What I learnt from the pandemic economically wise is that I do not need to spend as much as I thought. When I checked my finances I felt overwhelmed by the small amount of money which I must manage monthly. It was so hard to keep your money in my pocket because I had so little to go by.
Thanks to Christian Against Poverty’ support I learnt that I could try my best to make my life a little better by using the following tips.
1. Use a budgeting tool. Some organisations offer free budgeting forecasts such as :Work out your budget – Citizens Advice.
I found it very useful to log on to an excel spreadsheet in order to know how I could spend less. However you just need a pen & paper for the exercise.
3. Limit your petty cash to the minimum and include it in your expenses.
5. Go to green spaces nearby and avoid expensive trips.
6. Avoid people who you know will have a different spending habit. It is great to have friends but you should make it clear that your budget is limited.
As such, you know that you will not go for an additional drink or two when you cannot afford it. Most importantly, don’t feel guilty about creating boundaries. It is better to say no than facing issues, down the line, which could have been avoided.
7. Don’t give up! You may feel discouraged at first however you are actually doing yourself a favour. Keep a journal of the way you feel, this might help you in your journey.
8. Plan for birthdays and other celebrations in advance.
9. Buy non-perishable items in stock (pasta, rice, tomato sauce, couscous, dry fruits etc…)
10. Take a short finance management course- for example Christian Against Poverty provides practical tips which you can access on their websites at
Christians Against Poverty | Debt Counselling Charity (capuk.org)
Hope it helps,
Frederique
Reference
www.citizensadvice.org.uk (n.d.). Work out your budget. [online] Available at:
https://www.citizensadvice.
Poverty, C.A. (n.d.). Christians Against Poverty. [online] capuk.org. Available at: https://capuk.org/.
Hope the above helps,