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Six Ideas For A Home Cinema

We’re all spending more time at home at the moment. If you’re missing the cinema experience, you can recreate the movies at home. A home cinema isn’t just for the rich and famous. There are options for all budgets and spaces if you’re clever with your design. Here are some of the best ideas to fit a home cinema in your home. 

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1. If you don’t have a separate room spare to turn into a home cinema, you can trick out your existing living room. If you have the budget, invest in some state of the art equipment, including a TV and speakers. Surround sound is a good investment if you watch a lot of movies. It’s also a good idea to make sure you have very fast, stable WiFi so you get the best picture quality if you’re streaming your movies. 

2. Build a den. If you do have a spare room, such as a converted basement, you can go for a classic home cinema design. Think media room, or den, with a big TV, a bar, recliners, or a bar. Display things like sports memorabilia or movie collectibles. 

3. Make the family room do double duty. If you’re decorating on a budget, you can save some money by making your family room also work as a movie space. Hang a large screen TV and a soundbar on the wall. Add plenty of storage, so when the kids go to bed, you can hide away all their clutter and turn the room into a cinema for the grown-ups.

4. Embrace the built-in. One of the problems of creating a media room or home cinema is the amount of cabling. If you still want the room to look good, it can be tough to do that when you have wires trailing everywhere. Hide those away by embracing the built-in. You can use custom cabinetry to hide wires, DVD storage, and the other less visually pleasing aspects of having your own cinema. 

5. Convert a space you’re not using. If you’re lucky enough to have a usable basement or a poolhouse in your home that you aren’t using for their intended purpose, both are ideal for being converted into a home cinema. By treating yourself to a flatscreen TV and make the space as comfy as you can by opting for day beds instead of a sofa. If you’re using a room away from the main house, you can get a little more adventurous with the decor. Paint the walls black, hang neon lights, or put in a popcorn machine. Why not? 

6. Buy a projector. For the try movie experience, you need a projector. There are lots of great options on the market for use in the home. You can use a projector with a permanent set-up, or use it to turn another space into a cinema. For example, fit a retractable projector screen, project onto a white wall, or hang a white sheet outside to take the cinema outside for something different. 

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Growing Your Family: Costs to Consider

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Everyone knows that raising children is expensive, but it’s not often something that you think about too hard. You might consider whether you can afford to have children, but the total cost of raising a child might not matter to you that much. After all, you’re not going to pay for it all at once. However, it is worth considering the costs that are involved with growing your family, both when you first start and as your children get older. There are plenty of significant expenses to take into account when you’re planning a family and working out if you can afford it.

The Costs of Pregnancy and Childbirth

Before you are even officially a parent, there are certain costs to consider. In the US, the average cost of pregnancy and delivery was $4,500 in 2015 – and that’s for people who have insurance. If you don’t have health insurance or you don’t have very good insurance, the out-of-pocket cost could be a lot more. This is definitely something worth thinking about if you’re planning to expand your family. Pregnancy could be even more costly if you need help with conception. Attending a leading fertility clinic may be worth it to achieve your dream. But it’s essential to consider the cost and what you may be able to afford.

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Initial Baby Costs

Getting ready for the arrival of a baby can be a frantic time. While you only really need a few essentials, there are also plenty of other things that are nice to have. Beyond diapers and clothes, you’re probably looking at cribs, strollers, car seats, and other items to help you prepare for your new bundle of joy. Budgeting for these costs will mean that you don’t have to worry too much about the initial expense involved in having a baby. And once you’ve had the first child, many items can be reused if you want to continue expanding your family.

Growing Your Home

As your family gets bigger, one thing that you might want to consider is a larger home. Ideally, you already have a home suitable for the family that you want. However, it’s not unusual to need to find a larger home as your family grows. You might need extra bedrooms as your children get older and need their own space or more living space, so you don’t all trip over each other. Of course, a larger house is often more expensive, although it might not be if you take other factors into account.

