Parent! What’s the number one thing you worry about the most on a daily basis?
Well, I guess it depends on your circumstances. But, for a lot of people, it’s generally going to be financial worries. Having a family is not cheap, and making sure you can support your kids financially can cause stress and anxiety. So, what you need to do is make sure you have plenty of techniques and ideas that will help you to save money for the family, and still have the things you need and want.
This is the trick these days, and it’s even more critical because the cost of living seems to be going up. Now, you need to make sure you do as much as you can to save money. And there are quite a few things you can do that will help you with this, just make sure you use my ideas to get you on the right track.
Downgrade Your Car
Think about the biggest costs in your life for the family. Well, mortgage and bills are a huge expense, but you also have to understand that your car can cost a lot of money as well. Cars can be a massive drain on family finances, so it’s important that you do as much as possible to reduce this cost. You could do that by using the car less, but sometimes this just isn’t practical.
One thing you may consider doing is selling your car and using the money to get a cheaper model and put towards some other financial commitments.
Buying a second-hand car is something that has become more popular these days. It frees up money and allows you to faceless expenses on a daily basis. So, you need to look into the idea of downgrading your vehicle, and using one that is pre-owned – just ensure you give it a proper once over, or buy from a respectable dealer.
Swap Suppliers and Get Sign Up Offers
A lot of companies don’t always reward loyalty to existing customers, you can get really good deals as a new customer – they are called sign up offers. There are some great deals to be had on a range of products and services. It might even be worth swapping suppliers. Bills also take up a huge portion of the family income, and this is something you’ve got to look at. But, you need to understand that by switching suppliers you can reduce the costs of your bills. Many energy companies will offer reduced rates for new customers. So, by switching each year, you will be able to regulate your costs and keep them low. There are plenty of things you can do that will help with this, and you need to use price comparison sites to work out who can offer you the lowest rates.
Seek compensation when necessary.
Sometimes, saving money and cutting costs is less about being frugal, and more about getting the money you deserve. As a result, you should take some time to learn about the different forms of compensation you may be owed – some of which may be more obvious than others. For example, if you were involved in a motorcycle accident, there are various benefits to seeking out compensation by working alongside a motorcycle accident lawyer.
This is because hiring a lawyer will help to recover quickly from the financial hit incurred by the accident, whether you need to repair or replace your motorcycle or require financial support to cover medical bills and expenses. If you need to take time off work in order to aid your recovery, you can also seek compensation to cover your loss of income. To put it simply, hiring a lawyer, while initially an additional expense, is actually a great way to save you money in the long run.
Make your own Cleaning Products
Other simple, money-saving sustainable ideas include scrubbing your house with homemade cleaners using common pantry items and installing water-saving aerators on faucets and showers. Some ideas require no financial outlay at all. For example, using your dishwasher and washing machine when you have enough for a full load maximizes your appliances’ efficiency.
Use Online Vouchers
You need to try to get clever when you’re shopping as well. That means making a lot of your purchases online and making full use of online vouchers and coupons. No matter what you’re buying there’s a good bet that you will be able to find vouchers somewhere that will help you with that. I’ve recently found https://www.raise.com/coupons/bass-pro-shops to be really GOOD. Otherwise a quick Google can often yield some voucher codes, sometimes it can take a few attempts to find a valid one, but the savings will be worth it!
Share Rides
If you are among the people that use cabs regularly, it’s advisable you consider sharing rides. This is because it’s much affordable than take a private ride. The good thing is that most taxi-hailing apps, including Lyft and Uber allow their customers to travel in groups. If you live close to neighbours that commute daily to work, you can ask them to join you because the taxi company will only charge one individual.
Buy Second Hand Items
Most people assume that secondhand items are meant for poor people in the society. That’s damn wrong and far from reality. In fact, there is no point of spending a lot of money to get a brand new item when you can spend much less by purchasing one that has been used. All you have to do is ensure that the item is still in good shape. For instance, a new book costs more money than a used copy of the same book. The content that you will find in the two books is actually the same.
Expect the Unexpected!
While you’re making these savings, it’s always best to expect the unexpected. The car might break down, or the washing machine might stop working. It’s good to have a modest ‘pot’ saved up, just in case. You don’t need a pile of money – just a little bit will do.
Draft a Budget
Most people spend more than they earn because they don’t have a budget to guide them. You should, therefore, create a budget of how you will be spending money on a daily basis and stick to it. You can even download an app to help you in keeping your expenses in check. With an app, you will be notified when your spending has gone through the roof. And as added bonus, you should avoid paying for your purchases using a credit card because it encourages you to spend money that you have not yet earned. This ensures that you will not be haunted by credit card debts.
As you can see, these are just a few of the great ways you can develop money-saving skills. As a modern parent, you need to come up with your own ways of cutting costs and saving money, and it’s important to do as much as you can. If you’ve got any top tips on saving cash, please feel free to drop them in the comments below. Anyway, good luck, and start cutting costs today!
