Do you ever wish you could make your money go further? We all know those mid-month blues, where the fridge is looking lonely and the figures in the bank account are getting smaller and smaller. Have you ever stood in your kitchen and asked, “How are we going to make it until payday?”
I think this is a reality for many people, especially those with children in the home. There never fails to be something they need for school that you didn’t budget for. Or an unexpected trip to the hospital; a car breaking down; or a pet needing to see a vet. These types of things seem to creep up at the most inopportune times and can leave you feeling stressed and anxious about how you’ll get through the rest of the month.
So what’s the answer? I’m writing this post because I’ve found myself in this very place far too often. I hope some of what I’ve learned can help you to stress less and make your money go further.
1. You decide when you go to the shops: Nothing will deplete your money quicker than impulsive trips to the shops to “pick up a few things”. Decide to make only one trip to the shop per week and make sure you take a shopping list with you and stick to it.
2. Make what you have: We’ve all seen these great recipes on social media and realise we could make it if we just had a few more ingredients. When money is tight, we knuckle down and make meals only with the ingredients we have on hand. You’ll be surprised how many meals you can make with what you have in the cupboards. At the beginning of the next month, draw up a meal plan and make sure you have those ingredients at home.
3. Use the envelope system: I need to get better at doing this one but it’s honestly where I’ve seen the most results in making my money go further. Financial guru Dave Ramsey has a lot to say about this revolutionary way of handling your finances. The idea is that once your bills are paid, you decide how much of what’s left over is for petrol, groceries, eating out, and more. You then withdraw that cash and place it in an envelope labeled “groceries” or whatever expense it needs to cover. That way, you only spend what you have in the envelope and you can see as you go how much money you have left.
Swiping your debit card, although convenient, makes it very difficult to track and curb your spending. Try these ideas out next time you’re in a pinch and I hope you’ll find your money goes further!
When life gets overwhelming and stressful, I am so grateful that I can turn to God in prayer for help and answers. Can you do that? If you’d like to know more about having a personal relationship with God for yourself, please click on the pop up or link below.