As beautifully transcendent and transformative as it is, having a family has one major downside: it costs. Whilst we wouldn’t swap the daily joys of having children for anything in this world, there is no point pretending it’s a walk in the park money-wise, and it does mean there are times when you have to tighten your belt.
Once your little ones come along, you can wave goodbye to the simple sweetness of retail therapy, the thoughtless monthly splurge on your favourite luxury make-up brand, and that last minute holiday with your girlfriends that empties out your bank account completely.
Instead, you have to start being sensible – and there are times when it sucks! So here are three simple tips to make it just that bit easier. Follow them to the letter, and you might even have a little left over at the end of the month.
Make a budget and stick to it
We know it sounds onerous and achingly grown-up, but the best place to start if you’re looking to cut costs is with a strict budget. Note down your income first, and then in a second column jot down your essential outgoings and also the amount you want to put into your savings account each month. Add these two together, subtract the total from your earnings, and then see what’s remaining. This amount – measly as it might seem – is what you have left to spend on the luxuries. Exceed it at your peril!
Keep an eye out for special offers and promotions
Once you know how much you have to spend, you want to make this money go as far as possible, so always be on the lookout for special offers and promotions. It doesn’t matter what you choose to splurge on – whether it’s clothes, a hobby, or an evening out with friends – because the same principle applies regardless: the more you save, the further your cash will stretch. Perfect case in point: go get an online casino no deposit bonus and enjoy an awful lot more for your money than you’d expect. Gambling with your cash and cutting your costs all at the same time – now isn’t that ironic? However niche the expense, there are savings to be made, and even seemingly expensive decisions can be scaled back to suit your economizing.
Shop around
Last but not least, some truly wise words for you: always remember to shop around. Thanks to the advent of the internet, it’s incredibly easy to compare prices online without even having to leave the comfort of your own home, so there’s no excuse for ever spending more than you need to. Whether it’s your weekly food shopping, new school uniform for the kids, or luxuries like a bottle of your favourite perfume or an aftershave for your partner, make sure you’re not paying over the odds. This will help you to get far more bang for your buck in the long run, and might even leave enough left over at the end of the month to start saving towards your next holiday.
Isn’t it time you cut your costs?
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