If you feel like this is the year that you’re going to start cutting back on your spending and saving money, a budget is a great place to start. People often get a sinking feeling in their gut when they hear the word “budget,” but it doesn’t have to be boring and scary. In this article, we’ll look at some essential tips for creating a budget and sticking to it. Saving money is a great way to get back on top of your finances, and budgets are a great place to start. Here are a few great tips you can follow.
Download a Budgeting App
Technology is often a place where people get into trouble and end up spending money they don’t have on devices that they don’t need. However, there are plenty of great budgeting apps that are available for free that can help you create and maintain your budget. Apps like Mint, YNAB, and PocketGuard are all excellent resources to help you stay on top of your finances.
Make Sure Everyone’s on the Same Page
The only way to make a budget work is to make sure that everyone in your family is on the same page. You can save all the money in the world, but it won’t do any good if your spouse or children aren’t on board and are spending money like it’s going out of style. Just as with a good marriage, communication and planning are essential when creating your budget.
Save Money on Your Utility Bills
If you’ve never paid attention to your utility bills before, creating a budget will quickly reveal to you just how careful you need to be with utilities. Electricity, gas, water, sewer, etc. are all places where people spend much more money than they realize. By turning off the lights, reducing how much you use your air conditioner and furnace, and not leaving the water running, you can save a pretty penny on your utilities. You can potentially save hundreds on just your electricity bill by signing up with EnerGenie.
Sell Things You Don’t Need for Extra Cash
Whether you choose to have a garage sale or sell your unused items online, making money on your old belongings is a great way to get some extra cash. You can choose to invest that money or use it as a sort of “fun money” fund where you use it for trips or date nights. Either way, getting rid of excess items around the house will free up your home and your budget.
Take Advantage of Reward Programs
Many people don’t realize just how much money they can save with rewards and loyalty programs. Most gas stations, grocery stores, department stores, and other places of business offer great deals and discounts with their loyalty programs. By simply taking an extra minute or two to sign up for places that you frequently visit, you can get in on some serious savings.
Have Fun While Still Staying Within Your Budget
Finally, it’s important that you don’t forget to live your life to the fullest. Budgets are designed to save and manage your money, but not to make you miserable in the process. Make sure that you make room in your budget for fun activities such as dates, trips, or anything else you enjoy doing. Always keep in mind that trips and nights out on the town are more enjoyable when you know you can afford them.
Learn more about Energenie
EnerGenie is your personal electricity shopping assistant. By signing up with EnerGenie, you’ll have peace of mind knowing you have a cheap electricity rate locked in to avoid rate hikes. You’ll also never have to worry about falling onto a high variable electricity rate because we continuously monitor your account and the market to sign you up for another great rate when your contract is coming up for renewal.
Signing up with EnerGenie can save you hundreds of dollars per year on your electricity bill.
Here’s what we do:
- We analyze your electricity usage
- We enroll you with a cheap electricity rate
- We manage your electricity plan
- We find your next plan automagically
By taking these small steps, you can set up your budget and start saving money. Click here to sign up today!