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Ongoing Expenses of Raising Children

Of course, there are many other costs associated with raising children. There are everyday expenses such as food and clothing, plus plenty of things such as dental and medical costs, school expenses, hobbies, and more. You might also want to start thinking about your child’s future, saving money for college, or other costs that will help them to make the successful transition to adulthood.

Growing your family and raising children certainly makes the cost of living more expensive. However, being able to afford to grow your family will look different to everyone.

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Eight Ways to Teach Your Child Excellent Money Management

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You might have mastered the art of managing your money, but just because your education is finished doesn’t mean you can’t pass on this knowledge to the next generation: your kids. 

Teaching your kids excellent money habits will make them more confident once they become old enough to earn a wage. Too often, parents neglect to give their kids a crash course in saving, budgeting, and spending money. When they finally get their own money, they end up irresponsible, splurging money on video games, clothes, and candy. While they are allowed to indulge now and again, this could be the start of bad habits which are hard to break. 

Clear Savings Jar 

It’s always best to start early, and if you’ve got younger children learning about money for the first time, you will be able to teach them about money management by giving them a physical representation of the cash. A clear savings jar is the best way to do this.

With a jar, they can see how much or how little money is available. It will teach them the consequences of spending, and that there is no such thing as an evergreen money tree. Savings jars are a better alternative than piggy banks, as kids will get to see the changes in real-time, rather than fill up the piggy bank and wait for the surprise. 

Be An Example to Them

Even though you’ve got plenty of money lying around, tucked behind sofa cushions, or protected in your bank account, you can’t buy on every whim. Children will model your behavior in all aspects of life, and just like they will copy your diet and actions, they will also want to mimic your spending habits. 

If you spend your money frivolously, they will think this is normal. It isn’t normal, though, even if you’re a millionaire. It’s vital to demonstrate your restraint when teaching your kids how to manage their money, as you will be the first person they learn from. 

Demonstrate Opportunity Cost

What does the opportunity cost? It is merely a way of comparing the effects of purchasing certain things. This is a useful method to do with kids who are old enough to understand what money is, but not old enough to earn their own money from a part-time job. 

When faced with opportunity cost, you can remind them that if they buy x, they will not be able to afford y. This tactic can encourage them to be more careful about their spending and consider whether or not this is the right purchase to make right now. By understanding outcomes, they should become more sensible with their spending. 

Commissions vs. Allowance

You shouldn’t give kids money just because you think you should. Consider the benefits of an allowance versus a commission. With an allowance, you will give your kids money every week even if the dishes pile up, they don’t take the dog for a walk, and their grades are at rock bottom. 

Compare this to a commission that rewards kids for chores and hard work. They won’t have money for free in the future, so a commission instills a positive work ethic. When they are paid for their work, they will understand how vital contribution is if they want to earn a living. 

Advise Against Impulse 

Impulse buys are the energy of proper budgeting. Kids will see something they want, and they will buy it straight away. It might be a new video game to play with friends, or it could be a dress for them to wear to the school dance to impress their friends and their crush. 

However, it’s vital to advise against impulses at all opportunities. Even if you understand their need for it, encourage them to wait at least 24 hours (although, preferably a week) to make the purchase. If they still care enough to buy it once this time has passed, then it’s clearly not an impulse. 

Give Them a Bank Account

When your kids are old enough, you can help them set up a bank account. You can usually open an account as young as 13, and whether they get paid with an allowance or a paper route, they can deposit this money into their account and watch it grow. 

Compare this to the clear savings jar you used when they were little nippers. While they won’t see the money increase, they will see numbers tick up and up with every deposit. This will help teach them more mature money management, which should prepare them for dealing with more substantial sums later on. 

Help Them Budget

Nobody knows how to budget naturally; it is something that you must learn. You learned how to do it, and now you can pass on this wisdom to your kids. 

