Have you ever looked at your bank account and wondered how on earth your funds got so low? You’re not alone. Many Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and it can be hard to save even when you have a strict budget. There are ways to increase your pocket cash by making lifestyle changes and eliminating monthly expenses. You want to be able to afford your basic expenses without sacrificing your ideal lifestyle.
Sell Your Life Insurance Policy
Do you have a life insurance policy as part of your employee benefits? Each paycheck, some of your hard-earned money is set aside to take care of maintaining this policy. But some people might not actually need their life insurance. For example, your kids might be grown and out of the house, so they don’t need to reap any potential benefits. Your spouse might be able to sustain themselves with their own career after your passing. In addition, you never see the benefits for your life insurance policy. If you sell it, the life settlement company will take care of policy maintenance. That lets you have a little extra cash to spend as well. You can review a guide to learn about how selling your life insurance works.
Meal Plan
How much of your budget do you spend on food? Maybe you often get takeout or go out to eat. Maybe you have TV dinners and pre-packaged meals. But these costs can add up quickly, especially if you have a family. You might want to consider meal planning and cooking more often at home. Get a sense of exactly what ingredients you need for a recipe. Make enough servings to take care of everyone in the house, ideally with leftovers remaining. There are tons of blogs that teach you how to make delicious meals without breaking the bank. That’s a great idea if you’re trying to live a more frugal lifestyle.
Check for Unnecessary Subscriptions
Is your bank account being automatically charged for purchases each month? Maybe you subscribed to a journalism website and then forgot to cancel your free trial. Maybe you’re paying for an online marketplace that you never actually shop at. If you are trying to save money every month get a sense of the subscriptions you have. Then take some time to unsubscribe from each one of them. How do you know which subscriptions to get rid of? Think about whether you actually use the service. If not, there’s no reason to be paying for it. If you do use the service, are there any cheaper alternatives that you could be paying for instead?
Spend Less on Utilities
If you’re paying for your own utilities, you know how quickly the bills can add up. How much are you paying for heating, air conditioning, or water? Try to conserve water by taking shorter showers and tightening up any leaky faucets. You can also use space heaters to increase the temperature of a small room so that you don’t need to turn the thermostat as high. Make sure all your windows are sealed, too.
