We all know money issues can be stressful. Throughout our lives we can have financial struggles that put a lot of stress on our lives and in 2020 these struggles were exacerbated for many of us and continue into this year.
If you are looking for a way to help you save some money and become more stable financially in 2021, we want to help you today. Here are some of the simple ways that you can make your finances less stressful and get back on track:
Make A Spreadsheet
The first thing you can do to make your finances easier this year is make a spreadsheet to see everything in one place. Making a spreadsheet for your finances is a helpful way to get an overall look at your monthly incoming and outgoings and will allow you to plan for the future. Make a note of your monthly incomings through wages and other means — and then your monthly spends such as bills, car insurance and medication. Ensure that you list all of your default spends even if it is a bottle of wine at the end of each week or a coffee in the mornings on a Friday. You will get an idea here of where your money is going and you can start to consider making changes to this.
Create A Food Budget
Food is the easiest way to change your food bill for the better and one way to cut your food bill almost in half is by going veggie. By cutting out meat from your diet you will be able to cut your bill in half and fill it instead with other protein sources such as tofu, beans, or lentils. Consider how you can make your food shop both healthier and cheaper for the family and consider some of the big batch meals you can make to save some money. There are so many brilliant meals to make for your family on a budget and your eating routine can change for the better for everyone.
Set Up A Direct Debit For Savings
One of the easiest ways to force yourself to save some money is to have a direct debit set up between your current and your savings account on pay day. When you get paid you will be able to send money straight to your savings account and this will stop you spending this money later on. It is a helpful way for you to save money without thinking about it and throughout the year you should be able to reach a savings goal you have set from looking at your spreadsheet.
Keep Tabs On Your Loans
It is so important to keep an eye on any loans you have at any one time. You can do this with a tool like exception tracking and ensure that you know where you stand in terms of your payments and how far you have to go. Make sure to always be on track with everything you have to pay because it will make a big difference to you later on.
Use Cash
Taking out cash and using this to buy things at the store is a great way to reduce the money you spend. Psychologically, when you have cash in your hand and spend it, you will be less willing to spend as much as you would if you paid on card. If you have a problem with overspending this is a great way to curb it and ensure that you stay on track with your finances.
