Listly by Ivan Dimitrijevic
Websites that can help you save some money.
If your answer to the following question is affirmative, you’re in the right place: “Do you keep finding yourself trying to figure out where your money went a week before your next paycheck, while you’re checking your wardrobe to find enough loose change in your pockets so you can buy some food?”
I’m sure you’re able to find numerous excuses for your spending habits, and as long as you keep giving yourself the right to act on your impulses, this situation will keep repeating itself. Most people with terrible money management skills are afraid that they will have to become boring if they start saving, which is not true.
Even if you’re working with a tight budget, you can do everything you want to, but only if you change your mindset and start developing strategies.
First of all, you need to change your mindset. So, there should be no more random trips to the shops where you fill your cart with all kinds of products you don’t really need. For your lifestyle to change, you need to introduce some discipline into it and change the way you see shopping in general. So, for starters, shopping isn’t about what you want to buy when you have a limited budget – it’s about what you need.
Now is the time to become your own accountant. First you need to put the money you have at your disposal on a piece of paper and subtract your bills – phone, electricity, utilities, etc. The number you get is the amount of money you can spend, but it’s not necessary for you to spend it all just because you can.
So – you should primarily decide how many shopping tours you’ll make within a month. Once per week is probably the best option. The chances are that your nearest store offers a special discount on a particular week day, which should be your pick.
Once this is sorted out, you should make a list of basics you’ll need on a weekly and monthly basis. Once you make that list, you need to stick to it blindly. If you neglect it while shopping, this whole effort will go to waste.
Therefore, there should be no impulse purchases – you are stronger than that – just items which are on the list. However, before you grab your favorite brand, make sure to do your homework and compare the prices. Just because you’re used to a certain item doesn’t mean it’s the best one – or the cheapest one, as a matter of fact. So, you should make a balance between quality and price here.
This also goes for when you’re thirsty or tired. Whenever you go shopping under these conditions, your limited consciousness will wake up impulses and you’ll get back to where you started. For this reason, make sure that your mind is sharp and that all your physiological needs are satisfied before you go shopping.
Well, the truth is that no one will know if you cheat and get a product that you find tempting. But, that’s exactly what you need to change, which is why you need a shopping buddy. The chances are that someone in your circle of family and friends has similar difficulties to yours – you should help each other and go shopping together.
Your newfound moneysaving habits shouldn’t decrease the quality of your life – quite the opposite. It would be smart to spend money that you’ve saved on making your home more comfortable. Instead of hiring contractors and decorators, you can browse for different interior design ideas online, and try conducting DIY projects. Naturally, start with something small and be confident about your skills before you take up a serious project.
Perhaps your credit card balance will be completely different if you move. If your current place is too big for you and if you’re paying a high rent just because it’s located in a popular part of the city, you should definitely find another one. This is a difficult habit to change, but perhaps you could use a nice refreshment as well.
You shouldn’t deny yourself a holiday just because your budget is tight. Everything is doable if your strategy is on track; start making plans six months before summer and you’ll be able to find amazing deals. The price of you vacation bill will be cut in half if you decide to go off season – do your homework and you’ll be able to discover a list of wonderful locations that will wake up the wanderlust in you.
Instead of hitting the bars and clubbing each weekend, you can turn your home into the center of your entertainment. Although this might seem like a difficult thing to change at first, you’ll be surprised with how much fun your group can have without constantly spending time on crowded places. Also, the quality of your time together will most definitely increase with this change of pace.
The internet has so much more to offer than different social platforms; as long as you’re spending time online, you can put it to a good use and explore different options to save money. You can start your quest with the following websites – each of them has a successful history of providing their audience with satisfactory services.
On this website you’ll be able to find a wide range of products – and brand names are not at all uncommon here. Deal News is the right place to go to if you’re interested in the Computer and Electronic categories, and if you sign up to their newsletter, you’ll receive regular notifications about the price changes.
The success of Savings.com lies in their team – this is a company which was built thanks to hunters who browse online looking for great deals and beneficial affiliate programs. Users of this websites are practically its fans. High quality merchandize at great prices is what makes them so popular.
Whether you’re on the go and trying to find coupons via your smartphone or your home browsing on your computer, you’ll find Groupon quite useful. This is a versatile platform, and the list of services this website has to offer is diverse – it ranges from food coupons to discovering new places to travel.
Another great website for finding amazing deals and coupons, but what makes CouponCabin different is their guarantee that all items on their website have been validated. If unsatisfied with their service, you can ask for money return. However, you should expect the opposite – CouponCabin is perceived as trustworthy, which will make it a great ally in your fight against reckless spending.
The fact that you’re working with a tight budget doesn’t mean that you should never visit concerts, games, plays, etc. It just implies that you need to look for a cheaper variant of tickets – which is exactly what you’ll find on The Ticket Club website. This business offers interesting options – like military discounts for example, so make sure to explore it thoroughly.
This company functions thanks to gift cards – you can get the ones you want or replace those you don’t need. You can even earn some money by selling unwanted cards you have, but I’m sure you will find their large inventory that offers various items worth your while.
PriceGrabber has been praised by leading news portals such as Time and Washington Post because they have a very wide list of products in their offer that come from various websites. If you spend some time on this website, you’ll be able to compare prices from different retailers and thus find an item you’re in need of at the lowest price.
A powerful search engine, a significant number of different ways to make a purchase, and the possibility to browse online and via your phone are the characteristics that make this website interesting, to say the least. RetailMeNot works with fifty thousand different stores, so the chances are you’ll be able to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Although this may look like a lot to take in at once, you will get used to new changes before you know it. As a matter of fact, when you implement the new habits that we discussed, you’ll be able to feel that the quality of your life is increasing. When that happens, you’ll get motivated to learn more about saving money and managing it.