You don’t have to play Uncle Scrooge to be penny wise and hoard for the future! The journey is the key. We will discuss here how to exercise a bit of restraint in a number of small-yet-effective ways, so that you can maintain your lifestyle, discover new and better habits, as well as save along the way!
Where do you actually spend your money?
Typically, if you are an earning member of the family, and assuming that basics
have been taken care of, then your outlay will range over expenses to do with food, entertainment, and shopping.
Eating Out
When you eat out, you expect high standards in terms of quality, ambience and service. So how do you make the most of it?
Try eating out at lunch instead of dinner. There are some great deals and great value to be had at lunch time set menus and buffets.
Ask suggestions from friends and relatives. The best bargains are usually
discovered by word of mouth.
Enjoy a drink at home before you head out to the restaurant. This is a good option if you want to cut your bill by half.
Cash in your vouchers. Many places offer deals on meals — scan local magazines for the latest on what’s hot, when. Eat out in a group. It will be more cost effective.
Many restaurants offer discounts to prospective customers via Sms. Read your message carefully before discarding it.
Order an appetizer as a main, or split a main course with a friend. Ditch dessert.
Skip the fancy places and check out the neighbourhood dhaba.
Be sure to ask for a doggy bag for anything you can’t finish. Leftover restaurant
meals make great lunches for the following day.
Fill up on the extras. Snacking on the complimentary peanut masala or bread sticks means more of your meal will go home with you.
And to complete the experience, drop by earlier to identify the best table, reserve in advance and don’t forget to tip well, so they remember you the next time. Or you could just forget dining out and order in!
Entertainment
Check your paper and local magazines for events in the city. You will be surprised at the number of cultural, literary and spiritual happenings that occur on a weekly basis, and a lot of them for free, or a fraction of the price of your movie ticket.
Indulge in a hobby. Not only will you learn something new, or revive a past craft, but you will also derive satisfaction from it and meet new people at the same time.
Rediscover your city. Whether it’s the local park or library, or a visit to a museum or an architectural site, revisit places you’d taken for granted until now.
If you can, catch a movie on a weekday. Ticket prices could be cheaper for morning shows, Monday to Thursday.
Entertain at home. But be smart about it. Suggest a pot-luck and BYOB, throw in a good movie and you have the makings of an excellent evening with friends.
Shopping
Go generic. Don’t always opt for branded products. There are savings to be had
when you choose the in house store brand, to a national one. Buy in bulk. This saves you money if you shop smart and buy those items that have a longer shelf life.
Don’t shop when you’re hungry. Avoid the ready-to-eat trap. They are expensive and not healthy. Don’t shop with the family. If you have young children, all those extra goodies will
add to your bill.
Try discount and seconds shops, and the factory outlets.When shopping for clothes mix and match.
A word on online Shopping. Shop online for bargains. You save on the cost of the product, as well as on petrol, by shopping through the Internet.
However take care not to compromise on security. Here are some tips:
* Shop from a secure computer which has up-to-date anti-virus and security
features.
* Use only specific trusted sites
* Try alternative payment methods like a virtual card, which is a one time card with a specified credit limit that you need to use within a specified time frame, usually 24 hours.
Or try a Prepaid credit card.
So adopt some of the ways suggested above and optimise your resources for maximum fun.
(The writer is CEO of bankbazaar.com.)