Now the fun starts...

Many find living a budget quite a shock. Those things you took for granted not at your grasp whenever you want anymore. How will you live? Will u be happy? What happens when that new IPhone comes out?

The truth of the matter is that you can do it, more than you think. When you are forced to a budget you find that you can find things you can do without or find things you can still do but cheaper. At first it is a shock but it's even a more pleasant shock when you find out how much un-necessary things you are paying for and can do without. The key I think and have found so far is to put things in perspective and try to realise what really matters and what the priorities are. If you can afford them then you will be happy, even a sense of achievement if you accomplish it.

Many through the country like us are having to face the reality that a shrinking or slow growing economy translates to a not so better living standards for everyone. The important thing to remember is that this is not forever. Think of it as you riding the storm. At the end of any storm, as you know there is a calm and things settle down and the sun comes out. This is what will happen for you.

I am in that scenario now and have had to do the necessary cuts to allow us to ride that storm. I know however that once I am back at work I will be in a much better position. Most probably in the best position I have ever been in. So to me the challenge has it's rewards on the long run and that the short term pinch is exactly that, short term.

There are many things you can do even if you don't need to cut like I do. Simple things like shopping around for your utilities and bulk buying the food shopping. The biggest saving a working professional in an office like I did is to bring in a packed lunch. I used to spend £3.75 on a boots meal deal. I thought that was a bargain. Look at the following figures and see for yourselves that it wasn't really a good deal.

£3.75 x 5 days = £15
x 4 weeks = £60
x 12 weeks = £720

So that's £720 pounds a year. More than enough for an iPad!! You could easily halve that by making your own food.

Some other tips on getting the most from your pound.

If you have to buy the product, try to get it on-line. You can easily compare the prices using google's shopping search. You can also find tonnes of voucher / promotional codes that people post on the Internet that can often give you 10-20 % off. You can also get cash back for a lot of the purchases you make on-line. There are several on-line cash back companies but the best I found and the most reliable was www.topcashback.com. You can also try to collect nectar or club card points that can be converted to vouchers for all-sorts of purchases.

So there you have it. I can give tips for saving until the cows come in but I'm sure you'll find them as I did. Good luck with your savings and I'll keep u posted on my progress.

Good night ; )


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Beckenham, London