Teenagers don’t pay for much. However, once they get to an age where they need to be responsible for themselves, such as paying for a phone contract or their car, they need to know where the money is going and how much they can afford to spend. Sit down with them and set up a budgeting plan so they can visualize where each payment goes. 

Show Them Different Options

As your kids get older, you will want to help them get into the most comfortable financial position possible without padding their bank accounts yourself. After teaching them all about budgeting, you can consider looking into other options to help them build their bank balance. 

One of these options is investing. While they might think they aren’t old enough to consider investing, there are lots of different platform types for them to explore, while micro-investing is also a low-risk avenue to consider. 

Smart Money For Smart Kids

Your kid is unlikely to listen to your endless lectures on managing their money correctly, but the more you persevere, the more appreciative they will become. By catching them early and drilling excellent habits into their heads (not literally, of course), you can prepare them for the rest of their lives, be more sensible and careful with their spending, and reap the benefits by doing so.

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Get Your Home Looking Great Without Spending a Fortune

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Everyone wants an attractive home; a place where you can feel relaxed and feel happy to have visitors over. Creating a home that perfectly matches your tastes and also looks immaculately presented is not always easy. Sometimes, changing your home into your perfect living space can be met with challenges. For many people, the cost involved with improving their property is the most significant barrier to them creating their dream home. 

The great news is that you don’t need to spend a fortune to get your home looking great. Instead, you merely need to look for creative solutions that will help you to perfect your home without spending stacks of cash. Living frugally and in an eco-conscious way doesn’t mean that you have to go without a perfectly presented home. In fact, rising to the challenge and thinking creatively about transforming your home is a big part of the fun.

Working hard to carefully create a home that looks impressive without spending your life savings on it will give you so much satisfaction. Working on your home becomes a labor of love, with each room receiving care and attention. It is so much more rewarding to carefully curate a room and improve it yourself, than merely going out and buying every item new. When you shop carefully and consciously, you will find that the items that you choose will hold more meaning and have a story behind them, which brings extra character into your home.

Want to know how you can create a home that never fails to impress guests, and brings you joy every day? Here’s how you can create a home that looks great without overspending:

Make a Plan

To make a noticeable change to your home, it is crucial to make a plan. Spending time gathering together some interior design inspiration is an excellent idea, plus it’s a lot of fun too! Looking at photos of other home makeover projects can help you to form a clear idea of what you want your home to look like, and crucially, what you don’t want it to look like.

Creating a plan for your redecorating project will help to guide you through the process. Having a plan is especially crucial if you are someone that finds it hard to get started on a job. Working to a plan breaks down your jobs into more manageable tasks which can help you to stay motivated. Think about the jobs that need to be completed, are they renovation jobs, or merely redecorating tasks? Establishing what needs to be done will help you to prioritize your tasks.

Take it Slow

While finding the motivation to get started is obviously the most critical step in your project, it is a good idea not to try and get the project complete as fast as possible. Taking things more slowly and focusing on one room at a time will help you to get each room to the best standard, and looking exactly as you want. Taking a slower approach also gives you the time to find the perfect décor and furniture for the room, without needing to compromise because you are in a rush to get the room finished.

Consider Your Color Scheme

A change of color scheme is one of the fastest and easiest ways to update a room. Repainting a room in a new color is also one of the cheapest ways to make a significant change to a room without spending too much money. Choose your paint color carefully and think about that way that your chosen shade will make the room feel. 

A room that is painted all-white or cream is a super simple way to make it look fresh and give a more spacious appearance to the living area. Alternatively, sticking with a color palette that consists of just two or three complementary shades and using these throughout your design scheme is an excellent way to create a big visual impact. The reason that choosing a color palette consisting of a few shades works is that it helps to create a stylish, uncluttered look, which then helps the room to look more expensive. You only need to look at the popularity of monochrome schemes in upmarket hotels and restaurants to see the visual impact and vibe that a carefully curated color scheme creates.

