What’s one of the main reasons people fail to stick to their budget? For many people, it’s feeling deprived.
If you’re used to buying whatever you want, sticking to a budget can be hard. The key is to not deprive yourself. How do you do this while sticking to a budget? Let’s take a closer look at how to be frugal without completely depriving yourself.
Pay Yourself an Allowance
First things first. You have to allow yourself some fun money. This is money that can be used for whatever you want. Experts recommend anywhere from 1 to 5-percent of your income. Once you’ve paid all your other bills and put money into savings, whatever left can and should be used as an allowance. This will make it so much easier to be frugal.
Discover How to Do the Things You Love for Less
Do you love getting a manicure? Buy a bottle of nail polish and paint your nails at home. Not only is this a tiny fraction of the cost, but you also don’t have to worry about nail fungus. If you like going to the spa, spend money to get good bath products. If you love to read, go to the library or download free books from Amazon. There are so many ways to do the things you love for a lot less.
Save Money on Needed Expenses
Why should you spend more than you have to on things like car insurance? Take the time to compare prices on a regular basis and switch to the cheapest company. The same goes for your cell phone service. Why pay $150 a month when you can pay $45? Or why pay $150 a month for satellite TV when you can stream your favorite channels for less than $50 a month?
Get Paid to Buy Some of the Products You Love
Chances are you love candy or some other type of junk food. Only buy these items when they are on sale and you have coupons. If you really want to be frugal, use an app like Ibotta and get paid for buying those products. Search through the apps and see what products are available that week before shopping.
Try the Off Brands
Last, but not least, you can also try off brands. There are a number of off brands that are just as good if not better than the name brands. You’ll probably run across some products that aren’t good, but you’ll also find some that turn out to be favorites.
It is possible to be frugal without feeling deprived. You just have to be smarter about where and how you spend your money. More importantly, you need to pay yourself. Having money that can be spent on whatever you want helps ensure that you aren’t miserable.
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