In this world of trying to pay off debt, we are all hoping for a way to save more money every month. If we just had a little bit more that debt could be gone just a little bit sooner.
I hope you have used the debt calculator to see how soon you can pay off your debt but is that soon enough?
A great way to add more money to the pot is to get a second job but what if that does not work for you? There has to be more you can do!
IT’S UP TO YOU
Something we all HAVE to realize is that if you are going to pay off the debt or save for something, it’s ALL up to you.
Now you could say NO because you’re in a relationship and you both need to be on board. This is true but NOT at the same time. I am going to tell you a story, my personal story. I started this blog to help me commit to paying off the debt. My husband was not on board with this idea. He was on board with saving money but not there yet of paying off debt. So I decided to do everything I could to save money who doesn’t love to save money?
For 6 months I actively tried to save money plus put soft hints in my husbands head of ways we could save. During this time, I had saved over 8% of our monthly income. Then one day out of the blue, my husband looked at me and said: “let’s pay off the debt because I am tired of being held back”.
So what can you learn from this story? Yes, both in a relationship need to be on board to reach the goal faster. But one can make a difference, one person can still save!
HOW TO SAVE MORE MONEY EVERY MONTH
Are you wondering the ways I used to save money each month? I am going to share what I do each month plus now that we are both on board, we will save over 17% of our monthly income to pay off our debt by doing these things.
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Use a budget –
- I know that I say this all the time but using a budget is that IMPORTANT!
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Plan out the meals ahead of time –
- If you do not have a plan on whats for dinner, it’s very easy to just go out to eat.
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Cut the cost –
- There were things that we were paying too much for so we canceled the item (cable) or got a better price (internet, insurance, and cell phone).
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Have a List –
- Because you’re planning your meals, you should know exactly what you need from the store and only buy those items. In our family, I am the person to go shopping because I purchased only whats on the list (I do stray sometimes!)
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Only going to the store ONCE a week –
- This will save you time and gas but also helps by not being tempted to buy something.
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Enjoy FREE things for entertainment –
- go to the park, enjoy the splash pad, visit the library, go hiking, ride bikes, etc…
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Take lunch to work –
- This alone can save hundreds!
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Be smarter with purchases –
- We will pay a little more for the better item because it will last longer.
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Stay away from Target, Walmart, etc… –
- It’s hard to not purchase extra at these stores (mine is Costco) but if you have to go ONLY purchase whats on the list.
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Don’t take your time at the store –
- I have found that when I take my time and walk around the store, I purchase more!
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Automate –
- I pay almost all my bill with “autopay” this way I never have a late fee.
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Band each other from one store –
- Now, this might not work if it’s where you buy food but maybe limit how many times you can visit a month. Mine is limited to only a couple of visits to Home Depot and my husband is really limited on visiting Nike (once every couple of months).
There are other things you can do to save money but these are our 12 big ones we do every month. Do you have a way that helps you save money each month?
