There can be a lot of us that would like to spend less money but it can feel like there is nothing we can do to achieve this. It can feel like the bills pile up and everyone needs paying and it can really get on top of us. However, you may find that there are a few techniques that you can use that will help you to be able to repay your bills much more easily.
Make sure you are aware of what you need to pay and when
It can be really easy to lose track of everything that you need to pay and when you need to pay it. If you have a good idea of this, then it can make it a lot easier for you to manage the payments. So, take a look at your bank statement and gather up your bills etc and write a list. It is important to include everything you pay out for regularly, how much you pay and when you pay it. So, you should include things like rent or mortgage, insurance, utilities, loan repayments, MOT, breakdown cover, contracts etc. All your standing orders, direct debits and things you pay regularly should be included. Also include things you have to pay for that you do not pay regularly like food, transport to work etc.
Make sure you are not paying more than necessary
It is well worth then looking through the list and thinking about whether you are paying too much for some items. It might be that you can change to another provider, supplier or retailer and spend less money. Get some quotes from other places to see whether you can still get the same service from another place and you could end up paying less for exactly the same thing. You will need to be careful that you will be getting exactly the same thing or that you are sure you will be getting good value for money.
Ask yourself if you need it
When you buy things it can be a good idea to ask yourself whether you really need the item that you are buying. This can be a really good exercise as it can stop you picking up random items and buying them if you do not really need them. We often get tempted to do this by good marketing in shops or by special offers and buy things without really realising that we have. It is not really our fault but if we can just ask ourselves if we need the item, then we will take stock and make sure that we are not being trapped in this way into buying things that we do not really need.
Hopefully, by trying these things, you will find that you can spend less money without going without things. Often, we associate spending less with buying less and that can feel like we are depriving ourselves of things. However, if we are buying the same things but just paying less for them then we will have more money but still the same amount of goods. Obviously, we could save even more money by buying less items and by checking if we really want them. If we are only stopping spending on items that we do not really want or need, then again, we have no reason to feel deprived. In fact having this extra money could mean that we will be able to treat ourselves to a few things every once in a while so we actually might feel more spoiled if we put any of these measures in place.
