Money is a tricky thing. For most of us, there is usually too much month at the end of our paychecks. This is a frustrating, annoying, and at times nerve-wracking situation to be in. Luckily, you can change your situation no matter how destitute you think you might be. Creating a budget and teaching yourself how to cut back can actually go a long way to fattening up your bank account. Here are three Simple Ways you can Save over $50 this week.
Pack your lunch
Grabbing a quick sandwich at the deli for lunch is a super convenient way to eat lunch and stretch your legs during your workday, but it is not a secret that eating out all the time gets expensive quickly.
Cutting down on your daily take-out lunches and packing your own food from home is the fastest way to save some money. A $9 sandwich four or five times a week can easily transform into $45 a week! Rather, make enough food the night before so you can bring leftovers for you lunch the next day. This is beneficial in a few ways -- it’s cheaper, healthier and allows you more time to relax on your lunch break instead of going out and grabbing the fastest thing you can find.
Save your change
How often do you catch yourself saying phrases such as “keep the change” or dropping a few coins on the ground and being too lazy to bend over to pick it up? Saving your change is an easy way to increase your savings without having to change your lifestyle at all.
It may seem like a penny here or a dime there, but once all those pennies are added up, you suddenly have an extra $5 or $10. There is a reason why banks have created programs to roll your extra change into savings accounts; it is because they know that those coins, once added together, can help people have a little more money.
This is not a strategy to use for your retirement plan, but it can be an effective way to help pay for smaller purchases like haircuts.
Carpool your commute
Almost everyone you know probably has to commute to work. Long commutes sitting in stop and go traffic are exhausting for the driver and can be hard on a car. If you have a co-worker who lives near you, perhaps you could suggest that you take turns carpooling back and forth.
It can lead to a big payoff for just leaving the house a few minutes early. If you are carpooling, you are saving on gas, wear and tear on your car, and you aren’t the one who is driving to and from work every day -- sometimes you can be the passenger.
These are just a few quick and easy ways that you can save a few dollars here and there to help you save for that dream vacation you have always wanted to go on. According to Chain of Wealth, a personal finance blog, being responsible with your money and making small changes to your day is a step at a time process. You don't need to make huge, drastic sacrifices to make a difference but taking one step at a time and being aware of how you can save more of your money is the right direction to go in.
