All of us could be smarter with our money, there’s no doubt about that.
That’s why it’s important to listen to advice from other people who may be able to give your checkbook a big boost in the future.
You might want to take these tips from AskReddit users into consideration!
1. Attention, impulse buyers.
“For impulse buyers like me, this is a really good tip.
When you’re thinking about buying something you don’t necessarily need, imagine somebody offering you the thing in one hand and what it costs in cash in the other. If you would take the cash over the thing from the from this imaginary stranger, you probably shouldn’t buy the thing.”
2. Give it some time.
“Don’t buy it right now, buy it next week.
You’ll probably forget about half the stuff you’d have thrown your money at in the spur of the moment.”
3. This is a good one.
“If you use it often and it’s not perishable; buy in bulk. Especially if it’s on special! I’ve seen guys waste money coming in week after week for a few razor blades (a 3 pack instead of a 12 pack), purely because the small pack is cheaper. No bro, work it out per blade and the 12 pack is cheaper. This works with almost 90% of goods.”
4. Make wise choices…
“If you can’t afford it now you probably wont be able to afford it when the credit card statement comes.”
5. You gotta pay yourself.
“Pay yourself first.
When you get paid, systematically put some into savings. Decide your percentage beforehand (10% for example) and do it every time.”
6. Start today.
“Don’t start budgeting ‘in a few years,’ start now. Heck, even if you’re in high-school and flipping burgers on the weekend. The ability to create, and stick to, a budget will make a massive difference to your life.
Once you begin to budget your money, you’ll quickly realise where you are blowing your money on stupid sh^t. Set a limit for the fun stuff, but also have savings – a contingency plan, and you can save up for something you really want.”
7. Stick to that budget.
“Budget…like your life depends on it..and it does!
What I do, is set a budget for everything. My utility bill has never been more than $150. So, I always set aside $150. Last month, my bill was only $88, so $62 went into savings.”
8. An expensive habit.
“Quit smoking.”
9. Make it at home.
“Don’t buy an $8 coffee every morning.”
10. Very important.
“Learn the difference between need and want.”
11. Used is just fine.
“I did a quick look, but didn’t find it listed:
Don’t by new ALL the time. Make a list of things you want to buy, and go check out refurbished (with warranty), check out thirft and consignment shops. Check out craigslist (but don’t succumb to the cragslist killer).”
12. Only on special occasions.
“Make your own meals.
Don’t eat out.”
13. Avoid it if possible.
“Do absolutely everything in your power to avoid paying interest / fees. It’s just throwing money away.
If you buy unnecessary things while in debt, think of it as paying interest on those purchases.”
14. Start when you’re young.
“When you’re younger, and therefore don’t have to pay bills or whatever, any paycheck you get, split it in at least half, and put half into a savings account, and the other into you’re normal account. This has helped me have a fairly large sum of money for someone my age just sitting there, for when I need it.
Just to clarify a few things and why this still works for me
I am living in Australia
I live at home
My parents are not super rich, but not poor either.”
15. Lay off the booze a little bit.
“Drink a pint of water in place of every third pint of beer. Saves you money, and your liver will thank you.”
Yeah, that last one… or just don’t drink? That can also save you A LOT of money. Just saying.
What are your tips? Or are you going to use any of these?
Let us know in the comments!