My 10 Budgeting Hacks For 2023
Having a budget tells me how much money I have every month, and how much I can afford to spend after emergencies.
Budgeting also tells me where I need to start making changes and how much I can save and invest:
The below hacks will help you put some extra pennies in the bank.
Take on a Money Saving Challenge – Having a money goal, will make you accountable for your money. I have put a couple of No spend months on my calendar for next year. You can do it too. Here is a free downloadable workbook for a 1-month no-spend challenge. Download your free PDF workbook here.
Workbook credit link HERE.
Do Surveys in Free Time – Quick surveys that will help me make some extra cash while waiting in pick-up lines or waiting rooms.
Survey Junkie – Choose surveys that tell you how much time it will take and how much money you will make.
Swagbucks – Get free gift cards and cash for taking paid online surveys and free trial offers
Skip Fancy Coffee Shops – No matter what new coffee trend comes out next year, I plan on making all my coffee at home. If you know the difference between Cafe’ au Lait and Macchiato, then you can definitely start making your favorite coffees at home.
Have a capsule wardrobe – A capsule wardrobe is a collection of interchangeable clothing pieces that complement each other. You just need to figure out your style and find clothes that can be paired in to different outfits. Only keep clothes that you enjoy wearing and feel good about.
Shop off-season – I picked up a lot of off-season specials this year like holiday-scented soaps, and chocolates, which is why I’m going to make sure I always buy at the end of the current season for the following year. Like buying summer clothes in fall and winter clothes in spring.
Meatless Wednesday – Meatless Monday is a global movement with a simple message, one day a week, cut the meat. In our home, Meatless Monday is difficult because we always have meat or seafood for Sunday dinner, the leftovers usually being enough for Monday lunch and dinner. So, I will be going for a nutritionally balanced Meatless Wednesday by adding an egg dish at least one Wednesday in a month. Here are some delicious egg recipes to try. Getting my husband to agree to not eat meat one day of the week was the tough part. Phew!!
Review Budget Every Month – My husband and I plan to review bank statements and budgets every month. This will help us to manage our spending habits, increase our savings, and eventually make progress toward our long-term financial goals. If you have never made a budget, you can learn how HERE.
Buy books secondhand – My entire family members are lifelong members of the reading tribe. The kids have moved to the Kindle edition for the books they want to read, though they do still have the first edition of the Harry Potter books in their rooms. I still need a book in hand to read, so from now on, I will be buying the books I want to keep secondhand.
Practice the Power of Pause – The power of pause will help to avoid buyer’s remorse and limit impulse buying. I love all things kitsch, so I’m always buying mismatched crockery, which is why I need to practice the power of the pause. The urge to buy these items always supersedes my self-control. So, next year I intend to practice the Power of Pause for all non-essentials, for items under $25, wait 24 hours before purchasing them. For items $50-$100, wait at least one week before purchasing them.
A mini-budget For When Something Unexpected Happens – When an unexpected expense comes up, I always tend to throw the budget telling myself I will start next month. But, I realized making a mini-budget will help me to take back control of the budget. If you want to learn how to make a mini-budget. Go HERE.
You have learned how to budget when after paying all you owe, you still have a leftover amount at the end of the month. Happy Savings!!