This year, I’ve decided to become better at saving money. Here are five ways I’m being more money savvy in 2019.
Now that I’m exploring the wide world of freelancing, I’ve realised it’s about time I start being a little bit more money savvy. When you change from a secure nine-to-five career to an exciting freelancing lifestyle, one downside is that money can be a little unreliable.
There’s not as much security. For example, the clients and/or jobs you get change all the time. One month you may be getting lots of work and another not so much. Even regular clients may not pay on time. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop the bills adding up. This is one thing I have made myself well aware of when dabbling into freelancing. And that’s why I’ve eased myself in bit by bit. I still work full time, but in an easy job that I can switch off from at the end of the day. Then I can just get on with my freelance work in the evening! Eventually, I hope to narrow down my hours to part-time as I take on more clients. Then, when I feel secure enough, go freelance full-time.
There’s no time like the present to start preparing for those money worries though. So I’ve decided to share some ways I’m becoming smarter with my money this year.
Getting a Credit Card
I always swore to myself I would never get a credit card. Even despite being told by many sources that it would be good for my credit score. Then I missed my flight home from America and, in a panic, listened to my friend’s advice and applied for one. Then I realised about an hour later that it was still no use because I couldn’t just suddenly use it online to buy a new flight!
So I left my credit card hidden away for a couple of weeks. Until it inevitably got used during that weird in-between time after holiday and before starting a new job. After doing more research, I soon became more comfortable using it. I feel safe, knowing that it’s there in case of emergencies. I’m also grateful that my credit limit is paid off very easily. When it’s not, the interest I pay is super low. I’ll now be using my card for emergencies and to help with my credit score. I also had the great idea of using it for any Mystery Shopping assignments, as that money is guaranteed back to me anyway.
Using Monzo & Chip Again
I paused Chip whilst I went to travel and admittedly I also fell out of the habit of using Monzo too. Monzo is great because it’s such an accurate way to see where all your spending is going, and now I’ll be able to save directly from my main spending account (Monzo) which is great! I think everyone should be using both these two innovative apps as an easy way to save money.
Changing My Eating Habits
Oh food. It took me less than a month of using Chip to realise that other than bills, I spend my money on food the most! From weekend takeaways to lunchtime meal deals, I am honestly not surprised that I waste so much money on feeding myself. So I’ve decided to change this habit!
I’m not giving up takeaways (not completely anyway), but I’m getting back into the habit of making and bringing my own lunch to work. I only allow myself a meal deal perhaps only on a Friday if I really can’t be bothered to prep the night before). I’ve also just discovered the app TooGoodToGo, which basically fights food waste by selling off what’s leftover from restaurants and cafes at lunchtime or dinner. And it’s good stuff, too, not leftovers from someone’s plate! For example, a hotel near where I work offers a morning ‘Magic Bag’, which is a box full of hot breakfast items such as baked beans, hash browns, sausages, bacon, pastries, croissants and even fruit – for only £2.50. This would normally cost a whopping £13.00. Plus it’s a good feeling knowing that you’re fighting food waste.
You can read more about my experience with Chip here.
On top of that, I’m also getting back into Mystery Shopping!
Learning What Survey Websites Actually Work for Me
I’ve spent the last six months or so finding what apps and websites work best for me. I’ve found apps such as Curious Cat, OnePulse and SurveyBods more useful than websites. But I’m still doing really well on Swagbucks. What I love about Swagbucks at the moment is that even when I’m not able to dedicate time every day to hit my daily target, I’ve found I’m still collecting points pretty regularly by downloading the toolbar. I always win some SB when using the Swagbucks search engine!
Accepting That Emergencies happen…and Starting to Prep for Them
I can’t even begin to tell you how many times in the past few months I’ve received a text message telling me I’ve gone overdrawn because of an unexpected (or forgotten) bill. Or because things I’ve purchased in the past have only just been charged to my account. Each time, I panic and end up feeling like I really need to grow up. But recently I’ve realised that sometimes these things just happen. I’ve learned to just accept that it’s a part of life and I can prep for them by having a budget or an emergency fund.
What about you? Do you have any fail-safe tips for keeping on top of your finances in 2019? Would you like to see a guide about how I earn extra cash using survey websites? Let me know!
*Please note, although this post is sponsored, all views and opinions are entirely my own.
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