|
How to Change Undesirable Spending Habits
Many
people dream of retiring with a healthy bank account
but few people actually achieve it. This is largely
due to lack of discipline in building up their retirement
fund and poor spending habits. While building a retirement
fund requires time, you can accelerate the process by
making incremental but positive changes in your spending
habits. Here are seven ways that you can change your
daily lifestyle for more positive results in your spending
habits.
1. Do more walking than driving. If you can reach
your destination within ten minutes by car, consider
leaving the car behind and walk instead. You will save
money on gasoline and parking fees. This can easily
add up to a few thousand dollars a year.
2.
Use a bicycle if the destination is within 30 minutes
by car. This helps promote blood circulation in
your body and also reduces environmental pollution.
You can also save on gasoline and parking fees.
3.
Bring your own coffee to office. Many people
like to drop by a Starbucks or similar coffee outlet
and end up spending a few dollars or more on a cup of
coffee. You can potentially save many dollars dollars
each week just by making your own coffee at home and
bringing it to your work place in a Thermos. Besides,
who knows, it may taste better than the coffee from
Starbucks! If you really cannot live without Starbucks
coffee, consider getting a Starbucks rebate card. You
can use the rebates to redeem free Starbucks coffee
after you have accumulated enough points.
4.
Dine at home more frequently. You can experiment
with different recipes and save some money at the same
time. In addition, you are honing your cooking skills
and this could be very useful for the home dining experience.
5.
If you are a smoker, start reducing the number of
cigarettes you smoke each day. Over time, you may
be able to quit smoking completely. Besides saving money
by not buying any more cigarettes, your health will
also improve and this means a huge saving in your medical
bills.
6.
Have you ever noticed how much time you spend sitting
in front of the television? The longer you sit,
the worse it is for your blood circulation. Besides,
the time you free up can be used for more useful tasks
such as teaching your kids or learning a new skill.
7.
If you are an avid reader, use the public library
whenever possible. There is no need to buy the latest
books from bookstores like Borders unless it is in a
category that does not fit into a public library. The
public library will usually acquire popular titles after
some times. Learn to be patient.
These
seven ways are a good start for changing unhealthy spending
habits. However, you should continue to research and
incorporate more healthy habits that contribute to the
building of your retirement fund. By re-investing the
money saved from using these tips, you will be many
steps ahead of your peers and closer to your retirement
goals.
1howto.com
Please
Share Your Tips with Us
|
