How I save money

Hello and welcome it is sunday and I wanted to talk about how I save money.

There are times when I can be reckless when it comes to spending money, but in mind I do still like to keep a budget on how much I am willing to spend any item.

As a kid I was a massive saver and I would hide money in draws. I never liked spending it, but as I got older and became independent I did start to spend money as if it was growing on trees.

For ages I have wanted to find that kid again who loved to save rather than spend and I do feel now that she is back.

I always ask myself now, do I need or want it. Needing something is different from wanting, and so more often I will walk away from an item I find myself for a few moments wanting  to by to then not wanting the item.

How I save money is:

• I no longer buy a load of books, if I want a book I will see if it is available via Audible and use a free credit to have the book, go to a charity shop or to the library. I will only have 4-5 books at a time.
• CDs and records. I always see if I can find a song or album I like via Youtube and play it, as it costs nothing
• Home telephone and broadband. I am now living back with my mum so I don’t use these at my old house, and so no longer pay for them
• Toiletries and perfumes. I have still got loads of items that were gifted to me in gift sets, that I no longer have to buy any such products
• Recycling. If there is anything like a pot or a container I will wash it out and clean it, and use it as storage.
• Photos. I use an APP called Free prints, and it is brilliant as all you pay for is the delivery charge and that is it, and they have other APPs where you can order tiles, with a photo you have taken on it and put it on the wall, and one where you can create a photobook. Or you can use Google where you can create a photobook for a really low cost
• Stationary. I could be forever buying items, but I don’t, and if I do need items I will buy them from stores such as, Wilkos, The Works or Poundland. I find Rymans and Whsmiths really expensive so I rarely will spend money in those stores if I can help it
• Shoes, I will only buy one to two pairs a year no more than that, as most of my shoes are still in good condition, so not need to.
• Bags. I could be someone who owned loads and in some ways I do, but have limited my spending on these sort of items as like my shoes they are all in good condition
• Make up brushes and makeup. I am not someone who wheres make up every day, but normally at the moment it is at the weekends, so don’t buy these items a lot, only if I have run out of items or if I have had some items for a while, as makeup if you didn’t know can have really bad bacteria which can cause infections, so be aware. Things like Mascara for example should be kept no longer than 6 months.
• Craft items. I have loads that I have accumulated over time so have not needed to purchase anymore items and use what I have already got in my collection. These are great things to keep especially if you have kids, as it is a great way to keep them occupied aswell.

When it comes to saving I would sit down and go through everything you spend your money on and where you can save money. I find doing this really disciplines me when spending and reining myself in, to see that I don’t need everything but enough that will see me through the year.

Many thanks for reading,

 

Carrie X