The habit of saving money is not only a feature of the poor man struggling to make it to his paycheck. Wealthy people with rather large incomes also save on expenses, rightly believing that if they did not save, they would never become rich.
Many have noticed that there is a category of people with decent incomes, living in debt, constantly borrowing money from friends until payday. And there are thrifty people who have modest salaries or pensions, but manage to buy an apartment, a car, raise and educate children, and even put it off for old age. For those who are accustomed not to deny themselves anything, it will be difficult to learn how to save, but it is possible.
Piggy bank
Get yourself a piggy bank. Not necessarily classic, you can take any container or box as a piggy bank. Get in the habit of pouring all the change into this container at the end of the day, leaving only paper bills in your wallet. This will save you from any petty expenses - changing a banknote is always psychologically more difficult than spending a change. In addition, if you save small money for a long time, you can raise funds for a fairly large purchase in a year.
The piggy bank is just an example on which you can learn to save even small money. As it you can use bank accounts, contributions to pension funds, investments in stocks and bonds. In addition, with the help of a piggy bank, you can teach children to save. Instead of spending pocket money on sweets and drinks, they can save it for something big. As a result, saving several months on little joys, then they buy an expensive toy or go to an amusement park.
Planning expenses
It is very important to keep a strict record of your income and expenses, to choose purchases not from the point of view of prestige and appearance, but from a purely practical point of view. For example, many Germans have a decent income to buy a prestigious car, but most drive cheap or old cars. And if a car is needed to maintain the image (for a director, for example), they use an official car.
When buying a car from the point of view of economy, you should pay attention to its price, cost of spare parts and maintenance, fuel consumption and practicality in everyday life. If there is no urgent need for a car, money can be invested in something more worthwhile. The same goes for jewelry, expensive furniture and appliances, fur coats and clothing. Since they are not essential items, it is better to prefer economy class items, and even better - to purchase everything at sales.
With austerity and cost planning, buying everything you need with cash is not a problem. A loan can be taken only for real estate, having previously saved up most of the cost of the apartment. Consumer loans and car loans are beneficial only to banks, but not to thrifty people.
Savings on utility bills
In modern Russia, utility prices are gradually approaching Western levels. Therefore, saving on utility bills is becoming more and more important. When purchasing household appliances, look at its energy class. If there is an opportunity not to turn on extra light in the house, use it. Replace bulbs with energy saving ones. Install water and gas meters - they will also save you money. Many Europeans, even when washing their face, collect water in a basin so as not to use up too much. Only turn on the washing machine when the tank is full. Take a shower instead of a bath. Use the microwave to reheat food, not the oven.
Saving at home
Buy groceries in cheap supermarkets according to a pre-compiled list. Purchase once a week or once every 10 days - this is also a kind of savings. Try to use old products, not throw away. Ride your bike or public transport whenever possible, not your car.
Manicure, haircut, household repairs can be done independently without spending money on it. Do not be lazy to walk or drive a few blocks further to a cheaper store. Only host dinner parties on special dates. Better yet, gather at a restaurant where everyone pays for himself.
Do not throw away old things - they may come in handy. Or become antique over time. Treat new things carefully and carefully so that they do not break and wear out for as long as possible. Do not pursue progress or fashion - this is a useless activity that leads to unnecessary waste of money.
Feel free to go to the markets. On them you can see a lot of interesting things, buy good and cheap things. Consult with financial advisors about saving the family budget and where to invest the freed up funds.
