10 things that you really don’t need if you are serious about budgeting
WE all want to save more and pay less — and the ideal way to achieve both is to use a monthly budget as a guide. And while many of us know what is required and manage to get the budgeting part of the equation right, sometimes we still struggle to execute because we remain slaves to toxic financial habits like not living within our means; the primary cause of this being the overconsumption of unnecessary goods and services.
Are you ready to ditch your poor spending habits and commit to your budget? Start by sacrificing the 10 things shared below.
Perfumes
Women and men alike love to smell good. Find inexpensive body mists and sprays instead of colognes or ditch them altogether. Once your body is clean and you are using a good quality deodorant you’re fine.
Eating out
Ever since many of us were young we would have family takeout days. Curb these habits if there is not enough money. Instead, offer takeout once per month.
Hair extensions
We are in the era of Brazilian, Peruvian, Malaysian and a host of other “ians”, and many of you buy them in various textures and lengths. Most women comfort themselves by saying its reusable. But if you’re serious about your budget, $35,000 on hair that will get tangled and shed is not up for consideration.
Jewellery
Accessories like jewellery, and shoes in every colour with matching bags, should never be an option in budgeting. If you have all your basics, mix and match what you have instead of buying all colours and designs of shoes, handbags and other accessories all the time.
Stop buying into unnecessary memberships
They seem to have a membership for everything these days, and they know just how to lure you in — like the gym membership that you never use but keep auto-renewing because you intend to have a lifestyle change. Yeah, you need to opt out now. These are a waste of money.
Unnecessary recurring expenses
Instead of paying monthly bills for cable or Direct Tv, explore cheaper options. For one, you can take advantage of the free sites that allow you to watch your favourite TV shows, or ask to be your good friend or sister’s plus one for their Netflix password. Put your smart TV to work and stop spending unnecessarily.
Stop driving everywhere
Stop driving everywhere just because you have a car. Vehicles are convenient, but they are also a liability.
Stop paying for things you can do yourself
Doing some things yourself can save you a tonne. So get your supplies and wash your hair and groom your nails, wash your car, and do maintenance work at home that you can manage to do.
Stop making unnecessary daily purchases
Your habit of getting expensive brewed coffee and croissants or other expensive pastries in the morning adds up. The same goes for if you do this at lunchtime. Consider instead getting a cute thermos, investing in a little percolator to brew your ground coffee, and buying groceries to take lunch and breakfast from home.
Stay away from expensive hobbies and habits
Stop feeding expensive hobbies and habits. For example, golfing, clubbing every week, smoking, drinking often and heavily, and gambling. If it forces you to go over budget or takes a large part of your budget and is not essential, it is too much.
