How to Save Money Using These Time Management Tips?
If you're like me, then you don't like wasting money or spending more money than you have to. I'm not talking about spending money on nonessentials - which I definitely do sometimes. I'm talking about the difference between taking advantage of deals that are made available to you. I grew up with a mom who clipped all of the useful coupons she could find before going to the grocery store - and of course what coupons were available sometimes determined what we would be having for dinner that week. Now that we are living in a digital age, she always goes on the grocery stores' apps and downloads all of the coupons!
I am not telling you that you have to be a crazy coupon lady like me or my mom - or my boyfriend, who I also converted. I am telling you though that there are so many ways to save money, and if you take advantage of at least a few of the time management tips below to save money, then you may just earn yourself that cup of Starbucks you get every morning on your way to work.
There are so many different ways to save money. So many, in fact, that it is easier if I separate them into categories, so they are easier to keep track of in your mind. I will give you time management tips in the categories listed below - bills, food, entertainment, and day to day - that can help you save money.
Bills
Set up Autopay
If you haven't already done so, then it is probably time for you to set up autopay on your bills and loans. Many companies give you a (very) slightly reduced rate when you sign up for autopay - or "go green" and reduce paper waste. The amount you save will be pretty small, but it's still cash back in your own pocket.
Besides the literal savings, setting up autopay is a great way to save yourself time; instead of worrying about and spending the time paying your bills each month, the money will just be taken directly out of your bank account.
Setting up autopay is only a good idea if you are sure you will have enough money in your account at the time when it gets paid each month. If not, you can still reap many benefits if you pay bills online.
Bundle Plans
If you get your TV, internet, cell phone, and landline phone all with the same provider, then you may be able to get a bundle plan that saves money and time. Bundle plans oftentimes result in a lower bill, since the provider is happy to be the sole provider of so many services. If you currently use different providers for your TV, internet, and phones, then it might be worth your time to look at bundling with just one provider.
Besides, having just one bill instead of three or four will make paying each month simpler and quicker. (If you set up autopay, it's even that much simpler each month.)
Pay All of Your Bills on the Same Day
If possible, see if you can set your bills to be on the same day. Even if they are not due the same day, it is a good idea to pay all of your bills on the same day. For example, you could plan to pay all of your regular bills the day after you receive your paycheck.
Having this one "accounting day" where you pay all of your bills means that you won't have to worry or spend time paying your bills for the rest of the month. An added benefit is that you will know how much money you have leftover for the month in your account for extra spending.
Negotiate Your Bills
Negotiating your bills will take some time - so prepare yourself, but it could save you a lot of money. (Even if you don't convince the company to lower your bills, you don't lose anything from asking either!)
Some providers will be happy to give you a small discount - which racks up savings over time - if they are worried that you are planning on quitting their service because it costs too much for you.
The important thing is to go into the negotiation informed after having done your research, such as knowing what the competitors charge for the same service. If you follow these tips on how to negotiate bills like an Olympian, then you might be able to negotiate the best deals for yourself.
Make Paying Your Bills a Part of Your Normal Routine
If possible, incorporate paying your bills into your normal day to day routine - that is if you don't want to or can't set up autopay. For example, if the location you have to drop off the payment for your electric bill is near the gym, make sure your check is filled out and ready when you head to the gym, and just drop it off on your way. If, on the other hand, your realtor's office is near your child's school, then drop off your check for rent on your way to pick up your kids after school.
If you are able to pay your bills during your normal routine - going to work, going to the gym, or going home at the end of the day - then you will save yourself a lot of time, not having to go out of your way to drive somewhere you were already nearby earlier in the day, as well as save yourself gas, which can be expensive.
Food
Have a Meal Plan
Planning your meals for the week can help you in so many ways, from saving time and money to encouraging you to make healthier choices. Planning meals in advance saves you money in many different ways. First, planning meals and buying food for an entire week will save you money on gas, since you will not need to go to the grocery store as often or drive to a restaurant for lunch during your lunch break. Plus, if you know what you plan on eating, you reduce the risk of buying too many groceries. Besides saving money on gas, you will save money on food. Preparing food at home is much cheaper than eating out for lunch every day.
Finally, you will save so much time when you have a meal plan, since you will not have to waste time going to the grocery store multiple times a week, going to restaurants in the middle of the day for food, and you will not have to actively think about food and what you will eat later.
Clip Coupons
Okay, I wasn't completely joking earlier. I won't push coupon-clipping on you, but I do encourage you to spend a little time looking through the coupons at the stores you generally like to shop at - both grocery stores and other types of stores. Like I mentioned above, many grocery stores even have apps now, which means that you do not have to search further than the phone next to you. This is also great if you are an environmentally friendly individual and do not promote the paper waste of some ads and coupons out there.
