Happy 2020! A new year. A clean slate. If you didn’t meet your 2019 financial goals, don’t stress about it. Hit the reset button and let’s get ready to have more money in 2020.
How do You Have More Money in 2020?
By getting rid of the budget busters.
A SlickDeals.net survey identified the top 10 budget busters:
- Online shopping
- Grocery shopping
- Subscription services
- Technology products
- Buying lunch every day
- Household essentials
- Coffee drinks
- Food delivery
- Gym memberships
- Entertainment
Let’s take a look at 5 of these budget busters.
- Online Shopping
E-commerce has vastly improved the ability of consumers to access the products they need. No more fighting traffic or dealing with crowded shopping malls. You can go online and shop from the most remote location in the world, or from the comfort of your bed. But, the ease of the online shopping experience means that you need to exercise tremendous discipline if you want to have more money in 2020.
The social media influence.
Your online shopping experience is also influenced by social media. Brands are creating targeted advertising so that you see all the stuff you would love to have in your feeds. Very little effort is required to move seamlessly from the ad to the brand’s website and from there to the checkout page.
And then there is the FOMO (fear of missing out) syndrome—seeing influencers or friends doing stuff you wish you could do too. You can easily blow your budget by purchasing tickets to an exotic place that you can’t afford.
Tips:
- When you go online, keep your financial goals and budget near to you.
- If you can’t afford it, don’t buy it.
- Shop smart. Use savings apps to help you locate the best prices, coupons, and other money-saving deals.
- Grocery Shopping
The grocery store is a danger to your financial goals for two reasons: (1) we tend to go shopping when we’re hungry and (2) grocery store layouts are designed to maximize your shopping experience. Their goal is to get you to buy as much as possible. Your goal is to stay focused on what you need and get out of there with as low a bill as possible.
Tips:
- Never go grocery shopping when you are hungry.
- Take a shopping list with you and follow it.
- Before heading out, inventory your home to be sure of what you need.
- Learn about the different date stamps on food products and what they mean. Consumer confusion about these dates is the reason that tons of groceries end up in the garbage (along with your money!).
- Subscription Services and Gym Memberships
We’ll combine these two money drainers. Both begin with enthusiasm about something that ultimately wanes over time. You might become inspired to start reading more and so you sign up for digital publications that clog up your inbox.
Gym memberships always spike at the beginning of the year since the most common New Year’s resolution is to get in shape. But studies prove that visits to the gym drop off considerably within the first month. You end up paying a monthly membership for a service you never use.
Tip:
- Check your subscriptions. Are you using them? If not, cancel.
- Can you afford that gym membership? Trying exercising outside and setting up a small workout space in your home or office.
- Coffee Drinks
Those coffee drinks you grab while on the go deprive you of the money you need for your financial goals. A 2018 Acorns study stated that American consumers spend on average $92 per month on coffee drinks. Stopping for your favorite coffee now and then is okay, but if you make it a daily habit, you will lose the opportunity to invest your money in yourself.
Tip:
- You can purchase great coffee machines today. Brew up your favorite coffee drink at home.
- Technology Products
Virtually every day a new technology product is introduced to the market. Technology brands do an awesome job of telling you why you need the latest technology gadget, even though the one you have is meeting all your needs. They do this by telling you that you have needs you didn’t even know about. The truth is, with apps and system upgrades, your current technology products have a much longer shelflife than the tech companies would have you believe.
Tips:
- If you need a new product and you have the money, then buy it. Or save up for it.
- Before purchasing, be sure the new technology product is really going to improve your life.
How Else Can You Have More Money?
Having more money to power your financial goals is easily accomplished by adopting a few healthy money habits:
Create a budget and stick to it!
Track your spending. If you don’t know where your money is going, you won’t be able to create a realistic budget.
Automate your savings. If you don’t see it, you won’t spend it.
Pay your bills on time. Your bill-paying history impacts your credit score. If you consistently pay late, your credit score will suffer. A bad credit score costs you a lot of money!
Check your credit report.
Your credit report is the basis for calculating your credit score. Your credit score impacts almost every facet of your life. If you want to have more money in 2020, a good credit score is one way to get there. It is imperative that you regularly check your credit report. It could contain errors or you could be a victim of identity theft.
Kick impulse buying.
This is one of the most important healthy money habits to take on or strengthen. Resist impulse buying and enjoy more money in 2020.
Pay yourself first.
Make you and your financial goals a priority. Before you do anything else, funnel your money into your savings accounts and/or toward debt reduction. This is the opposite of putting whatever is leftover at the end of the month into savings.
When possible, use cash.
Leave your credit cards at home. When you use cash, you see the money that you are spending. When the cash is gone, you know you have spent it all. Credit cards make it easy to forget how much you have spent. The shock comes when you get the bill. Using cash will help you stick to your budget.
How do you plan to have more money this year? Let us know in the comment box below.