Heading into the new year is a time period often viewed as a double-edged sword. For some, it means having to deal with resolutions head-on, which can be rather terrifying in certain situations. Others, however, embrace the new year as the perfect time to change in a positive manner and make it a pact to stick to the resolutions that they make without straying from the plan. Saving money is one of the most common resolutions that a person can make, although many people don’t actually plan things out. Simply saying “we’re going to spend less money” is not enough; you have to truly change your actions in order for this to work.
Fortunately, saving money as a family doesn’t have to be difficult or stressful. So long as you take the following tips into consideration, you’ll be well on your way to saving money in 2013.
Look Towards Your Utility Bills
A lot of people don’t realize just how much money they spend on utilities in a given year. If you set your bills to be paid automatically and aren’t paying close attention to everything, there’s a chance that you’re spending more money than you realize. Instead of simply paying what you feel you must on current utilities, you might want to consider looking elsewhere for your utilities. Energyratesnewyork.
With an Accountant
If you aren’t a finance professional, you might get quite a bit out of working with one. A professional accountant can have a dramatic impact on the overall health of your finances, and doesn’t have to be nearly as expensive to hire as you might think. Many accountants work on a sliding scale, which is perfect for those who do not have a great deal of extra money to expend. An accountant will be able to take a close look at your finances and help you to determine how you might be able to save in certain areas, in the end saving you a small fortune.
Plaster Your Budget Everywhere
Simply writing out a budget is a good first step to saving money, but it’s simply not going to be enough to get the job done completely. You’ve got to put your budget all over the place in your home, as this is surely the only way to ensure that you don’t spend more money than is necessary. For example, your budget should be written out and placed permanently on your desk at the office, or perhaps even on your refrigerator. This way, your budget will be top of mind at all times, and you won’t be nearly as tempted to “cheat” as you might be otherwise.
Saving money is extremely important for you and your family, and doesn’t have to be difficult if you take the above tips into thorough consideration.
I really like the idea of plastering your budget everywhere so you will be reminded to stick to it. We have really been trying to do a better job of saving money. After looking at our spending we found that we waste a lot of money eating out. So we are trying to cut down on that. Thank you for the great tips!
I guess saving money is a part of my resolution. It’ll be an added benefit. My resolution (and I don’t usually make them) is to waste less.
Looking at how much I spend on Utlilities is a good idea because not making sure you are wasting money on this! It can add up. I make sure to have my house winterized and I turn down the thermostat at night. I also do not have a garbage can that is too large for my family.
I always look for more ways to save money. Thank you for the tips!
I do my best to save our family as much money as possible on everything I purchase!
My partner and I put our budget on the fridge, and we keep track of things we spend. It helps curtail our spending.
We try and keep a budget on an excel spreadsheet so we can see what we’re spending.
This is definitely on our list for this year as well! We really need to stick to a more strict budget for sure!
You are right, everyone needs to be in agreement with the budget. Good reminder!