive a coupon?
Use common sense to buy only those items that you need. Or get ready to buy so that it “does not hit" the budget.
If you like to buy goods on sale, follow the latest promotional goods on special websites or use specialized applications for this. And yet, take an interest in the topic of cashbacks.
5 Buy online stores cheaper
Shopping online has a number of advantages over the traditional way of shopping. At a minimum, because you do not have to carry heavy bags – the courier will do this for you, often his services are provided free of charge after purchases for a certain amount. But this is not the main advantage of online stores.
Many brand stores sell goods online with discounts up to 90%. It mainly concerns clothing. If you don’t have time to look for such profitable promotional goods, you can always buy, for example, clothes that didn’t suit someone through services such as avito.
6 Do your own makeup
Do not rush to criticize this point. Please note that most commercials or advertising banners about cosmetics refer to the naturalness of the products. If possible, learn how to make simple beauty products at home and do not overpay. Basically, this recommendation applies to skin and hair care products. You can also reduce the number of tubes on your nightstand by eating more vitamins and improving your diet. It is better to overpay for quality food than to overpay later for the means of masking the consequences of malnutrition.
7 Don't Forget Store Services
Going on a picnic or shopping for groceries on the road? Don't take a cut. It is better to take a whole piece and ask the seller to pack and cut it. This is included in the price, but no one talks about it. Why overpay for already cut food?
8 Joint purchases are sometimes cheaper
You have probably seen the 1 + 1 = 3 scheme in supermarkets and other stores (buy two things – the third one is free). You don't have to buy two pants. Take a friend with you to the store or find a customer who would also like a discount on a promotional item. Dock with someone to get a benefit.
9 A shopping plan helps you avoid unnecessary expenses
Are you tired of coming back from the grocery store with a bunch of junk you grabbed on the way out? Make lists of what you need to buy and stick to the plan. You can write a shopping list on a piece of paper or use a special application. Just remember to charge your phone before going to the store in this case.
Practical bonus: a list of the best applications for accounting finance according to the Lifehacker online magazine:
- Money Lover
- Money Manager
- Zen money
- Bills Monitor
- Money Wallet
- Goodbudget
- Monefy
- Splittable
- Expensify
- Moneygraph+