Do You Need to Slash Your Living Expenses Right Now?

Finding money in your budget for unexpected expenses isn't easy. What can you do when you need to cut your living expenses immediately? Review these strategies in case there comes a time when you need to slash your living expenses quickly.

1.      Conserve lighting in your home. Think about the number of times that lights are left on in 3 or 4 rooms at a time. Use a single light when you need it.

• If you replace your most often-used lights with compact fluorescent light bulbs, you'll save even more on your utilities bill.
  

2.      Reduce your cable or satellite television services. Are you really watching all of those channels? For quick dollars, decrease your television cable or satellite services for a few months. You might find that you don't miss all those channels!

• I completely cancelled my cable and paid for yearly subscriptions for Disney+, Yippee & PureFlix and monthly with YouTube, which saved me hundreds of dollars.
  

3.      Take your lunch at least 3 days a week. Doing so will cut your lunch expenditures by over 50%. That's money you'll immediately have in your pocket all while eating healthier if done right.

• Prepare and pack your lunch the evening before when you're cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. This way, your lunch will be ready to go in the morning when you are.
  

4.      Use less water when you shower and bathe. For the shower, set your cell phone timer for 5 minutes, which is enough time to shower and shampoo. For the bath, fill the tub no more than half full. You'll still have plenty of water to bathe.

5.      Spend less on groceries. You'll leave the store with more money in your pocket when you take advantage of the easy savings available to you.

• Don’t shop while hungry!

• Buy the store brand when applicable

• Use coupons. Many stores keep their store's coupons right by the door where you walk in.

• Purchase items that are on sale.

• Examine all "buy one get one free" offers to get free food.

• Choose fewer snack food items.
  

6.       Adjust your thermostat. Set the temperature on your thermostat to one degree warmer in the summer. Turn it one degree cooler if your furnace is operating.

• On cold nights, you might even be able to adjust your thermostat to an even cooler setting, as you'll be snuggled under the covers for warmth.
  

7.      Reduce your fuel use. Consider the following:

• Carpool to and from work.

• Is work close enough for you to walk to and from the office?

• Run errands on your way to and from work to save fuel costs.

• If you work from home, set a goal to stay out of the car at least 4 days a week. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the money you'll save - not only from the fuel you'll be saving but also by the fact that you're not going anywhere to spend any money.

Using less electricity, water and fuel will save you money every week. Decreasing your cable/satellite service and packing your lunch at least 3 days a week will also reduce your living expenses substantially. However, you can save the most money by being money-wise at the grocery store & during those back-to-school shopping when done right. 😉

Take action now to slash your living costs so you can save your cash. Be an intentional steward of money.