When you want to try and make the most of the money you have, or you find that the cost of living is having a substantial impact on you, you may feel somewhat anxious. Rather than allowing these worries to consume you, it may be a good idea to consider how you could change your existing habits. This could allow you to free up some of your money, or even help the amount you do have to grow. Changing habits can take some time, and you may have setbacks along the way, but it can certainly be worth it in the end.
Start prioritising saving money
It can be difficult to get into the habit of saving money when you don’t have a great deal available to you in the first place, but it does have its benefits. Rather than opting for an account that has fees and taxes attached to it, you may want to open an ISA which can allow you to save without any associated penalties. Generally, you may have one individual savings account per tax year, which runs until April. A great benefit of this type of account is that you are free to deposit and withdraw as you wish, so long as it doesn’t exceed the cap stated for that year. Should you have a good month, you may wish to deposit more. However, if you have need of that money in an emergency, it would be available to you immediately.
Think about your travel arrangements
Getting to and from different locations in a timely manner can be incredibly important, especially if you need to travel for work. It can be tempting to use a taxi or other private hire vehicle service, but this can get substantially expensive quite quickly, and even continue doing so when stuck in traffic. Opting for cheaper modes of public transport can see you paying a much smaller fee for the same journey. It may even take around the same time, if not quicker. When undertaking short journeys, you may want to think about walking or cycling to your destination to cut out the need to pay altogether.
Make sensible choices with food
Living a busy lifestyle could result in you not having much time at home, or to yourself. Some people find that, in these scenarios, they often rely on takeout for their meals. While this may be incredibly convenient, it can put a significant dent into your budget. Committing to a weekly shop and cooking your own meals can be a lot cheaper. If time is limited, you may instead want to think about making food in batches that can be frozen and then used at a later date.
Managing your money can be important to help you avoid relying on overdrafts or credit cards. Setting up some simple yet effective financial habits, and doing your utmost to commit to them, could allow you far more financial freedom in the future.
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