If you’re about to start a new job and need some smart ways to save money on your paycheck like a pragati com nanny job, then our blog post is for you. We’ve researched, tested, and come up with the 10 best practices that will mean more cash in your pocket without breaking the bank. Check them out below!
1. Set up your direct deposit to happen a week later than you first thought.
Most companies will set your pay date to the first or fifteenth of every month. If you get paid on the first and get a couple days of income in your account, then there’s a window where you’ll already have money in your account when checks start coming in. So just set your direct deposit to happen during that time period, so that way you have enough money at the beginning of the month along with all those checks.
2. Keep track of your receipts.
You know the kind of person that buys a $16 sandwich and eats it for lunch everyday, leaving the receipt at work all week so you can feed everyone with their favorite $1 hot dog? Well, eat that sandwich and save it for your lunch again next week instead of spending $2 each time.
3. Buy in bulk and freeze everything.
If you go grocery shopping every weekend to make sure you don’t get food poisoning, then use those same outings to gather up lots of cheap items to freeze. We do this at our house by stocking up on frozen chicken drumsticks in late summer so that they’re ready to go all year round. If you make sure to get them in a heavy duty resealable plastic bag and then throw that in the freezer, they’ll be fine (and safe) to use with no added preservatives or chemicals.
4. Download some money saving apps.
There are plenty of apps out there that will help you save money, like Clay and Honey, which can track your spending habits and give you cash back deals on things you normally purchase anyways.
5. Use your spare change to buy gift cards from grocery stores.
If you have a spare $20 laying around and are looking for something to get with it, why not hit up the grocery store and pay for whatever you were going to buy with cash or your debit card in exchange for a gift card? It’s instant savings on something you’re already going to buy, and as an added bonus, it’s free money.
6. Bring your own snacks to work.
This one is pretty self-explanatory, but if you bring your own snacks from home instead of buying them at the office, you’ll save a ton of money.
7. Take inventory of what’s in your fridge and pantry when you first get your written paycheck.
Did you know that the average person spends $175 more per month on groceries than on any other bill (besides their mortgage or rent payment)? It might be because they don’t have a solid plan for how to budget grocery shopping, so they end up just buying whatever looks good (and maybe not eating it, either).
The problem is that they’re trying to predict what they can eat and need, and not paying attention to how much they’re really spending. So when your first paycheck comes in, make sure to take a close look at what you have in your pantry or freezer.
Then make a list of everything you want to buy that week, and put it in a grocery budget folder to track your family’s weekly bills so you know how much you’ll need for each expense.
8. Buy gift cards from retailers instead of giving cash.
If you’re going to buy a gift card, then why not do it with a discount? Stores like Target, Walgreens, or Bed Bath & Beyond will usually have some sort of promo or coupon coming up to encourage their customers that goes something like this: “If you spend $200 on gift cards during the month of x, we’ll give you back $35” or “Our customers who purchase $100 in gift cards will get another $5 off.”
So if you’re going to pay with cash anyway, then why not try and save money by purchasing those gift cards from the store near you using those promotions?
9. Stop eating out for lunch once a week.
It’s easiest to cut out an unnecessary expense when it’s not a necessity, like eating out for lunch everyday. You might not be able to save $20 of every $40 you pay for your lunch, but you should be able to make at least some small change in giving up that habit.
10. Find a side hustle.
A lot of people think that a side hustle is something like babysitting or freelance writing, but it can be anything that brings in more money. As long as you’re making more than the minimum wage for your area, that’s all that matters.
You could also look into selling your unused gift cards online through sites like Cardpool and Raise. This way, you’ll get cash for something you already paid for instead of having to pay cash to buy something else with it.
That’s a Wrap!
