Despite recent societal and global turmoil, it’s true that there are some things we can always rely on. The joy of going out in the garden, or our morning cup of coffee, or the fact that we can always rely on being billed for things. Of course, that latter consideration perhaps isn’t as joyful as it could be. But it’s true that organizing your finances and catering to your bills need not feel quite so terrible provided we’re willing to keep track of them from time to time, and to avoid paying over the odds for things we rarely use. This has become something of an in-joke among many sections of society. Most young professionals know that they have a gym membership that they may have paid for around 20 months despite only attending six of those months. Bills can, unfortunately, catch us unawares. With that mindset however, it can be very important to consider just how to trim our unnecessary spending, and ensure that we look for the best deals as appropriate. At a time like this, every penny helps. So, let’s consider how we can care for them:
Switch Banks If You Can
It can be good to switch banks or savings accounts from time to time, because banks are forever changing their terms to allow for more prominent and worthwhile deals. You may gain a nice cash sum from doing this, or more favorable terms, or perhaps better loan installment options. This is the same insight that helps you switch your loan options to another provider, helping you pay less premiums and overall come out of the deal better off.
Check Your Subscriptions
It’s not just the gym membership we have to watch out for these days. Checking our subscriptions from time to time can be important, because it seems that every brand has their own serviced model these days. Amazon, Netflix, grocery packages, supplement deliveries, even video games or security packages for your smart devices can all come with their own subscriptions, and they can be quite expensive after a while. Don’t be afraid to remove some of the unnecessary ones from your life from time to time, and evaluate how much you’ve actually used those services in the last couple of months.
Use Spending Reports
A new feature offered by many banking apps like Monzo is the ability to check your pie chart regarding what you have spent your money on this month, and what that means. Spending reports might show that you’ve spent way more on entertainment or clothes than you had planned, and it puts into stark reality the amount you have paid for online shopping. Keeping track of this using automated tools can truly help your budget in the long run. The creation of savings pots or round-up savings tools can also help you curate a little more spending power at the end of the week.
With this advice, we hope you can avoid spending over the odds, and spring clean your finances as appropriate.