55 Budgeting tips that work

Ever wondered how some people have it all? How they manage their finances and make the best of their salaries? How they live luxuriously? Here I am going to give you the best tips that not only changed my lifestyle but also made the quality of my life way better.

Make a percentage plan

This tip came from my grandma when I traveled alone for the 1st time. She said here "here is your pocket money divide it according to your priorities". Till this day I make the same thing to my salary. Rent, Food, General expenses, Fun, and Shopping. Give each of these sectors a percent that fits your lifestyle. The 1st 2 months will be tough but it will help you analyze your true expenses. Then adjust your percentage accordingly.

Stick to the plan

There will be times before you get used to this percentage plan, where you feel like buying this out of the set percentage amount. What helped me stick to the plan is to make several boxes named under each section and withdrawing the Percentage amount of the money and put it in that box. For instance, you dedicate 100 euros for food then put them in the box labeled food and take from it whenever you're going for groceries or eating out. When this money end from the box, you withdraw no more for this section.

Lists before buying anything

Never go anywhere for shopping without a list. And don't buy things no matter what out of this list. Know that things out of this list are just impulsed purchases and not things you need.

Meal plan!

This is something I discovered very recently. But oh my gosh! Not only this saves you money on buying lunch every day but also makes you decide what food you eat and makes you eat healthy in general.

Cook your own food

Grocery shopping saves you so much money. The ingredients that make you 5 times a plate buy you one meal in some countries. So Cook your own food and take it to work, school, or college and see how much you save by then.

Sell things you don't need

Do a declutter to things you don't use and sell them on eBay or facebook groups. Take the money you get from those things you sell and add it to your savings.

Create a saving account

Create an extra saving account, preferably with a high interest, and put in it all the extra money you get from selling your stuff, and the money you used to pay for food you bought after you started cooking and see that account growing in no time.

Buy from the bottom or top of the aisle

This is a trick marketing teams at supermarkets and shops make to get your attention for more expensive stuff. Things on your eye level cost more so to encourage you to buy it they put it there. Look always at the bottom and top of the aisle and see the prices drop.

Quality over quantity

I used to buy things cheaply like shoes and bags. I use them excessively every day for college and now work. Which for cheap materials and stitching makes the item break. This leads me to buy in a year the same item 4 times. When you invest in a quality product it lives through the years with you and you sometimes get a guarantee for protection.

Dupes work!

When it comes to makeup and fancy products you can always find a cheap dupe for it in Drugstore. Which leads to less money dedicated for makeup for instance.
My favorite drugstore makeup dupes you can find here:
https://angiesalama.com/high-end-makeup-dupes-2017/

Check online before u break the bank

My mom was the one who found out that some products are sold cheaper online than in fancy stores. Stores add more taxes as they pay for renting the place and such. Also, you can find the item on sale on some sites.

Used stuff work!

I bout my camera equipment used and this made no difference to the usage. Yet I paid way less money than if I bought it brand new. So always check the item you want in the second-hand section on eBay or Amazon.

DIY also work

I made things sometimes I saw very expensive myself and got stuff close to my dreams. Nowadays you can find a diy blog or video on youtube for nearly every and anything! Use that and make some of the stuff that will cost more to buy.

Buy generic version instead of the brand name

Branding sometimes fools you into thinking that magic is potent in the product. You buy the popular oats sold at the supermarket instead of the ones produced by the cheaper seller that are less known. Try looking at the ingredients list and you'll see both uses almost the same things.

Happy hour!

This is based on luck sometimes. But I got a 70% off in Micheal Kors once just being there at a happy hour once. Also, I used the happy hour to go to certain cafes and restaurants with my friends it saves you money trust me just look around for when your favorite places have their happy hour.

Go for free events and have outings that involve small money

Events around you are 70% of the time for free. So next Friday or Saturday go with friends to a free event around you! it saves money to go to a place that doesn't take an entry fee. Also, plan outings and trips that don't include ordering food outside or paying unnecessary expenses. Remember having fun doesn't cost money. I also discovered an app called Meetup that allows you to check meetups in a field you like. This makes a great outing and you meet tons of new people.

Discount stores!!!

Ok, this works! I got my Ted Baker sunglasses for 20 euros from TK max you guys! Discount stores have everything you need from good brands and high quality for a cheaper reduced price. It's just not a new edition anymore.

Buy in bulk the things u always need

Buy your grocery items in bulk for cheaper like the juice, pasta, rice,...etc. This usually gets an offer price and goes cheaper than if you buy the item on its own.

Shop like a minimalist

Minimalists shop when they need something only. They don't go for random bored shopping trips, nor when shops have things on sale. When I became a minimalist I reduced so much of my expenses that I paid for nonsense.

Library or book sharing club

Love reading? if your answer is yes then you know how this takes a lot of money as books are not that cheap these days. Local libraries today are very advanced check them. Also, book sharing facebook groups exist. E-books also go on sale and you might get them cheaper than actual books.

Rent your apartment when u travel

This saves a lot of money for you trust me. Airbnb makes it so easy to rent your apartment while you're traveling the world. Sometimes this even covers your trip expenses.

Student discounts

Use your student card everywhere! From cinemas to museums everywhere comes with a student discount nowadays. And if you're not a student anymore some companies offer student cards for under 30 years old.

Discount cards in general

I use one drugstore and one supermarket always. So I made a discount card at each and I collect points that I use every time I go to them which is very helpful and gives me so many great offers.

Something expensive? Get it with instalments

I got my latest camera with instalments, yet make sure they are from the shop and without interest. This will help you pay for the item without the pressure of collecting the money for it.

