Saving can be hard to get the hang of. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting in the swing of things and how to start saving in the first place! In this blog I will give some useful tips of how you can budget and start saving a bit of money each week;
1 – Record your expenses; the first step of saving is to find out how much you spend in the first place. Keep track of all of your expenses, write them down and categorize them i.e. household bills, phone bills, food shopping etc.
2- Make a budget; when you have recorded your expenses and have an idea of what money goes on what then it’s time to make a budget. The budget should consist of your income and how much you have a week/month and then your expenses, how much you are actually spending. Once you know your income and your expenditure side by side you can then look into where you can save your money. This can avoid you overspending money on unnecessary items.
3 – Save money; So you now know how much expenses you have and how much income you having coming in each week/month, the next step is to factor in a saving account to help you put a bit away each week/month. This may mean you need to cut back on some of your expenses, or even reduce the rate they are currently at – for example your phone bill is €50 a month, ring around to different network companies, see if you can get a better rate – and save that little bit extra.
4- Have something to save for; Set yourself a goal, a target to meet and have a purpose of reaching that goal, be it a new car, a new phone or saving for a mortgage. Then you’ll know how much you need to save and set yourself a time frame for when you have to meet your goal. Be realistic – Rome wasn’t built in a day!
5- Prioritize your money; setting yourself a goal and a target will give you more motivation to prioritise your money. If there is an expense you are wasting your money on, ask yourself - “do I really need to spend my money on this?” This could help you even save more to your goals! And then – watch your savings grow!