In 2022, food prices increased by 9.4% on average in the year to April. This marked the largest rise in 40 years.
Rising inflation is making life more difficult for many as people struggle to afford necessities such as groceries, gas, and rent. And earning to manage your finances and planning ahead is becoming crucial in order to survive.
Luckily, often it starts from simple steps and changes in spending habits. This thread has people sharing simple and useful financial life hacks they swear by, so you may want to get your notes ready!
#1
Inherit a large amount of money. It’s the secret they don’t want you to know about
Image source: _njhiker, Andrea Piacquadio
#2
Adjust what you think your zero is. Everyone has that “oh s**t I’m broke” number– I just inflated mine so I think I’m broke when I’m not. If I have $1000 in my bank account, I treat it like $0. $1050 is treated like I have only $50. It’s weird, but it’s been working so far.
Image source: Clandestinechic, Karolina Grabowska
#3
Don’t spend money you don’t have! It’s a revolutionary concept, I know, but it really works wonders.
Image source: Fickle-Farmer-1402, energepic.com
#4
Eat before you go to the store and always make a list and stick with it.
Image source: Mac_nocheeze, Jack Sparrow
#5
Every time you get a raise, hide it. Increase your 401(k) contribution, or put it into an IRA, or invest in stock, or just put it aside in savings.
In other words, don’t get used to a higher level of consumption. This is especially important when you’re young.
Image source: LetsPlayCanasta, Pixabay
#6
Ask for small bills only, no dye packs or silent alarms
Image source: honey_badger_9
#7
When you spend money think “Is this worth x amount of time that I spent at work?”
Image source: radpandaparty, Valeria Boltneva
#8
Don’t cosign anything for anyone
Image source: Revolutionary_Dog3
#9
Small hack:
If you pay your car off, continue paying your car payment into a new account.
This payment is already in your budget, so you should be used to it.
This new account is handy if you have any car-related repairs you need to make, like having to replace your fuel pump.
When you need to buy a new car, you can either buy it out right or you have a substantial amount to use for a down payment.
Image source: cbpantskiller
#10
Just drink water
Image source: Meowsommar, Andrea Piacquadio
#11
I don’t smoke or drink. Saves me a lot of money
Image source: ChessGuy90, Sonja Maric
#12
Live below your means.
Image source: DrteethDDS, cottonbro studio
#13
Bringing pack lunch, or always have a snack in my bag.
Image source: sunnyjooooy, Keegan Evans
#14
Pay your credit cards in full every month. Don’t overspend. No exceptions.
Image source: Nora_Evans
#15
I started thinking of things in terms of hours worked instead of money. Let’s say you make $15/hr. Eating McDonald’s after work costs $10, doesn’t seem like much. But thinking “I worked 40 minutes for this” has a different psychological effect on me. I’m less likely to buy things with my time than I am with my money, if that makes sense.
Image source: cardmanimgur
#16
Use the library for books, CDs, DVDs, and audio books.
Image source: SuvenPan, Element5 Digital
#17
dont buy NFTs
Image source: _PM_Me_Easy_Recipes, [deleted]
#18
Uninstall grubhub and doordash from your phone
Image source: Joker8pie, Elvert Barnes
#19
Every time I want to buy something big or expensive, I ask myself one question:
Do I NEED this, or do I WANT this?
Both answers are fine, I think it’s just important to know WHY you spend money. Beeing mindfull of things is always a good choice in life.
Image source: jahela
#20
Banks are not your financial advisors, don’t take their advices. They are a business and think about their profit.
Image source: SuvenPan, Ono Kosuki
#21
Our biggest money saver is cooking our meals at home. We bake bread 3-4 days a week ($0.50/ loaf) and grow lettuce, peas, cucumbers, and herbs by a window all winter.
Feel great, more money in my pocket!
Image source: Flashy_Remove_3830, Digital Buggu
#22
Always bring your own water bottle!! Ive live off from refills for 6 months and saved a lot of money
Image source: naminek150
#23
I’ve found recently that I do better with my finances when I check my account on the app every day. It’s almost addicting seeing my credit balances lower. I also notice that if I haven’t checked it in a few days I’ve been making bad financial decisions. It’s all mental at this point but it’s helped since I started doing it last October
Image source: Dizzle71, Andrea Piacquadio
#24
Young people should not be ashamed to live at home for longer. It’s crazy how much debt some young people are in, and they could be in a lot less debt if they just stayed home longer.
I know Boomers normalized bragging about kicking your kids out of the house at age 18 and leaving them with no support even though their own parents often helped them buy their first house (yes, that’s actually true, and Boomers would prefer that you didn’t know this), but that’s really not OK.
PS. I’m 53 years old. This post was not made out of self-interest.
Image source: Bizarre_Protuberance, Elina Fairytale
#25
If you are good at sometime – don’t do it for free.
I can plant gardens and mulch them. It’s relaxing, fun, easy and rewarding. Some people want a nice garden with edges and mulch. Takes me a few minutes to pick out some perrenials, and order them, with a bulk load of mulch and soil. I can drive it to a house, unload, cut out a garden and install the new one within a few hours, then go to a spot and unload to scrap I dug out (grass usually).
I did this for free for a buddy. His neighbour wanted the same, and I said we could do it. They paid me $500 for a few hours labour and the materials. Now I charge $500 and walk away with $350 profit for a few hours, for the same work I was doing for fun on Sunday mornings.
Image source: dumplin-gorilla-lion, Andrea Piacquadio
#26
Make your own coffee. Starbucks is expensive man.
Image source: vokat17543
#27
If you smoke cigarettes..QUIT!!!
Image source: yalaket111
#28
get a credit card with good rewards and route every purchase through it. pay it off in full each month and enjoy your free money while simultaneously giving credit card companies the middle finger.
Image source: IO_Node
#29
Make an actual budget and stick to it
Image source: radicallefter, Karolina Grabowska
#30
cook my own meals….not eat out
Image source: tetini8674, Joe L
#31
When you have a partner and share finances, but you have different styles of managing money, it’s a good idea to keep separate accounts.
When my wife and I got married, we agreed that any expense over a certain amount, we would have to discuss and agree to. That amount is fairly low.
Low-fee market index funds are the best investment.
When you are considering a purchase, give yourself at least 24 hours, if possible, before pulling the trigger.
Image source: Mentalfloss1, Anna Shvets
#32
Don’t spend money on bottled water and drive slower.
Image source: _kevx_91
#33
Buy better quality clothes but on sale. Shop at stores like TJMax and Marshall’s, especially if you live in a bigger city next to large malls. They get all of the good stuff that they didn’t sell in the mall that season. This way, your clothes will last longer.
Image source: tetini8674, Diego Torres Silvestre
#34
Set up an auto transfer to your savings and forget about it. You’ll have a savings account in no time, and it doesn’t even have to be a big amount.
Image source: SabrinaTheCat92
#35
Act like you always broke
Image source: LVL100Stoner
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