There are many expenses, and saving money doesn't mean denying yourself everything, including a game at Lüks casino. The idea of saving money is not new, and it doesn't depend on your income. If your salary goes up, your needs go up, and your expenses automatically rise to the same level. An unexpected bonus that “fell from the sky” - and now it's gone, but there are a lot of things that you used to do without. What can you save money on and how to control your own expenses so that money does not go through your fingers? 

1. Keeping track of your expenses is the first step to saving money

Keeping personal financial records will be a very useful habit. This way you can analyze on a daily basis which expenses were necessary and which were the result of an emotional impulse, advertising gimmicks or simply “because the money was there”. Subsequently, you will learn to approach purchases more rationally, and your financial statements will become more “good”, “logical” and “moderate”. There will be fewer unnecessary expenses and more money saved.

2. Plan and build a reserve

At the beginning of each month, gather your thoughts and make a plan for future expenses:

• Mandatory daily amounts of which you can plus or minus plan. This is food, utilities, fuel for refueling the car, rent, payment for children's clubs, meals in kindergarten and school.
• Reserve for unplanned expenses: a trip to the doctor, a birthday present.
• The balance of funds - the amount you need to get out of when you suddenly want a brand-name sweater, for example.

Try to use the 50/30/20 rule, where half of your salary is spent on mandatory everyday expenses, 30% on pleasure and the remaining unplanned expenses and the remaining 20% goes into the piggy bank. Everyone can adapt this method to their income and goals and start saving with pleasure.

3. Love the Shopping list 

You can save money on everything, even food with a small salary. To do this, make a list of items you need to buy at the market and never go to the store hungry. Plan your menu for a few days, make a list and stick to it when shopping. Try not to take too much, do not “fall for” different marketing tricks, “red” price tags and your “wants”. If you find it difficult to strictly follow the list, budget a certain amount for unexpected expenses.

4. Loans and credit cards: give up and forget?

The habit of living on borrowed money is a way to nowhere, because debts will still have to be paid back, and with interest. Having a credit card in your wallet, you tempt yourself once again and risk buying an unnecessary thing, and rather not quite according to the possibilities. If you find it hard to keep yourself in control and think cold-bloodedly, then borrowing from the bank you - taboo. But if sometimes you need money urgently and very urgently, and you have no friends to lend to, credit cards are very helpful. In this case, we recommend you to read the terms of lending carefully. 

Having received a long-awaited salary, do not try to immediately spend it in the nearest supermarket or boutique. Believe me, even if at first you did not plan to buy anything and came “just to look”, marketers and consultants will definitely “help” you to spend your money on something unnecessary.

Give yourself time to think, do you really need the thing, or are you just subjected to an emotional impulse and can do without it? Millionaires have a habit - the 24 hour rule. They give themselves 24 hours to make an informed decision. This is a real way to avoid impulsive, emotional purchases.