It’s nice to splurge every once in a while, but what happens when that splurging becomes a habit and you find yourself having to save more and spend less? You start cutting splurges from your budget. I know it can feel like you might be missing out but trust me, you can do without these items in your budget.
Gym memberships
Gyms are expensive and most of us don’t use them enough to justify the monthly or yearly cost. I’m not saying exercise isn’t important, I’m just saying you don’t need to join a gym to get healthy. Want to know how to exercise for free? Start running, check out youtube for exercise videos and yoga videos, some city parks now offer workout equipment. There are plenty of cost-effective alternatives, you just have to be a little creative.
Cable TV
If you have internet service you could stream tv and movies. When we needed to really save money, our cable service was the first thing to go and we didn’t miss it. We found everything we wanted to watch online, Food Network has videos on their website, we watched our Blu-ray collection, and instead of paying so much for cables for barely watched, we paid for Netflix instead and got Netflix gift cards from family for Christmas so that helped keep the budget down.
Eating Out & Coffee Shop Coffees
This one is pretty obvious. Restaurants and coffee shops aren’t as cost-effective as making that meal at home or brew at home coffee. Purchase your food at the grocery store and start making meals at home. If you live a busy lifestyle, think about taking a Sunday and making some freezer meals to cut down dinner prep time during the week. Make it a family affair and get your kids involved.
Unnecessary food items and alcohol
Alcohol is expensive and grocery shopping without a plan is equally as expensive. So take some time to create a weekly meal plan, make a grocery list, and then go shopping. You’ll waste less and won’t overspend on items you don’t need. And no one needs alcohol, grab some sparkling water if you really want to feel fancy.
Home phone line
Chances are you already have a cell phone, so having a home phone is just overkill. Cut the home phone, and while you’re at it, call your mobile service provider and ask to speak to their loyalty department to get your monthly bill down. It never hurts to ask.
Are there other items you could cut to save money? Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear how you save on your budget.
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