If you find that more money is going out then coming in each month and struggle to stay ahead, take hard look at your spending habits and make adjustments. If you are in need of a place to start, look at cutting in a few areas you may be missing.
Start Grocery Shopping
When going through your spending for the month you probably notice many charges at restaurants and fast food for lunch and dinner. This is the first area that can be cut. Sure it is easier to go out or pick up food on your way home from work, but for a fraction of the cost you could stock your refrigerator and pantry and have breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next two weeks. Get in the habit of doing shopping every week, or depending on your family size, every other week, and sure it may seem like a lot to spend $150 on groceries, but how many meals is that eating out, three? Not saying you can never eat out again, but start small and reduce a few meals out a week and see the savings add up.
Have a Plan Before You Head Out
Impulse shopping is one of the most unnecessary expenses that should be cut back, so have a plan of attack before you hit the store. Make a grocery list and stick to it, cut coupons, and if you are in the market for new household purchases, shop around for the best deal when the item goes on sale. Get to know the prices you are shopping for and you can then be able to tell when prices go up and down so you know when to pull the trigger.
Ditch Going to the Movies
A movie ticket is $10 dollars, popcorn $6, frozen coke $5, that is at least $21 just to get into the movie by yourself, not to mention your wife, kids, it could be $50-100 dollars for a movie that is most-likely not worth it. With the average households have a large high-definition TV, crank up the surround sound, use your $7.99 a month streaming service, and enjoy the snacks within your home. Even renting a new release for $6 saves a significant amount of money by watching at home.
Look at Ways to Cut Monthly Bills
Check out your cell phone plan and see if you can shop a better deal with a competitor, or make sure your work discount is included. Same goes for insurance and cable companies with the amount of choices.
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