A lot of people all around the world have lost their jobs or are having their hours reduced as a result of the pandemic.
Because a big portion of the population lives paycheck to paycheck a lot of people are struggling financially.
In the last months, we have been financially educating ourselves on how to manage our finances the best. Therefore we decided to share some ways to save money during this period.
1. Cook your meals
We know it might be challenging to go outside to do your grocery shopping but cooking your meal at home is a great way to save money. Do large-scale meal prep for the majority of the week and try and be creative with your cooking. To minimize your expenses on unnecessary groceries plan your meals before going to the store. This way you can buy specific ingredients instead of buying a bunch of stuff that you "might" use. The internet is full of recipes, have some fun with this and perhaps try something new. We would always get our orange chicken from a particular takeout, but have since tried to make it ourselves and with success!
2. Cancel subscriptions and memberships
I am guilty of this one, I haven't gone to the gym in months. Use this time to check what subscriptions and memberships you have and which ones you are not using. Think about music streaming, apps, cable etc.
3. Decrease the use of electricity
Electricity can be really expensive in some countries and that can become a problem now that we are spending more time at home.
Instead of watching tv the whole day or being the whole day on your phone and computer, use this time to spend some quality time with the family while doing something fun. For example, making a puzzle, doing some garden work, playing board games or cards and crafts. It is a great time to be creative and improve yourself instead of wasting time on meaningless entertainment.
4. Lower your car insurance
Contact your car insurance and check if you can adjust your insurance now that you are more at home. A lot of care insurance calculate your premium based on how often you drive and how far. But don't forget to adjust this back as soon as you use your car on daily basis again.
5. Check payment relief with credit card companies
A lot of credit card companies are offering payment deferrals or forbearance. This means they will temporarily lower your monthly payment or interest rate and provide relief from late fees.
6. Change your phone plan
You are spending most of your time at home now so you most likely won't need that expensive data on your phone. Unless you are on a fixed subscription try to switch to a cheaper cell phone plan.
7. Inform yourself about government programs
A lot of governments are offering assistance. Take the time to look into this and see where you can save some money by applying for benefits you are eligible for. This differs per country and is under constant development, so stay updated as governments try to alleviate the burden for their citizens and residents.
8. Budgeting
Last but not least is budgeting your entire monthly expenses. Make a clear overview of your income versus your expenses. This is a great way to see what expenses are unnecessary or which ones can be reduced. Make sure that if an expense isn't a set amount but rather a range, take the upper limit so that you'll never cut yourself short. This way the worst that can happen is that you have more money left than you initially thought!
We hope these tips can help you during this difficult time. Stay tuned and healthy!
With love,
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