How making small changes can get you ahead

 

If boosting your savings is something that you want to achieve, the obvious solution is to spend less and save more. You don’t have to make drastic changes straight away; it’s small consistent changes that will help increase your savings in the long run. The idea of saving more may sound like a great approach, however, knowing where to start isn’t always easy. We’ve put together a list of expenses that you may be able to cut back on or cut out altogether, which will drive your savings account.

Budget

Phase 1: sit down and work out what your true expenses are. Before you begin making changes, it’s important you have an understanding around where you’re spending your money on a monthly basis. There are plenty of online budget calculators that are available which can help you calculate your monthly expenses. Once you’ve got some figures for your current spending, take a look and see what expenses you could cut back on. When you get to the point where you’ve planned a budget that is realistic for your lifestyle, stick to it.

Coffee

Yep, that cup that gets us through our Monday. Your daily coffee is a great place to start making changes. Now, we aren’t telling you to go cold turkey, however, your coffee costs between $3-$5 per day or $20-$35 a week. While $20-$35 per week may not sound like a lot, it equates to $1040-$1820 a year. If you can’t bring yourself to get rid of your coffee a day, maybe consider instant coffee ($22 for 250 serves) or a bag of coffee beans (roughly $66 for 240 serves).

Lunch

Purchasing your lunch every day is a super easy option, although it will cost you around $10 per day. If saving more is something you’re serious about, bringing your lunch to work every day is going to save you quite a bit.

Bank Accounts

If your transaction or savings account is charging you a monthly fee, now may be a good time to change to a fee-free account. Some lenders charge between $5-$6 a month just to hold your account. Again, $5-$6 per month may not sound like a lot but every little bit is better in your pocket.

Bottled Water

Buying bottled water can add up quickly and not only does it hurt your pocket, it also hurts the environment. Depending on the amount of water you drink per day, purchasing the single-use bottles could cost you $3,000 a year if you drink 8 glasses a day, compare to a mere $2 a year if you were to drink 2 litres of water from the tap every day.

Dining out/Take away

We all love going out to dinner and how good is getting take away, no dishes to clean afterwards. However, dining out and take away expenses can add up quite quickly. By knocking back at least one night of take-away or going out to a restaurant you could save around $50 per week, that’s $2,600 per year.

Total Savings

Coffee – $1,040-$1,820
Lunch – $2,600
Bank Accounts – $60-$72
Bottled Water – $3,000
Dining Out/Take Away – $2,600

Total savings = $9,300-$10,092

By gaining an understanding around what you’re spending, setting yourself a realistic budget and cutting back on some luxuries, you’ll be adding a lot more to that savings account.