6 Smart But Easy Ways to Save Money

As some people say, “save for a rainy day”. We should develop a habit of saving money instead of spending it on something that might not be essential. This will be a great help for us. Let's follow the example of ants who are always ready in times of rainy days. They diligently store food to prepare for the rainy season.  Let’s list 5 things to help us save money for the future.
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1. Don’t Grocery Shop Without a List

The disadvantage of not having a shopping list when going to the grocery store is that you don't really know what you're going to buy, so there's a possibility that you'll buy things you don't really need. So, before you go to the supermarket or the malls, you should have a list of what you want to buy because it will help you save your money, and possibly some inches on your waistline. Before we go shopping, my wife and I have a list of things to buy. Thanks to our list, we don't spend what should be spent on other things, like the electricity or water bill for example. This is a great help to save money and it will also help you save time as well because you have a clear and concise list of what you need to purchase from the store.

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2. Set It and Forget It

One of the most effective ways to save is to follow what the experts say to ‘set it and forget it’. You do this by setting up an automated transfer from your paycheck into a savings account or retirement account. You can sometimes initiate this from your employer’s payroll website or do it within your bank by using an automatic transfer. Even if you only save a little money from each paycheck, it will add up in the long run. So if you haven't started doing this yet, go ahead and start trying it. What do you have to lose? 

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3. Make a Budget 

It is also very important that you compute the monthly expenses for the house and other things so that you know how much you can put in your savings account. Don’t transfer too large of an amount into your savings account, otherwise your budget will be short for the whole month. This way, you won’t have to touch your money you’ve set aside since you’ve budgeted correctly for the month.

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4. Find Cheap, but Fun Hobbies

Instead of eating out and buying expensive things you may not really need, you can turn your attention to something else both better and cheaper for you. You can go for a walk with your friends or family, take a walk by yourself in the park, listen to your favorite music, watch a movie, or maybe learn a new instrument. You can still enjoy your free time and have fun without spending too much of your hard earned money.

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5. Learn More About Finances

It is important that we have knowledge of saving and how to handle our money. Articles and videos from financial writers or experts are of great help to increase our knowledge. You’re expanding your financial knowledge by reading this article right now! 

Before I got married, I had no idea about the importance of saving money. However, I thought that I needed to save for my children's education and for emergencies regardless. I tried at first, but it seemed impossible because my monthly salary is not that much. I started watching youtube videos and reading blogs and that's where I got ideas and tips on how to start saving. Since then, I have somehow been able to start building my savings account and I plan to continue adding to it moving forward. 

This next topic is different from saving and your money can grow long term through investing.

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6. Invest Your Money In Addition to Saving

There are many different ways out there to invest. You can invest in stocks or mutual funds. You can invest in real estate either actively or passively. You can invest in cryptocurrency like Bitcoin if you are more aggressive. You can also invest in farmland or livestock like I have.

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You may not be interested in buying and raising animals, but you can also consider other things such as buying properties or things that may increase in value in the future. But when your capital is small and you are interested in buying and breeding animals, this could be a great investment for you.

One of my friends bought three goats in 2019 and he took care of them until they bred and grew in numbers. His income was quite impressive and he is still making money from his livestock today. He has increased from 3 to 67 head in just 3 years. It was very exciting to see his flock grow and now he also started to buy cows which are also starting to multiply.

Inspired by my friend, my wife and I also started to buy livestock this year. We started buying livestock such as goats and pigs. It was very addictive because in a few months we saw our money start to grow. You can also try if you want and live in an area where you have some land for livestock. You just need to spend some money for the fence and shed or barn for your flock to keep them safe. And once you have set up the fences and shed for the animals, then you're good to go.

Life is uncertain so we need to be prepared for everything and saving money is just one of the things we need to do for the future. We just have to be hard working, have a goal in life, and above all, have faith in God. When we have these things, I believe we can achieve our dreams in life.

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