Your budget is really tight, and you have a suspicion that your entertainment costs are partially to blame. Read ahead to see how you can cut your entertainment costs and add those savings back into your pocket.
The Problem with a Tight Budget
A tight budget can be a big problem. You’re sabotaging your ability to save for future goals, and more importantly, you’re leaving yourself vulnerable to emergency expenses. When you have no wiggle room in your budget, you can’t afford to deal with any unplanned problems.
What will you do when something goes wrong? If there’s not enough room in your budget, you could use your credit card or line of credit to cover the expense. And if you don’t have a personal line of credit already, you can go to a website like CreditFresh to apply for one right away. This open-end credit tool could help you handle a small emergency in a short amount of time.
You can avoid this tricky situation entirely by revamping your budget and leaving some room for the unexpected. You can do this by trimming down a variable expense like entertainment.
How to Trim Down Entertainment Costs
Shrink Your Number of Subscriptions
You have too many subscriptions! You need to assess which ones are must-haves and which ones you can get rid of. If you’re having trouble cutting down the list, you can download subscription canceling apps to help you get the job done.
Share the Fun
You don’t have to cover the costs of entertainment all on your own. Share your subscriptions, games, books and more with friends and family, and they’ll do the same for you.
Skip the Theaters
You’re not just spending money on a ticket when you go to the theater. You’re paying for gas, parking and concession snacks, too. You can make homemade popcorn and stream a movie for cheap at home. That way, you’ll have the best seat in the house, and you’ll save lots of money.
Use the Library
Are you an avid reader? Then, you need to take advantage of your public library. You can use your library card to borrow books, magazines, ebooks and even audiobooks for free.
Get into Podcasts
If you like audiobooks, you’ll absolutely love podcasts. There are lots of ways to listen to podcasts for free on your computer or smartphone. You can get hours and hours of entertainment without spending a dime.
Wait for Deals
Timing is everything. Books, movies and video games are going to cost more when they’ve just hit the market. A little bit of patience can help you. Wait for the hype to die down before you make a purchase.
Support the Indies
Smaller, independent forms of media will usually charge less than their bigger counterparts. For instance, instead of buying expensive tickets to see your favorite popstars on tour, check out shows from indie musicians in your area. Turning your attention to the underdogs could help you discover something new and exciting — with the added bonus of saving you lots of money.
You don’t have to sacrifice fun to save money! As you can see, you can find lots of savvy ways to entertain yourself. You can have fun and a full wallet at the same time.
