Just a few days ago, a friend approached me for some financial advice.
She was adamant. According to her, she was working really hard but it seemed that her money was going to credit card and utility bills payments plus grocery shopping. There was always very little left from her monthly pay check.
This was what I told my peer. Forced savings is necessary especially as emergencies happen and sometimes you need to take a much-needed vacation. It is not easily done but creating a budget and following this spending guide can help in saving a small amount regularly. You have to be prudent especially if you have young children or children going through college, or if you are a college student yourself.
Now that Spring break is approaching, you will begin thinking of ways to take a small break from work, school, the kids, or anything that brings you stress. Most importantly, you will want to think of ways to keep your kids occupied and you sane without breaking the bank.
What can be some worthwhile, low-cost pursuits to plan for, that can altogether be enjoyable for you and your young ones?
Check out the community where you live. There are a thousand and one things to do there without having to travel far and spend a lot of money. There are local parks, camping activities or exchange play dates all of which- are free or pretty inexpensive. Or, you can go to public swimming pools, museums, playgrounds, and skating rinks.
Another fun and relaxing activity is to go hiking along local trails. Embrace the remarkable outdoors instead of simply staying at home and relish quality time with your loved ones. Besides, you don’t splurge hard-earned money with this kind of clean air action.
Parents can take a few days off from work while the kids are at home or work from home (if that is an option). Take the kids to the park and schedule a barbecue party on a Friday evening.
Be more innovative. Play board games. Go on a photography safari or do some craft work with the children.
Saving money particularly for spring break requires some planning, but it can be done. Often the things you want to do require spending quite a bit of money. While the rest of the world uses this time of year to splurge considering they have made it through the first quarter of the year, you can find ways to have fun, without spending too much money. Plus, the money you save will allow you to build your emergency fund. The truth is personal savings is important so you will have a fall back in case of unforeseen accidents or sudden hospitalization. See to it that you save the change in your purse or your latte money. Come up with an emergency fund and put in whatever is extra from your monthly income. Set your goal so a percentage of the regular pay check will go to this account.
Whether it’s Spring Break or not, being creative with your spending habits to build your savings, is a good habit to get into. There is nothing wrong with adopting a frugal mindset to have fun during this Spring Break.
Spring Break: Save Money, Reduce Spending and Think About an Emergency Fund
