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Do you struggle to make your money last until payday?
You're not alone - according to a recent survey, 55% of UK households struggle with the cost of food leading up to payday whilst energy costs and fuel/transport costs were the next two biggest concerns.
Although some of the rising costs are beyond our control, there are steps we can take to help our funds stretch a little bit further.
1) Personalise Your Budget
If you're living paycheck to paycheck every month, your usual budget likely isn't working for you. Get specific with your budget and tailor it to your needs, rather than using standard methods e.g. the 50/30/20 rule. Your budget is yours, your income is yours, and your expenses are yours - so your budget should be as unique as you!
Set aside at least 30 mins during one evening to work out your budget. It’s best to do this before you’ve been paid. Start by listing all your outgoings for the month and categorise your expenses into fixed, variable and irregular. For more information on this, check out our blog on the 3 Types of Living Expenses to work into your budget.
2) Practice the 24-Hour Rule
Get into the habit of waiting a minimum of 24 hours before making any impulse purchases. Better yet, try and wait 48 hours. Next, see if you can hold off on buying that item for a whole week before you click 'proceed to checkout'.
Whilst this method helps teach self-discipline and patience, it also allows you to discover whether you really wanted or needed that thing - and you'll likely be glad you didn't go through with it.
Check out our blog post on Healthy Money Habits to help you avoid any future impulse buying.
3) Set Spending Limits
If your struggle lies more in sticking to your budget than creating one in the first place, you might want to consider setting yourself some spending limits.
It can be challenging to stick to the limits we set for ourselves, so an easier way to go about it is by topping up a prepaid card like ImageNPay with the amount of your choice. This way, you won't be burnt by credit card/overdraft fees - once you've run out of money on the card, you'll have to top it up again before being able to spend any more.
Click here to find out more about how an ImageNPay card can help you save money.
4) Paying Yourself First
If you’re unfamiliar with the phrase “paying yourself first”, it basically boils down to paying a portion of your salary into a savings account as soon as you’re paid.
You can do this automatically by setting up automated payments around/on the day you’re paid, which is a great method as you’ll likely not even notice the funds leaving your account.
The idea behind paying yourself first is that you’re making a payment to your future self - whether you decide to use that money to invest, as a personal pension fund, or even an emergency fund.
Your future self will thank you as you’ll be less likely to encounter any unexpected costs during the month!
Looking for an easier, simpler way to stick to your budget and make your paycheck last longer?
Try an ImageNPay prepaid card - as you can only top up your card with the amount you choose, there's no risk of overspending and struggling to get by until payday.
Tap the button below to download for free on iOS and Android to get started!
