Saving seems like the opposite of spending, but that’s not completely true. You can be a prudent spender and still run amok of legal issues that put a wrecking ball through your savings plan. Or, something you mistakenly left off your budget can surprise you and blow away your planned savings for three pay periods without warning. It’s not just important to save; avoiding unexpected pitfalls is almost as important too.
Here are four tips on how to save while avoiding problems.
Avoid Unnecessary Litigation
The best defensive move is to avoid litigation, which is costly for the lawyer’s expenses and the other potential ramifications involved. Learning to step back from potential issues and not blunder forward into a long-term issue is something you appreciate over time.
The lawyers at Tully Rinckey discuss different types of cases and legal issues on their YouTube channel which is worth spending some time viewing. Avoiding a complaint from a neighbor and stepping away before an altercation begins, either could lead to legal action later, prevents losing savings to legal bills and avoids a life headache. Sometimes a good offense means playing good defense by intentionally avoiding problems.
Work with a Budget
You can never replace the need for a budget. A spending record showing what you actually spent is equally useful to know where every dollar went. Having a plan before the next paycheck means you have some idea where your money will go. Give every dollar a purpose and budget accordingly.
Spend Cash, Not Credit
While it’s true that you can build up points, airline miles and the like by charging everything to a credit card, it’s also been found that people spend more on plastic than they do when only using cash.
If you have trouble keeping your spending in check, switching to cash can save you money. You’re far more resistant to the wasteful smaller repeated spending patterns at the till when it means handing over more dollar bills. You see how little you have left, and it gives you pause. This is what you need if you’re going to amass an impressive amount of savings.
Plan Your Luxuries
Would you prefer to enjoy one luxury item instead of a handful of middle-of-the-range alternatives? An easy analogy is chocolate or cookies. If you buy these, do you buy the best-in-class chocolate or cookie brands? A luxury own-brand from a supermarket or a ‘value’ supermarket brand with less cocoa or fewer chocolate chips inside each cookie? We all make choices when we go food shopping.
When planning your luxuries, sometimes less is more. Pick and choose your luxuries carefully and cut out the frequent little inexpensive indulgences because they do add up both on your waistline and your pocketbook.
Conclusion
Saving is not necessarily about sacrifice. Planning what little luxuries to enjoy, setting aside savings immediately and not touching them, and spending cash goes a long way to hitting your financial goals. When you manage to avoid costly litigation issues too, you’re on the right path.