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Upcycle and Restore

Re-using and repurposing your existing items is an excellent way to save yourself some cash, and reduce the impact on the environment. Think about ways that you could incorporate your current pieces in with your new décor. Perhaps, you could keep your current chairs but re-upholster them in a fabric that better suits your new scheme. Or, maybe you could transform a long-forgotten piece of furniture and give it a whole new lease of life with a lick of paint? 

Upcycling and restoring home items is a great way to reduce waste in your home and to make use of items you already own.

Buying preloved items to restore and upcycle will also help to reduce the number of items that end up in landfills. Staying on the lookout for preloved items for sale when you are out and about is an excellent way to pick up some unique finds which you can then improve.

Shop With Care

When you are trying to save money on your home makeover, and also trying to complete the project in an environmentally responsible way, you need to shop with care. Do your research to find the best sources for things like furniture and paint.

If you are buying new items, because you cannot find anything suitable that is pre-loved, then it is essential to consider both the quality and the price of the product. Choosing brands such as Ashley bedroom furniture will enable you to buy new pieces that are both excellent value and high quality. 

Furniture is something that you will want to ensure lasts for many years, so from both a financial and sustainability viewpoint, it is vital that the furniture that you choose is high-quality. Buying poor quality furniture because it is cheap is worse for the environment, and will ultimately cost you more in the future.

Keep Things Simple

Keeping things simple in your home is a sure-fire way to keep it looking good. If you clutter your rooms up with too much stuff and crowd your room with ornaments and furniture, then you will be making so much more work for yourself. The simpler your home, the easier it is to keep clean and tidy, and the more relaxing it will be to spend time in it. 

Choosing to include a few meaningful decorative items in your room will have a greater visual impact than cramming it full of mass-produced ornaments. It is so easy to accumulate tons of stuff over the years that you don’t need. Your home makeover is the ideal opportunity to make a fresh start and only buy what you need, which will benefit both your bank balance and the environment.

Get Creative

One of the most surprising things about redecorating a home on a budget is the things that you learn. When you need to carry out almost every task yourself, you will find that you develop a whole new set of skills. At times, the learning curve may be pretty steep, but nothing beats the satisfaction of completing a project yourself.

Redecorating your home is the ideal opportunity to let your creativity run free and to acquire even more new skills. Making items for your home brings a truly personal touch to your living space, so why not consider giving crafting a go and see what you can create? 

There are loads of different creative projects that you can attempt around the home. Perhaps you could learn how to use a sewing machine and then have a go at making pillows to match your new color scheme, or maybe you could repaint your picture frames to freshen them up. When it comes to crafting and getting creative around the home, the possibilities really are endless, and the only limit is your imagination.

Keep Up With Maintenance

After spending so much time and effort on making your home look at its best, it is vital that you try to keep it that way so that your work does not go to waste. Maintaining your home is crucial to not only keeping it looking amazing at all times but also to save yourself money. 

Without care and maintenance, your home can run into problems that have the potential to be expensive to fix. A well-maintained home will always look neat and clean, so keeping on top of those maintenance jobs is vital. Simple things such as keeping your home well-ventilated, cleaning the rainwater guttering, and protecting your woodwork from pests and mold will ensure that your home stays looking great for many years to come, and will also help you to avoid costly repair bills further down the line.

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How to Stretch Your Dollars

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We will all go through periods in our lives when money is tight, and we need to learn to stretch the money we have until things even out again. A lot of people are going through that struggle right now. No need to worry, there are many different ways that you can make those dollars last. 

Make a Budget

It is always important to make a budget. You need to have a clear understanding of what money is coming out and what your expenses are totaling. When you can see where your money is going, then you will be able to see ways you can cut down on spending or spend your money in a more efficient way. 

Some things you may discover when you create a budget is that you are spending more money than you realized. Things like recurring payments, monthly subscriptions, or small impulse buying can all add up over time. 