Brew Your Coffee at Home
While it can be fun going to Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, Krispy Kreme, or your local roastery, it is much cheaper to brew your own coffee at home. But don't worry, this doesn't mean that you have to give up the coffee brands you love. If you love Starbucks coffee so much, for example, then you can buy grounds from them - either at your local Starbucks or grocery store. Then you can brew it at home, still cheaper than if you bought each cup of coffee individually.
If you really want to save money though, then buy a cheaper brand of coffee - one which, of course, you still enjoy - and brew that for regular days, and then just brew a pot of your special-brand coffee on special days, like on the weekend or on a day you have an important interview or meeting.
Plus, you'll save a lot of time in the morning if you just make your own coffee at home. Just set your coffee maker -- or better yet a French press, that is cheap but decent - and let it brew while you get ready in the morning. Then you won't have spent much extra time in the morning preparing your coffee, but you will also save the time you would use driving to and standing in line at a coffee shop in the morning.
Entertainment
Unlimited Movies
If you love going to the movie theater like me, then you probably have a loyalty card from the movie theater, where you can rack up points by purchasing tickets for movies and snacks from the concession stand. Some cinemas have even started selling special memberships for huge movie fans. For instance, if you prefer to go to AMC, then you could join the AMC Stubs A-List and watch up to 3 movies a month, get double points towards Stubs rewards, and enjoy the perk of making free online reservations.
Read Online
Sometimes it is exciting just roaming the shelves in a library or bookstore, browsing your favorite genres and seeing what is new. But you could also stay in the comfort of your own home and find free or cheap books online, especially if you own a tablet, such as a Nook or Kindle. If you have a library card, then you can go to the websites or apps for Hoopla and Libby Overdrive.
They let you borrow ebooks, digital movies, music, and more from your local public library. You can access these materials on your computer, phone, tablet, or even your TV. If you are rushed for time and can't make it over to the library today, don't worry, you won't be out of a book to read before bed. Just log in to Hoopla or Libby Overdrive and choose what you want to read. Then, just start reading!
Live Performances at Your Local School
Many schools and universities will offer cheap or free tickets for their live performances. By taking advantage of your local schools' and universities' live performances, you both support your local community and have the opportunity to enjoy some amazing live entertainment. Just think, most of the actors/actresses and singers that you enjoy watching on the big screen and listening to on the radio today used to study the arts somewhere.
For instance, Rami Malek, before starring in the sensational roles of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody and Elliot Anderson in Mr. Robot, studied theater at the University of Evansville in Indiana - a state in the Midwest. You never know who you will see perform, but you are sure to enjoy some great performances, whether it is a band or orchestra concert, play, or musical. Support your local performing arts!
Day To Day
Skip Rush Hour
No one enjoys rush hour, yet so many of us don't take the time to plan around it. If you don't have to sit through rush hour, then don't! If you're a morning person, then get up a little earlier than everyone else and head to work early. It can be nice to be the first person in the office when it is quiet and calm - so you can enjoy your first coffee of the day in peace.
On the other hand, if you're not a morning person, then you don't have to leave earlier. Leave 10 to 20 minutes later than usual, and you will probably miss the bulk of the rush hour you would have sat through, while still arriving in the office around the same time.
Not only will this save you time, that you would have been sitting in a car doing nothing, and money, from gas which would be burned up by sitting in traffic, but you will save yourself so much unnecessary frustration. It is better to start the day with a positive mood and outlook, and sitting through rush hour, especially if you are prone to road rage yourself, is just not the best way to start your day. Besides, gas prices tend to be higher during rush hour, so you don't want to get caught up with paying more for your gas, on top of the frustrations of rush hour traffic.
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Save Money from Your Salary
There are many strategies to help you save money from your salary, including decreasing your unnecessary expenses - like eating out and going to the movies, automatically saving money - such as setting it up so that a portion of your paycheck will be directly deposited into your savings account, or even finding ways to bring more money in.
By saving more money from your salary, you are making your time count; you make every dollar you earn worth the time you spent earning it. Plus, if you waste less of your salary, you are less likely to need to waste time later doing overtime just to make more money, which you already earned but threw away on nonessentials.
Set up a Great Budget
Creating a budget - especially if it is your first - takes a little time. But creating a budget - and sticking to it, will allow you to better control your finances. By using a budget, you will know how much money you have coming in and going out, and it will make it much easier to track where expenses may be too high.
While creating your budget takes some time, it will ultimately save you a lot more time. If you track your finances in your budget, then you will be able to make quicker, more responsible decisions on what to spend your money on, as well as how much you should spend on it. Plus, you can even build a budget on low income.
Conclusion
If you use some of these money saving techniques, then you should be rewarded with more time and money for what you actually want. When people say that time is money, they're not completely wrong. Because of this, it just makes sense that time management tips will help you save money. Hopefully these time management tips will save you both time and money. Good luck, and happy savings!