Ways to Manage Your Money for a Better Quality of Life

Although they say that money doesn't buy happiness, you may wonder if "they" had a family of five to support. Money is the means in how we survive from day-to-day whether it is paying bills, gas in the car to get to work, or food in our children's stomach. You don't have to be in the upper-class bracket in order to live a finer life, though. If you watch your spending and make good financial decisions, you can provide a good life for yourself and your family.

1. Track Your Spending - If you can't afford a budget program for your computer, you can set up a method to track your spending with Microsoft Excel, the free to use Open Office, or by purchasing a columned ledger for a few dollars. Monitor the different categories of your spending and see where you can reduce the outflow. It helps to be able to visualize how much money is spent on unnecessary things like fast food and treats.

2. Do You Need It - There are many things that you may want to buy. Ask yourself if you need the item or not. You must answer yourself truthfully and not try to talk yourself into spending money on something that isn't required for living. Do you really need that 22-inch widescreen LCD monitor for your computer when that 15-inch screen works?

3. Home Decor - Many of us would like to decorate our homes with tasteful pictures, shelving, tables, and more. Did you know that you can buy tasteful living fixtures for the home at budget stores such as Family Dollar? While the quality may not be that of an item ten times its price tag, the fixture itself can bring a sense of style to the home.

4. Dining Out - In a busy world, cooking for a family or yourself can be that extra effort that your overworked body doesn't want to deal with. It's much faster and easier to pull up to the drive-through and order $30 in fast food. However, that $30 could buy a week’s worth of groceries. A grilled egg and cheese sandwich could cost you just over a quarter to make and is healthier for you to eat.

5. Morning Coffee - You can save an insane amount of money by brewing your own coffee in the mornings as opposed to picking it up on the way to work. For instance, each cup at the local 7-11 could cost you $1.29. After a week of working, you essentially could spend more than $6 for five mugs of coffee. That $6 could have bought you an entire container of coffee that could last you a month or so. You can even pick up flavored syrups if you like that sort of thing for just a few dollars.

Tightening the belt another notch or two may be required to live a better quality of life. Some creature comforts may be sacrificed in order to get what you truly want. As long as you can swallow your pride and shift your way of thinking, an improved lifestyle can be obtained for yourself and/or your family.

 

Author Bio:

 

Jack Meyers is a regular contributor for www.nannybackgroundcheck.com. As a detective he wants to spread the knowledge of terrible things that can happen when people don’t fully verify the credentials of a caregiver or any employee. He also writes for various law enforcement blogs and sites.

*This was a guest post