Evaluate Your Savings

Hopefully, you have been saving a little bit before and have some money to fall back on. If this is your situation, then that means you need to evaluate your savings account and determine how much you have to help support you and how long it will last. You will also want to make a plan to build your savings account back up once you are back on your feet. 

Meal Plan

Planning meals is an important way you can save money. It will help you save money when you go grocery shopping, and it will make you less prone to eating out spontaneously, which is more expensive than cooking at home. 

Making a meal plan will allow you to know the food you will need to create the meals for a week or a couple of weeks. Once you have that information gathered, you can make a focused grocery list that will cut down on impulse buying. It will also help ensure that the food you are buying actually gets eaten instead of going bad in the fridge. 

Earn Extra Money

Even if you have scaled back and started using your money wisely, you may still be a little short. Luckily, there can be a few easy ways to make some extra money online. Some ways will require a lot of time and some specialized knowledge, but some can be done quickly and with little experience. 

Using opinion sites to bring in a little extra cash is easy and can be done while you are watching television in the evenings. Taking surveys or reviewing products at home on your computer or phone is easy, and there are a lot of options. You will want to look around and find the best places for surveys that pay and then sign up. Once you are signed up, you can start right away. 

Receipt trackers are another way that you can earn a little extra money with just a little bit of effort. Simply snapping a picture of your receipt can earn you points that then accumulate into cash. You can also use apps to earn money back on the regular food and household items that you normally buy the same way.

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5 At-Home Financial Options To Remember with Neon Funding

This post is sponsored by Diamond Bloggers. All opinions expressed are my own.

Starting any new business can be daunting. Especially when its an at-home business. And nothing can derail the best of plans like the initial missteps taken when creating your business, particularly surrounding the realm of finances. This is why you will want to keep the following five financial options in mind when starting your next at-home business this season at home.

Decide Which Products or Services Your Small Business Will Offer

Before you can start a home business, you have to know what products or services you want to offer. And when deciding what business strategy will be most viable for you at home, consider these questions:

  • What do you have to offer?
  • What makes you an expert in this field?
  • Do you have all of the education and skills you’ll need to compete successfully in the marketplace or will you need to get training?
  • Does the product or service you’re thinking of marketing meet a need for your target demographic?
  • Is this a seasonal product or service, or can you market for business throughout the year?
  • How sensitive is marketing this product or service to general economic conditions?
  • Do you have a passion for this business idea?

While money is great to earn, it’s not enough to propel you to success. You need to be enthusiastic about your offering to the public as well. Making one of the first financial options to consider for your at-home business whether or not you will be able to maintain your personal drive and enthusiasm when it comes to the day-to-day operations of your business. After all, if you cannot stand behind your idea it doesn’t make sense to invest in a business, training, marketing, and product production.

Your business is going to be your livelihood, so it should be something you believe in, enjoy, and would gladly promote to others. Which is why so many find success in turning hobbies into business structures. Because when you choose an idea you’re not excited about, it will be difficult to get motivated at times. It’s all about the mindset of remembering to “Do what you love, and love what you do.”

Know Your Market and Your Competition

While having a great product or service is required to start a business, without buyers, you still don’t have an equitable business. Which makes knowing your market paramount. Including being versed in what your demographic wants, needs, and what inspires them to continue to buy from you. All points are necessary for at-home business success. This means investing money in identifying your target market and determining your unique selling angle. This will help you to be able to set your business apart from others that are similar in your field. Here are a few things to consider when investing money in marketing or acquiring the services of marketing firms:

  • Who Is Going to Buy Your Product or Service?
  • What characteristics or traits will your typical customer or client have?
  • Will you market to businesses, to consumers, or to both?
  • What Is Special About What You Offer?
  • How does your product or service meet the need of your target market?
  • What is your competitive advantage?

