2007-11-05 12:35:54 · 5 answers · asked by Classy1 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Personal Finance
Well the first thing you have to do is make a budget. Include what your monthly net-income is, and then list all your expenses - include rent, bills, everything. Also, don't forget to deduct some money for savings - even if it's just $25 a month. It's always a good idea to try to lay aside some money in case of an unforeseen expense.
One way to make your money go further is spend less. There's probably not much you can do about your rent, but you can take steps to decrease several of your bills:
* Electricity - replace bulbs with CFLs where possible. These use only a fraction of the energy a normal bulb uses, therefore saving electricity and money. Only run the dishwasher or washing machine when full.
* Luxuries - have cable TV but don't watch it much? Drop it. Or maybe scale back - get fewer channels and pay less. Many libraries rent DVDs (even recent releases) for free - get a library card and stop using pay-per-view, HBO, or Blockbuster. Even then, renting a movie is still cheaper than going to the theater...
* Gas - try walking, biking, or taking public transit to work.
* Food & groceries - Stop going out to eat so much. Stop going to Starbucks - make your own coffee at home and take it with you. Take a sack lunch instead of eating out. Clip coupons. Make a shopping list and STICK TO IT. Learn to cook (fresh food is cheaper than the pre-packaged stuff - and healthier.) Cook up a large batch of soup or stew, and freeze the leftovers for a later date.
Keep your budget updated month to month, so you can see where your money is going. Then you can try to focus on an area to see what can be done to reduce spending.
2007-11-05 12:59:11 · answer #1 · answered by PoohBearPenguin 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1. Get a BLANK sheet of paper.
2. Write your income for THIS month at the top.
3. List what you will do with EVERY penny and keep a running total.
4. Spend NOTHING that is not on the list.
5. If you need to spend ANYTHING the is not on the list, REWRITE the list BEFORE you do so.
2007-11-05 20:42:10 · answer #2 · answered by STEVEN F 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Don't eat out, don't buy prepared food like lasagna at the market unless on sale. Buy generic. Drive a beater that you don't need collision & comp. Get a roommate. Don't buy on credit card unless you can pay off the thing every month.
2007-11-05 20:43:13 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Create a budget. See URL.
2007-11-05 23:01:40 · answer #4 · answered by Steve R 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Get a blanket
2007-11-05 21:25:35 · answer #5 · answered by Goodhead 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