Ways to Save Money in 2015: Make Your Resolutions Now
Have you already made your financial resolutions for the New Year? If not, read on to see how small, inessential expenses can really add up – and how much you could save in 2015 by making small adjustments to your lifestyle.
If you are a smoker, consider quitting this unhealthy and super-expensive habit in 2015. If you smoke 10 cigarettes a day and you quit, this can save you upwards of $3600 per year. This is like giving yourself a decent pay rise: imagine how much you could do with all this extra money – paying off debt, putting it towards your emergency fund, or simply treating yourself to something nice.
Talking about addictions, giving up the daily take away coffee habit can also save you over $1100, even if you only get a single coffee every weekday. For added health benefits such as improved sleep and energy levels, try to limit your caffeine consumption completely – or if you are unable to do so, get your fix for free or a fraction of the price by making instant coffee at home or at work (lots of workplaces offer instant coffee for free). We know that it’s often not as nice as take away coffee, but then again, you could use the savings to purchase a coffee pod machine!
The amount you can save by cutting impulse spending really depends on how big of a shopper you are, but even if you spend $100 per month on unnecessary or low-quality items, that’s an extra $1200 per year you could save and put towards a bigger and more important financial goal.
If you make a resolution to stop getting weekly takeaways, that could save you over $520 a year if you are single, or double or even triple the amount if you have a family. Not only is getting takeaways expensive, often it’s also quite unhealthy: so do your wallet and health a favour by cooking healthy, hearty meals at home in 2015.
Unless you are a big gym junkie who actually works out regularly, consider cancelling your unused gym membership and working out for free instead. A gym membership can cost anywhere from $7 to over $30 per week, so cancelling it could save you over $1500 per annum. Why not start walking or running with a family member, friend or neighbour – it’s free AND more fun!
Total savings: almost $8,000!
Remember that you are wanting a change in your life – changes happen over a period of time, and not in an instant, so going back to old habits every once in a while is fine. Don’t be too hard on yourself when an occasional failure happens, and instead focus on getting back on track to fulfilling these resolutions in 2015.