Use these questions to create a marketable point of reference when it comes time to invest funds into crafting a marketing plan. This will help you when it comes time to outline how you’re going to let your target market to advance your business and business finances in the season to come.

Do the Tasks That Need to Be Done

There is a lot that goes into starting a home business. Along with the legal tasks of starting a business, there’s also the day-to-day tasks that can make or break our business. Such as the ability to deal with hassles and frustration of repairs, personal and employee health care, and costs of technology and upgrades. All expenditures that will require future financial planning and cash reserves to make these daily, weekly, or monthly tasks possible. If you can’t accommodate these costs or tasks, then a home business may not be for you.

To make sure you have the financial reserves to succeed, answer this question honestly: Can you handle the day-to-day general tasks that starting a small business requires, like:

  • Supplying products/service
  • Distribution of product
  • Invoicing/billing
  • Ordering supplies
  • Bookkeeping expenses
  • Marketing Costs
  • Filing Costs
  • Formation of LLC Costs
  • Deal with temporary financial disappointment
  • Manage financial overwhelm

While some of these tasks can be delegated to virtual assistants, many others will fall to business owners themselves to resolve. This can be hard when home business owners are solopreneurs, starting on a shoestring budget and having to wear all business hats simultaneously. It will behoove you to plan to start planning your cash reserves now. As well as how much of your net income you will reinvest in your business moving forward. Steps that will help financially and emotionally give you the stamina to carry you through until you can hire help or have a better footing in your own business in the seasons to come.

Make a List of What Needs to Be Paid

It’s much easier to complete any task or project if you have all your supplies ready and at-hand to start working. Which will make dishing out funds for the following crucial in starting your at-home business this season, including:

  • A Home office. A dedicated, separate space with a door is recommended if you plan to take the home office deduction. This space will need to be used regularly and exclusively to run your business and will require funds to get this space up-to-code.
  • Converting space: If your home office will be in a room, garage, or attic that requires building or altering the space, funds will need to be diverted to this expenditure.
  • Space for inventory, supplies, records, and/or equipment. Remember to consider whether or not this space will need to be climate controlled.
  • Power usage. Such as the installation of extra outlets, power strips, and the like.
  • Secondary phone, fax, or internet lines. While many today use a cell phone, a second business phone line creates a separation from personal and business and allows you to have other business-only connectivity such as fax and Internet. Which may or may not require additional funding for installation as well.

As you determine what you’ll need, keep track of your estimated costs, and make sure these figures are properly accounted for in your initial cost projections as you start your at-home business.

Find Out the Legal Requirements are Necessary to Run Your Home Business with Neon Funding

While it’s tempting to set up shop and start selling right away, there is a protocol that must first be met before running an at-home business. Failure to comply with these rules can often result in fines and being forced to close up shop. Here are some legal issues to consider you will need to finance before starting your at-home business:

  • Check your zoning laws before starting a small business. If you won’t have a sign, you can usually get a waiver. Also be sure to check with your homeowner’s association’s covenants and restrictions, as well as your lease agreement if you rent your office space, for any restrictions on-at-home businesses.
  • Contact your city or county regarding a business license. Most areas have a business license requirement. Usually, it’s affordable and is generally under a few hundred dollars to obtain.
  • Check with your state’s occupational regulatory agency to see if your business requires additional permits or licenses. For example, most businesses involving grooming (people or pets), financial help, child care, or food services are regulated by the state and you may need an additional on-site examination before a permit is issued.
  • Get a sales tax license from your state’s taxation or comptroller’s office if you sell tangible goods. This allows you to collect and pay sales tax.
  • Open a business-specific bank account. The IRS frowns upon the co-mingling of personal and business funds in tax filings.
  • The costs associated with professional services such as Neon Funding, a lawyer, or an accountant.
  • Get an employer identification number. While not required in a sole proprietorship, it is necessary if you employ people. It’s free and the advantage is that you can use it, instead of your social security number on business-related paperwork, you’re provided extra indemnity assurance when filing paperwork online.
  • Protect your intellectual property by filing for a federal patent, trademark, or copyright. The costs of filing or minimal but will pay dividends in the years to come.

