10 Boring Money Habits That Can Save You Serious Money, According to Kate Kaden
The most practical financial advice designed to help save money isn’t usually glamorous. Meal prepping for the week, for example, isn’t as fun as going out to eat, but it does pay off big for your monthly budget.
Frugal living YouTuber Kate Kaden recently shared a video outlining 10 boring money habits that really work to save money, even though they’re not particularly exciting.
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Here’s how you can give your financial picture an overhaul.
1. Reuse Your Favorites
Think about your favorite mug. Do you reuse it often, or do you find yourself regularly buying new mugs or tumblers because they’re cute or aesthetically pleasing?
Hopefully you responded that you’re reusing your favorite things instead of running out for what’s cool and new right now. You’ll save more doing this than waste money on fads.
2. Establish a Clothing Formula
Kaden said a clothing formula is like a uniform you might wear to work where you wear a similar ensemble every day of the week.
She uses the example of wearing a nicer outfit on certain weekdays and slightly casual apparel on Fridays. You’ll think less about what to wear tomorrow and spend less if you shop your wardrobe.
3. Eat Your Leftovers
Why go out for lunch or dinner when there are leftovers in the fridge?
“When you don’t eat all the food that you purchased, you’re just throwing money away,” Kaden said. “[Leftovers are] the same food you purchased. You just haven’t finished eating it yet.”
4. Check Your Balances Daily
Each morning, Kaden checks her balances and tracks her expenses while drinking coffee. This money habit takes about five to 10 minutes to complete and allows you to stay on top of your financial picture.
Remember: You can’t know how well your budget is working until you track your spending.
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5. Wear Everything Out Before Buying Replacements
A few of Kaden’s recommended items to wear out until there’s no more give or they become threadbare are sneakers, towels, furniture and pajamas.
6. Keep Your House Clean
A messy or dirty home can inspire more impulse spending than many realize.
Kaden uses the example of how you might avoid cooking if your kitchen is messy or you might be more prone to re-buying things you lost since your home isn’t organized.
7. Repeat Meals
Like the clothing formula, Kaden has a food formula that includes rotisserie chicken Mondays, a choice of fish and a ground meat that serve as main meals for three days out of the week.
You can do this yourself with your favorite proteins and veggies.
8. DIY Maintenance Before It Becomes an Emergency
Don’t wait for chores to pile up or the pantry to run out of key grocery staples. Being disorganized, Kaden said, is expensive. The more you prep now, the more you prevent chaos from ensuing later.
If you stock up on canned soup before winter, for example, you won’t have to worry about running out when the prices have ticked up and the items are no longer on sale.
9. Stay Home
Staying home is not boring. Rather, Kaden said it’s sensational because everything you need to enjoy yourself, like coffee, streaming services, and comfy furniture and blankets, is there. You spend less and enjoy your mortgage more this way.
10. Keep Boring Financial Goals Visible
Your big financial goals are probably boring or practical in nature, like how Kaden is working toward reaching her goal of paying off her mortgage in half the intended time frame.
Find a space in your home where these goals can be readily visible, like a bulletin board or the refrigerator, and prioritize funneling whatever extra cash you get toward reaching them.
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This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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