Saving Towards Happiness
There will always be things that you want or that could be helpful to you that you know you can’t afford. At least you think you can’t afford them, can you? Even if you don’t make that much money on each check, it can still be possible for you to afford the things you want and need. The trick is to not waste money on stupid stuff, and try to save as much as you can.
Trying to put away a little bit of money from each check is a great way to save up money quick. I know expenses come up, but when you have extra money why not save it for a big purchase? It might be easier than you think to save up for that Caribbean cruise or new home. All you really need to do is change your spending habits.
Now this might be easier said than done. Like with anything else in your life you want to change, you must make a conscious effort to watch what you spend your money on and avoid slipping back into bad spending habits. This might prove difficult and frustrating at first, but your big purchase will be well worth it.
A good way to spend wisely is to plan a budget. Only spend money on what you need to. (You really don’t need that $4 latte every morning do you?) Another way to make it easy to save up money is to have a separate savings account that you cannot touch until you are ready to make your purchase. Make a spreadsheet with all your expenses on it and put whatever remaining money you have into this account.
This can be a much better use of your money than spending it on little things that you won’t get much use out of. Saving up for something big such as a new computer you use everyday, or a vacation with great memories will bring you more enjoyment overall than spending most of your money on things like shoes. This is just an example, but the point is to spend wisely, and save those big purchases for things that are going to have some lasting value.