spending made SIMPLE

Our down-turned economy has created a frenzy of budget related questions from people in all walks of life. Everyone wants to know how to get more for less and how to make the money they do have go further. Is your budget a little tighter now days? Do you wonder how you will be able to afford everything you and your family need in the coming weeks, months and years. If you are still searching for you money tree, here are some SIMPLE tips that will help you to simplify your spending in the mean time!

1. create a budget: if you don’t have one already, you will want to create a budget. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just as long as you are clear on the amount of money you have to spend in each of the different categories of your life (food, shelter, utilities, automotive, entertainment, clothes, savings, medical, misc., etc.) Click here for tips on creating a budget. Once you create the budget, make it a goal to stick to it as much as possible. You can even create an “envelope systems” where you put the exact amount of cash for each category into a separate envelope. When the money is gone, you are done with that category. It sounds harsh but it really works!


2. keep a financial journal: if you think you may be over spending or if you can’t figure out where your paycheck is going each week, you may want to consider keeping a financial journal. Basically all you need is a pen and a piece of paper (or you can do this on your computer in an Excel Spreadsheet. Each day for an entire month, keep track of every single thing you buy, even if it is only .50 cents. Write the date, what the product is and how much it cost. At the end of the week or the month you can tally up all your expenses and see if there is any area that you are over spending in. You might be shocked by the amount of money you have spent over the course of a month on specialty coffee drinks and eating out...or maybe it's the cost of that gym membership you never use!


3. eliminate the plastic: if you have several different credit cards…and several different credit card bills, you may want to consider consolidating all of your purchases on one single credit card. You will only have one bill so it will be easier for you to track your purchases and your spending habits. It’s much easier to justify spending $100 on 10 or 15 different cards than it is to spend $1500.00 on one card…it might just be the “reality check” you need. Also, if you have to return something, you'll know which card you used and if you lose your purse or wallet, you will only have to cancel one card.


4. gifts from the heart: do you get stressed out every time the holiday season rolls around wondering how you will be able to afford all the gifts you need to buy? Guess what…this year you won’t need to spend a fortune on gifts for your friends and family! Get creative and plan to give gifts from the heart…not the wallet. Some ideas are homemade teas and hot chocolate mixes, baked goods, hand-stamped stationery, a quilt or knitted blanket, homemade soap or items made by your children (great for grandparents!). You could also give a gift of a service, such as free babysitting to a friend with kids, or free lawn care to an elderly relative. The more you think about it, you can probably cover everyone on your list without entering the mall!


5. always shop with a list: Whether you are at the mall, a thrift store or the grocery store prepare a list of the things you want to buy and only buy what is on your list. Focus your attention on the finding the items on your list and then getting out of the store. Window shopping and browsing waste valuable time and money and usually cause us to forget the items we originally came to the store for in the first place!

Follow these SIMPLE tips and you will on your way to a better financial situation. As you know, money drives our culture and many of our desicions...so make up your mind to start creating a better financial situation for you and your family today!

for more tips on getting organized, visit my website: http://www.andreadekker.com/