How to Live On a Budget in 2023: 5 Helpful Tips
How to Live On a Budget in 2023: 5 Helpful Tips
Posted on March 24, 2023
Sometimes we all need a little help to get by. An auto loan that seemed affordable at the beginning can turn into more of a challenge to afford. Rather than get into debt, we could make a few simple lifestyle changes to help live within a budget and pay off the loan faster.
We tasked our auto loans team to come up with viable ways to live on a budget, without impacting our lifestyle too much. This is what they came up with.
DIY
Some people love it and some people hate it. Wherever you sit on the subject, doing it yourself can save a lot of money .
Even if you don’t have skills, YouTube, enthusiast websites, tool manufacturer websites and other brands offer lots of resources for beginners.
We have learned all kinds of skills just from watching YouTube and while there are things you shouldn’t tackle without expert help, most basic jobs around the home can be done with ease.
Work Out at Home
How many of you pay for gym membership you don’t use? There were a few of them in our office but that’s all changed now.
Those who use the gym regularly have kept their membership while the rest of us no longer have it.
There are lots of ways to work out at home from buying a set of free weights to Yoga, bodyweight exercise, running around the yard or neighbourhood to just walking the dog further and faster.
Buy in Bulk
If you have storage, buying in bulk can save a lot of money and help live on a budget. It doesn’t always work out that way so you should check prices beforehand, but it can save cash.
Buying items that don’t go off like rice, pasta, tinned goods, toilet paper and so on can offer genuine savings if you buy carefully. Places like Costco or Walmart and other bulk stores offer the opportunity to buy in bulk.
Check prices carefully though. Costco offers more bulk buy opportunities but need careful price checking.
Shop in the Off Season
Planning ahead can also help you live on a budget. Buying summer clothes in fall or winter clothes in spring can save a lot of cash. As long as you don’t always want the latest or newest items, you could save anything up to 60% of the cost of clothes and other items.
This will take planning and will only work for those who aren’t always wearing the latest trends but if that’s you, buying ahead of time in the sales is a great way to save.
Save Your Raise
If you get a promotion or a raise, living the same and banking the extra is a great way to save money for free. As you’re (hopefully) living within your means already, that raise is like a free bonus to savings that you won’t miss if you don’t use.
Even if It’s an extra $100 a month or so, over time it will grow and provide a safety net for emergencies or could be put towards a down payment for your next Waterloo auto loan.
That's it! If you have any more questions, please contact us here.