It can be tough when you’re working outside the home and want to save money. You might have a tight budget, so you’ve decided to cut back on things typically seen as luxury items, but do you want to give up your favorite things just to save?
Whether it’s a tight budget or just generally being savvy, here are some creative ways to maintain your financial responsibilities and keep your sanity.
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Save Money On Groceries
When you’re out at work all day, grabbing dinner as quickly as possible is usually the way to go. You might need more time to run home and make a quick meal than you have, so you end up grabbing something at a fast-food restaurant.
The next day, you decide to stop by the grocery store on the way home. You intend to pick up some things you’ve been missing, but when it comes down to it, you pick up something you can cook quickly and feel guilty about it later.
Sound familiar?
Stop wasting money and start investing in your pantry properly, whether that be by learning how to can food, making plenty of make-ahead freezer food, or by meal-planning properly, so you know what to buy (and what not to waste your money on!).
Proper planning prevents poor performance!
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Save Money On Transportation
One of the toughest things to deal with when you’re working outside the home is how to get around. You may drive to work, or you may take public transportation. Either way, there’s probably less money in your budget for gas and transportation than there was when you were simply a stay-at-home mom or dad.
Look into your different transport options, whether taking the bus or going down the car-pooling route. You might even find car-sharing a good idea if you don’t need a car full-time. Grabbing yourself a Zipcar coupon could make that choice even cheaper!
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Save Money On Clothing
Buying clothes for work is expensive! Whether you need a new uniform or just a few accessories to go with your existing wardrobe, it can get expensive fast, and that’s not even considering the cost of dry cleaning and maintenance.
Investing in a capsule wardrobe and simplifying your closet is the best way to save money on work clothes. You might need to buy a few clothes to make swapping in and out easier, but that’s much less expensive than buying hundreds of pieces that don’t go together!
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Save Money On Utilities
You’re out of the house, working long hours, and have yet to turn the heat on. You’re probably going to be cold at some point during the day. You can potentially control these things, but they all add up!
Since you may not be comfortable doing it yourself, it’s worth checking your daily or monthly utility allowance options and making smart choices on your heating app to save money. It makes no sense to heat a house you’re not in, but you must ensure it’s not so cold that the pipes will freeze.
When it comes to the internet, go for something other than the biggest package you can find; go for the smallest. In some cases, you might get away with just using mobile data.