Split with others

From offers at stores for buy 1 get 1 for free, to taxi rides. Splitting things with others help you get the thing you want cheaply. Also, some products are not needed always buy it with a friend and share it. I bought the screwdriver with a friend and split the price. Whenever one of us needs it for something it goes to her.

Buy only when you need something

Again this is important. BUY WHAT YOU NEED ONLY! need a white shirt? don't go buying this cute cardigan on the racks no matter how tempting it is. Be your own thermometer and see your behavior will indicate how much you're too consumed with this consumer society and that should not be who you are anymore. Be in charge.

Have a goal and save for it

Having a goal you save for helps you a lot. A dream home, a trip to a destination of your dreams, a car, or a bag dreams are endless and having one goal you save for makes it challenging and gets you in the spirit of saving money.

Automatic saving

Let your main account automatically sends an amount to your savings account. You will not even notice this money going there. After a while, that money will add up and your savings account grows.

Keep Things in a shopping wish list

I never buy things right away. I put them on my wishlist online or reserve them at the shop. If I still remember them or want them I go to get them and 90% I forget about them.

Coupon codes

Search engines nowadays online help you a lot get what you want. Before buying anything look for available coupon codes online.

Avoid hanging at the mall or shopping area

Seriously why would you go if you have nothing to do there? This will cause unnecessary impulse purchases. Go to the mall when you need that not every time you're bored.

Skip salons and do it at home

Every beauty treatment could be swapped for half the price or even less if done at home. You may think it's hard to do but trust me if I can do my nails and facials at home so do you. Look online for how to do your nails or hair and save up the salon money.

Walk or cycle and save the transportation bill

I did that and swapped the way I go and come back from work for a month to save up. The walk was 30 mins so in total an hour walking a day. Great exercise and saves you the transportation bill.

Annual contracts save you money

For your phone, transportation ticket, and so many things. Making an annual contract that is paid monthly saves you money and you get reduced offers usually.

Rent your extra room

Have a guest room? Rent it out on Airbnb and meet new travellers and gain money. Use extra space in your home and rent it for extra money.

Move to a smaller place or share an apartment

If you live in a big apartment consider moving into a small one to save more money on rent.

Delete cookies and look things up incognito mode

Search engines are smart and they track your search history. For airplane tickets, the price rises every time you search for it. So searching in an incognito mode makes it easier to skip this rising of the prices.

Reduce your electricity payments

I swapped all my lamps for power saving ones. And now I use the washing machine for the fast wash mode. Close most lights and enjoy watching TV with candle romantic lights often. Small changes like this will magically reduce what you pay for electricity.

Cut out monthly unnecessary payments

I canceled my gym subscription as I never go and found so many classes for free for aerobics and Zumba on the app meet up. Also, I canceled my SoundCloud subscription and Spotify and now play them online with my normal internet mobile package.

Know the seasons for buying items (flights/clothes...etc.)

I buy my winter clothes in early summer as they fall cheaper. Buy my flight tickets offseason for a much-reduced price.

Free walking tours (travellers and locals)

I travel now and go to them all the time. Just type "free walking tour (the city you're visiting). Such great spirit, absolutely for free, and you meet tons of new travellers like you. I even now go to their walks on the weekend to meet new people and hang out with gaining new knowledge about the city.

Always have your water and snack with you

I keep a bottle of water and a snack in the back. I buy snack bars in bulk to make sure I don't buy any if I got hungry while being out and about.

Budgeting apps sometimes help

I never use them but some of my friends swear by them. I very popular one is called mint. You can check for reviews online. But they can help you manage your finances.

Get your full money value

Pick shops that give you a free eyesight check when you buy your glasses. Buy cosmetics and ask for a makeover from them (I do that always at the benefit booth). Try to get your full money value through an extra service provided.

Get family plans (phone, DSL...etc.)

Family plans may reduce the fees you pay here a lot. Buy internet with the family members extensions and packs offers. They give you greatly reduced prices.

Stop and analyse

I never remove the tag from my newly bought clothes until I wear them. If I didn't either I return or sell them. This helps me analyse my shopping behavior making sure I don't keep things I don't need and get my money value back.

Cash no cards

Leave your card at home and withdraw money you need only. Cards are easily used which makes impulse purchasing have a greater chance of you.

Have your hobby as a side job

We live in a beautiful age where making videos and writing blogs and selling handmade stuff on Etsy a huge possibility for everyone. Make your passion into a profitable thing that helps you achieve your dreams. Not only that you can also babysit or walk the neighbour's dog in your spare time and gain extra money.

Online jobs also extra money

Work as a translator, a reviewer, tutor jobs available remotely online is great for getting extra money that you can save through.

Having insurance

I learned this the hard way. General house insurance helps you a lot in case something huge happens that would require you to pay a lot of money. This pays mostly for you in these tough situations. And trust me they happen, my apartment was flooded with water and I had to pay lots of money to fix the mess.

Services get them from others for free

Ask a friend for a ride, or to help you fix something at home if they are handy. Sometimes when you're too shy asking this makes bonds and friendships stronger and save you money for this service.

Pay yourself first 10%

If you save money to make yourself and savings before anything! I transfer automatically 10% of my salary for savings before I pay the rent or anything. Make yourself the priority in your payments.

Anything less than 5 put away

All the coins I put away in a box automatically this adds up like crazy and help you save in no time. We usually never notice but coins add up.

Make a list in the order of the shop layout

When you go for grocery shopping write your shopping list with the aisle order of the supermarket. This will keep you focused on the list and save you time. It applies also to the drugstore shopping trips.

Discount meat at the end of the day

I always buy meat and fruits end of the day at the supermarket this gets the price ridiculously less than usual.

It's not an easy process saving money especially if you're used to splurging. But trust me this has a very satisfactory feeling of accomplishment. Good luck saving...