Saving money is never as much fun as spending it, but there is a certain rewarding spring that comes to the step of those who meet a financial goal. It doesn’t matter what the goal is – an iPhone 4, house repaint, new bed, pedigree dog, debt clearance – whatever it is you’re saving for, here are a few words of encouragement to spur you on!
• It’s all about the goal. Right this very second you may not be having much fun scrimping and saving, but once you reach your savings goal you know all the hard work and grumpy frugal afternoons will be a distant memory.
• Make some visual reminders. In much the same way as dieters put photos of their least/most preferable body shapes on the fridge door, setting a few images of your savings goal around the house (or maybe taped to the back of your credit card) could be priceless in those little moments of weakness.
• Put it in writing. Sticking to lists to reduce costs is a great way to effectively plan and adhere to a savings budget.
• Remember the little things count. Look for incentives like cash for mobiles, cashback websites etc in all possible areas of your life.
Recycle mobile phones for cash, sell old DVDs on eBay, host a car boot sale, buy supermarket brands in favour of big brand names – all of these small measures can really stack up, in fact, most of your savings are likely to come from small changes, so don’t neglect a single one!