Good habits to make your money go further.
Ever get the feeling you could do more with your money or make it last longer? Here are three simple habits that can help improve your finances.
- Know where the money goes.
Get the prep done first. Setting aside some time each day to record what you’re spending opens your eyes to your spending habits. Just follow this simple exercise.
- Find a small notebook, open a spreadsheet or download an appropriate app, then record what you spend in a day. Write down every single thing you buy and try it for two weeks. Even better, go for a month to get a complete cycle of expenses. Include your family’s spend as well, for a total picture of your financial life.
- It can be surprising you how much you spend on one particular thing or how often you buy something that perhaps you don’t really need.
- With knowledge comes power. After two, three or four weeks, you are well placed to make an informed decision about where and how you continue to spend.
- Take a look at your vehicle costs.
Vehicles run on money, so changing just a couple of car-related habits can make a big financial difference.
- Check the petrol prices in your area, because it really does add up. A few cents off an ongoing expense like petrol can make a big difference over a year. Get a petrol app, like Gaspy, to instantly check the prices for petrol in your area.
- Shop around for servicing. For standard procedures, like a WOF or wheel alignment, it pays to check around for pricing as well as reputation before booking in your vehicle. Prices for fixed services can vary wildly, so making just that little extra research effort could save you a good amount.
- Embrace the secondhand trend.
Functional items can be so much cheaper secondhand. Think barbecues, gym equipment, outdoor furniture and kitchen equipment. What’s more, re-using and recycling comes with significant social and environmental benefits.
- Auction sites like Trade Me offer incredible bargains for quality items. Just create a search with notifications sent to you, so you don’t waste lots of time hunting.
- There are Facebook buy and sell pages operating all over the country. Find one relevant to your area and keep an eye on new listings.
- Garage sales are also still popular. Check out garage-sales.co.nz for sales in your area.
- Drop your unwanted things at your local opportunity shop and take a look around while you’re there. One person’s donation is another person’s treasure, plus all the proceeds go to a good cause.
* The information provided is general in nature. It is not financial advice and was not written by a financial expert. If you require financial advice, you should contact a professional financial adviser for assistance.
