GET RID OF THESE BAD MONEY HABITS
These are some simple yet smart choices that you can make today that will improve your financial situation. A lot of people may not like what I have to say in this post, because these bad money habits have become personal and important to them. Often people including myself need to cut their expenses and save money, but are not willing to eliminate these things. The reason they are not willing or interested in eliminating these things, is because they like to make excuses. They like to treat themselves, which is fine but do not excuse bad money habits saying you deserve them. You know what you deserve more than a simple treat, and you will enjoy immensely? Financial freedom is the one thing you will enjoy far more, and is the ultimate treat to yourself. So stop wasting your had earned money today, and start saving and paying off that debt.
Stop making excuses and start that 401k - You know who you are, you have been making excuses for years about why you do not have the money to save for retirement. Well guess what, the more excuses you make the closer retirement is getting to today. So stop making excuses and start that 401k today. I myself made these same excuses and thanks to my wonderful former coworker Michelle I finally started one in my mid twenties. Take my advice do not wait as long as I did, start one as soon as possible. The younger you are when you start a 401k, the less you will need to save later on and the easier you will reach your retirement goals. Do you want to still be working at 80?
Stop playing the lottery - If you are guilty of playing the lottery you will not like what I have to say next, but you will thank me in the long run. You are not going to win enough to make it worthwhile, so stop pouring your money into lotto tickets. Believe it or not playing the lottery is addicting and it is not a necessary expense so stop buying lotto tickets and start saving that extra money. Trust me!
Stop buying books and magazines all the time - Cancel that subscription and stop buying books all the time. I suggest that you only buy books when you really love a book or it is a book you will use a lot. Otherwise we have wonderful libraries everywhere and plenty to read right on the Internet for free. I can suggest some awesome bloggers that post great content you can read instead. You will really enjoy these blogs, trust me! Beyond a budget, mommy needs cookies, Operation husband rescue, life journey 4 two, a fierce mind, life tastes better on a budget, worldwide footprints blog
Shop at thrift stores not at the mall- Shopping period when you are broke is a bad idea so try to limit the amount of shopping you do if you really need to save money. The less advertising you see the better, because advertising tempts us all that is what it is designed to do. If you need clothing or shoes, furniture, books, dishes, etc. Many of these great items can be found at thrift stores and believe it or not you can often find brand new items as well as lightly used. So check at thrift stores first for these items, garage sales and even estate sales can be great budget friendly places to buy things like this for cheap.
Stop getting your hair and nails done at high-priced salons-There are lots of great hair stylists that will do your hair and nails, and they will look just as good as the high-priced salons. Check your local area for beauty schools, discount hair salons or even friends or family who may be hairstylists. Many would be willing to do your hair or nails for cheaper on the side. You can also dye your own hair at home or even learn to do your own manicure, they are easier than you think and can look just as nice.
Make your own coffee at home-Starbucks coffee is great! But it is not great for your budget, or your waistline. Trust me you want to kick this habit as soon as possible. This is a very destructive habit affecting your budget greatly. Even a cup a day at your local gas station costing $1 a cup quickly totals $5 a week when bought daily throughout your workweek. If you spend that same $1 everyday during the workweek for the entire year that is well over $200 spent just on coffees on the go. Imagine what that grande mocha at Starbucks is costing you 5 days a week for a full year. Yikes! If you must have that latte check out a Nespresso coffee maker an milk frother and make your own at home. They will still cost more than you should be paying daily for coffee, but it can be a more budget friendly way to enjoy this same luxury. Check out my blog post about my Nespresso machine and how it helps save me money for the last few years. Nespresso
Did I successfully make you feel guilty about your bad money decisions with this post? If you answered yes and you actually made it through this post without leaving, I believe that I have achieved what I started out to do. My goal is to make a difference that matters in your financial life. I want to simply make you think about what you can actually do about these bad habits, and what needs to change to make a difference in your finances.