There are also costs that come from protecting your business. As when you go into business, you’ll potentially be exposing yourself, your home, and your family to a variety of risks. You need to think about how you’ll manage those risks and find out if you need small business insurance to help handle them before it’s too late. Which will require your business to require better personal insurance, property insurance, and liability insurance?

Remember, your homeowners’ and auto insurance policies weren’t designed to cover your home business. Small business insurance can be a major expense, but less expensive than a lawsuit or recovering from a loss due to a fire or other catastrophic event.

While you can start a home business on a budget, it’s not likely you’ll build a profitable one without incurring some expense. Which makes taking the previous five elements into consideration as you are calculating your startup costs. Everything from the amount of money you need to open up shop to daily petty cash funds. While it’s okay if you don’t know specific costs, but you want to get as close as possible, perhaps even over-estimate expenses.

Once you have your financial cost list in-hand, look for ways you might be able to cut costs and fund your business without going in debt. And always remember to factor in expenses such as how much will you need to pay your bills until the money starts coming in from your home business. Will you be keeping your full-time job or is there another breadwinner in the family that can help you until you develop an income stream? As you move closer to starting your business, keep a tally of expenses you didn’t anticipate and add them to your list.

Finally, since it takes money to make money, look for funding sources for your business that ideally won’t put you in debt. All important factors to financially consider when starting your own at-home business this season at home.

Friends, not only do you need money to start, but you’ll need money to stay open. The goal is to earn enough to cover your operating expenses and make a profit. With this in mind, how will you better financial plan for your own at-home business at home this season? Leave your plans and tips in the comments below!

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5 Ways to Boost Your Savings Account

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Is your savings account looking a little barren? Maybe you’ve always planned on saving properly but never got around to it. Here are five proactive ways you can start putting money into this account, or boosting what you already have. 

Go through your budget

First things first, if you’ve not gone through your budget in some time then there are probably areas that you’re overspending on. Utilize new customer deals as a way to reduce your utility bills, get rid of little extras that you don’t use as much as you should like Netflix and Spotify. Have a look through your statements at where you’re overspending so you can start to cut back on these expenses. Many of us are guilty of spending too much on things we don’t need such as clothes, homewares, cosmetics, or just about anything that’s on sale. We think we’re saving money by buying things at reduced prices, but if you weren’t going to buy them in the first place then you’re not saving money- you’re spending it!

Sell what you don’t need

Speaking of purchases you’ve made and don’t need, how about reselling some of these things and recouping your costs? eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace are great for getting rid of items you no longer need, making money, and freeing up extra space in your home. 

Start a side hustle

Making some extra money on top of your regular job can help you save dramatically. Some of your profits might have to go back into your business, such as buying more stock and materials, software, and cloud storage (check out the cheapest VPS to ensure you’re not overspending on this). But the rest can be put straight into a savings account- your normal job will pay the bills while your side hustle can earn you money to save. 

Automate your savings

Saving is easier when you don’t even realize you’re doing it. Set up a standing order to make money from your main account on the day you get paid, and automatically transfer this into a savings account. It doesn’t need to be a huge amount, but you can forget all about it and it will quickly start to grow. You won’t miss or notice the money, but give it twelve months and you could have a nice chunk of cash. Whenever you’re feeling flush you could transfer chunks of money to your savings account too manually, but having that automated payment means you’re saving at least a certain amount each month.

Get organized

Finally, getting organized can save you so much money. From ensuring bills are paid on time to avoid fees and arrears, to getting organized with your food shopping so you’re shopping to a list and not overspending in the grocery store. Spend a little time planning each area of your money, and you’ll find that you stay in control, and saving becomes much faster and easier.

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