(Author of Listful Living) Paula Rizzo talks about saving money and how making small changes can help you do just that.
When it comes to balancing our budget, we’d all love to be able to save more money. Most people use budgeting apps to help stay on top of their finances. These apps are great, but they mostly just tell you how much you’ve spent and how much more you have left for the rest of the month. I’m a big believer that anything can be made better with a plan, and saving money is no exception — especially because saving money can involve saving time, too.
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Here are some ways to stay organized and save money and time:
Managing the ups and downs
Summer is coming up, and now that many people are getting vaccinated, it’s possible that we might be able to do some travel. Sunny weather is definitely in the forecast, which means outdoor dining will be even more appealing. How can you save during this time?
Go through your calendar and for every ‘expensive’ weekend you have, mark down another weekend as a ‘saving’ weekend. This doesn’t mean a boring one, it just means you should aim to spend as little as possible. Check out free events in your local area and try making meals from leftovers in your fridge.
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Balancing the food budget
I’ve talked about making bulk meals as a way to save money, but you can also take it one step further. Base your meal plans for each week around what is on sale at the grocery store. This can push you to be creative in the kitchen – almost like an Iron Chef (I love that show!).
There’s normally at least one special on some of the fresh produce, so try to swap those in for some of the more expensive veggies in your meals. Having your meals all planned out will also mean you’re not wasting time finding recipes or running out to the store for ingredients. Plus, planning ahead while working remotely means smarter, healthier snacking.
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Make a list and buy it all
You can save on lots of little trips to the store by buying all the miscellaneous items you’ll need for the month in one stop. Stock up on all the cleaning supplies, toothpaste, moisturizer, and whatever else you think you’ll need. This is also a good time to buy small gifts for upcoming birthdays or holidays, as well as some generic cards and wrapping paper.
If you want to streamline it even more, you can subscribe for items you buy a lot through Amazon and have them sent every month or two months or whatever you choose. This is one of my favorite time-savers, and you’ll get a discount, too! There are lots of other companies doing subscription services too — everything from razors to shampoo — so it’s worth checking around. Trying to make your grocery shop weekly instead of daily can be a big fuel saver.
Making small changes to the way you plan your budget can get you saving time and money.
Do you have any go-to time and money savers? I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
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Listful Living
A List-Making Journey to a Less Stressed You
A best-selling author and Emmy-award winning television producer for nearly 20 years, Paula Rizzo produced health, wellness, and lifestyle segments with a range of top experts, including JJ Virgin, Jillian Michaels, and Deepak Chopra. Rizzo brings her experience to this new project. Readers will learn their stress style and strategies for shaping their days in more productive ways. With self-assessments and exercises, this guide will bring readers to better patterns and better, more organized lives.