1. Carpooling. Have you ever looked around you in traffic and noticed how many cars are transporting just one person? Why not save on your petrol expenses by finding one or two people at the office to carpool with? If you don’t live far from work, you could even bicycle or walk to work – you’ll save money and get healthy.
2. Making your own lunch. You can spend between R50 and R100 a day on lunch. That money quickly adds up (R1 000 to R2 000 per month!). All it takes is a little more planning and 10 minutes extra in the morning. You could also try making a little more for dinner every night if you want to save yourself the hassle of making lunch in the morning. Likewise, make your own coffee. Shelling out R25 for a cappuccino can add up to a packet every month – especially if you’ve got an untamed caffeine addiction.
3. Shopping with a plan. Plan your meals for the week, make a list and shop once a week. Popping into the shops on a daily basis makes those impulse buys more likely. Plus, if you’re shopping on an empty stomach on the way home from work, you’re likely to buy more items you don’t need.
4. Paying your bills on time. You can save yourself plenty of money on late payment fees if you pay your bills on time. So get organised and set up debit orders where possible, e.g. for your cellphone bill. Make a regular date every month to pay all your utility bills – it’ll soon become habit.
5. Treating yourself. If you promise yourself a little something once you achieve a saving milestone, you’ll find it easier to stay on the saving course. Don’t make it a big gift, as that defeats the purpose – try to make it 10% of what you’ve saved. So if you’ve saved R9 000, buy yourself a R900 gift like a fragrance or a pair of boots. Rewarding yourself helps stave off feelings of deprivation and keeps you on the path to healthy savings. |
