posted on 12 April 2012
As a recently graduated college student, I have had to discover how to keep my bills low, to maximize the money I earn. Budget has become my best friend, I review it every few weeks to ensure nothing has changed. Budgeting is the core of saving money and avoiding debt and bankruptcy. Not only does it lend predictability to your finances, it also is a fantastic tool to trim the edges off your purchases. List each item, large and small, you purchase or spend money on in a month. Once the list is completed, and organized, begin examining each item individually. How can you lower the number next to it? Can you shave 10 dollars off your gas bill? Can you go out to eat once less each month, saving 20 dollars or so? Do you need a home phone, or will a cell phone do? Does your family even watch cable TV anymore? Examining each item for excesses can quickly add up into a few hundred dollars at the end of the month a few hundred dollars better spent in an investment account or emergency fund. |
