This is a guest post by Kylie from Kylie Ofiu, author of 365 Ways To Make Money
Being organised can save you a lot of money. The same as being disorganised can cost you a lot. I am not an organised person by nature, but I have learned to be better since realising how much money I was wasting. Did you know just by changing a few habits or implementing a more organised system in your home for various things you can save thousands of dollars a year? What could you do with an extra $5,000 – $10,000?
Tax
By keeping receipts to everything, filing them appropriately (scan them or photocopy them to keep a real record as they do fade) then claiming everything you are entitled to at tax time you can end up with a much bigger than expected return. This can mean the difference between a $1,000 return and a $5,000 return for some people. Of course, this only applies if you are working. But, even if you are the at home partner, you might be the one to take care of these matters in your household, so it is still worth thinking about.
Food
It is estimated we (Australia) throws away 1/5 of the food we buy. Apparently the average Australian food bill is $300 (this is more than most people I know, but if you have food intolerances/allergies or children with nappies etc… It can all easily add up.) $300 a week is $15,600 a year. So if you are throwing away one fifth of that you are throwing away $3,120!
How can you change this? By being more organised. Plan your meals. Plan what you will eat for the week, work out when you need quick easy meals, when you have more time to prepare food and what you need for these meals. Create a grocery list and stick to it.
Another way to save money on food is have some simple meals you can whip up easily or freezer ready meals as they are cheaper alternatives to take away usually and it is often the thought of dinner being quicker if you get take away. If you have some meals that can either just be defrosted, don’t take long to cook or are homemade versions of take away, you lessen your chances of splurging on expensive take away.
Around the house
There are many little things around the home that can have an impact on finances, many of which we might not immediately view as having financial consequences. Things such as keeping on top of the washing so stains do not have time to set and wet things are not sitting there for long periods to go mouldy or develop unpleasant odours. Maintaining the bathroom so mould doesn’t build up and ruin the grout. Little things to do with cleaning and maintaining the home can result in big savings, because when those little things pile up they can cause much bigger damage.
Finances
This is a big one for many people. By being disorganised with finances you can spend a fortune in late fees, bank fees and unnecessary interest. To start with, bills. If you are unorganised and do not pay bills on time you can get hit with a late fee. Many of which are quite large.
With your banking shop around. There are options out there for no bank fees, no interest for certain periods, or lower interest, no atm fees etc. If you plan your finances and take care of them, knowing when and where to withdraw your money, not overdrawing your account and getting an account with no bank fees you can save hundreds of dollars a month.
I actually had one friend who was spending $130 a month on bank fees. I nearly choked when she showed me. She was overdrawing her account, using atm’s that did not belong to her bank, paid the bank the largest monthly account fee I had ever seen and basically did everything you could imagine that the bank could charge for. I sat her down and showed her how she could change banks and get a better deal. $130 a month saved is $1,560 a year.
Also, have a budget. I know for many it is a pain to actually do, but once you work it all out and get yourself organised you can save thousands a year. It is well worth it provided you stick to it.
Just changing this few things can result in large sums of money saved. An added bonus is that those who are organised usually have more time/spend their time well, resulting in time to do things which can make more money.
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About Guest Blogger
Kylie Ofiu is author of 365 Ways To Make Money. She set a goal to become a millionaire by 30 and is blogging about what she is doing, ways to make money as well as save money over at Kylie Ofiu. She is also a mum of 2 daughters
and lives in Sydney.
Find our guest: Blog | Facebook | Twitter
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