Money flies. This universal truth is as accurate as it is painful. Considering how hard it is to earn (for most mortals) and how quickly it disappears, right? And although it’s hard to tighten the belt, it’s necessary if we want to make it comfortably to the end of the month.
That said, we can always tighten the belt a little less if we have a good cushion or our expenses are reduced. The idea appeals to you, right? Then don’t miss the details in our article today, as we’re going to present the best tricks to save money day by day.
11 foolproof tricks to save at home without noticing
We’re going to suggest a bunch of tricks, but don’t worry, you don’t have to follow them all to achieve save a good amount of money.
Compare prices and take advantage of offers
It’s not a waste of time, it’s an investment. We can save a lot of money (much more than you imagine) if we compare prices across several stores. Many of them, especially supermarkets, often have periodic offers, so the best thing is to thoroughly check all their websites before going shopping. If you feel a bit lazy to go web by web, you can turn to the online price comparison tools.
And it is also very important to know the market well, seeing which products satisfy the same need and choosing the one with a much more affordable price. For example, in the case of original perfumes vs. equivalence perfumes (if you don't know what they are, look here what equivalence perfumes are). You can save a lot of money by buying an item very, very similar to the original but at a much lower price.
Block an amount of your income in a savings account
If you have fixed income, the best way to save is to open a savings account in which you put a percentage of the money you earn day by day. That way you make sure you won't spend it. 10%, 20%, 30%... the more the better, obviously, but the important thing is that you take the step.
We recommend that you don't start by blocking large amounts of money that later make you tight and end up having to resort to them, as it is discouraging. It's better to start by blocking a small amount and increase it as you see what your expenses and needs are.
Check your bank's conditions carefully
Not all banks have the same conditions, so we recommend that you get very, very well informed at several places before opening your savings account, and if you already have one, go back to read the fine print (no matter how lazy it feels). You might discover clauses you don't agree with and it might be more beneficial for you to take your money elsewhere.
If you decide to open a savings account like the one we mentioned in the previous point, make sure that they don’t penalize you if you need to withdraw money for any unforeseen event. Even if you have to have more willpower not to resort to it for any reason, it will give you peace of mind. It is well known that expenses come at the worst and most unexpected times.
Before spending, think it over
Overthinking things is usually not recommended, but there is always an exception to the rule. And in the realm of household finances, there is nothing like think carefully before buying something. Think carefully if you really need it, if you will use it continuously, if it is a priority item or service or, on the contrary, you can live without it. In short: before spending, keep a cool head. Only then will you truly manage to save.
Eat before going to do the weekly shopping
It may seem silly, but it’s not. When we go to the supermarket hungry, everything looks appealing and it’s more likely that we buy foods we won’t actually consume. It is full stomach must be your faithful companion when doing the weekly shopping.
Take it as a challenge
Although one of the best tricks to save money is to take it as a challenge. And really, who doesn’t like to improve themselves? You can be more or less competitive but the feeling of being better today than yesterday is unbeatable.
Start setting savings goals, but watch out, always realistic to avoid frustration. For example, “in six months I want to have saved X euros” or “each month I will set aside X amount from my account.”
Be careful with the credit card
The credit card is a double-edged sword. Nowadays you can pay for almost anything with it, even the smallest amounts, so we use cash less and less because the card is much more convenient. But everything convenient about it is also dangerous, since with it we don't control everything we spend as well.
We are not telling you to stop using it, but you should check the statements every day you have used it, so you can keep a thorough expense control, avoiding loss of control and wastefulness.
Think long term
If you are a bit of a spendthrift, love to spend, and can't wait to stop doing it, think about the future. Even if things are going well for you now (hopefully they are), you never know what might happen, since life is a lottery, for better or worse.
And since you will probably want to retire as soon as possible, the best thing you can do to achieve it is to have a good cushion so that living with less income is not a problem. Save. Your future self will be eternally grateful.
Watch out for electricity, water, and gas
Controlling the variable expenses of a household is one of the best ways to save. Here is a list of actions you can take to achieve it:
- Change regular bulbs to LED.
- Turn off the lights when you're not in the room.
- Unplug appliances or electronic devices when you're not using them (when they're on standby or plugged in, they still consume quite a bit of energy).
- Take advantage of cooking more than one dish when you have to turn on the oven, as it is one of the appliances that uses the most energy. Also avoid opening the door so the heat doesn't escape, unless it's strictly necessary.
- Control the thermostat. Make sure it doesn't go above 20º in winter and doesn't go below 25º in summer. Every degree matters because for each one more, the bill can increase by up to 8%!
As you can see, these are small gestures, but they make a difference. And besides saving money, you'll be doing a good deed for the planet since you'll be using fewer resources and energy. All advantages.
Become a member of the stores where you shop the most
We know it's a hassle to have a thousand and one customer cards, since they end up getting lost or you end up having so many that in the end you don't know which ones you belong to and which you don't. But really, if you visit a store regularly, it will be very worthwhile to accumulate points with each purchase. You'll be so happy when you see you have enough to redeem for free products.
Visualize prices as units of product
Let us explain. When you want to buy a pair of pants for 30 euros, don't think that 30 euros don't go anywhere, but that for that same amount you can buy almost 30 packages of rice or pasta.
Making these equivalences will help you realize the real value of things and help you control your expenses much better.
Write down every single one of your expenses
No matter how small the amount, every bit counts. Write down all your expenses and divide them into categories so you can identify where your money goes at the end of the month. This way, you can more easily determine which types of expenses you should cut back on.
If you follow these tips to save money at home, you'll see how, little by little, bit by bit, and without realizing it, you manage to reduce your monthly expenses incredibly. A small effort that will be worth it, since there's nothing like sleeping peacefully without being troubled by financial worries.
And if you are a perfume lover, don't worry; you already know that thanks to DIVAIN Having to save money doesn't mean you have to give them up.
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