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Five Money Ways to Simply Your Life and Breathe
a Bit Easier
Are you stressed out over your finances? Do your finances
remind you of a weedy jungle, full of chaos and danger? If this
description strikes a chord, it’s time to get control over your
financial life. One of the biggest benefits, and curiously
under-touted aspects of simplifying your life, is that it can
help you save money. Simplifying your life can not only help
you save lots of money, it can also help you breathe easier.
And who doesn’t want to breathe easier? These things—money,
stress and organization—are intricately connected to one
another. When we get one into control, the others will follow.
Here are some tips for getting control of your finances, save
money and lower your overall stress levels.
Spend 15 minutes every day cleaning up your finances
Many of us who find ourselves trapped in a chaotic financial
life probably overlook the regular financial housekeeping that
can keep the chaos at bay. It can be easy to forget, avoid or
simply overlook several small tasks. These things eventually
gather dust, take up space and pile up to the point that they
become overwhelming, scary and bad for our finances. Here is a
simple habit to fall into that can help protect you from the
horrible sight of stacks of unpaid bills and stray papers
overflowing on your kitchen table or desk.
Spend fifteen minutes each day cleaning your
desk, kitchen table, or wherever it is that you keep your
important financial papers. Go over bills, throw out old
mail, sharpen your pencils, and put things in order. If
you are not the kind to keep extensive tabs on your
papers, make it easy for yourself. Dedicate one desk
drawer to your bills and other financial papers. Go
through your drawer each day and make sure that there is
nothing in there that will surprise or scare you one day.
Simply dedicating fifteen minutes each day is an easy way
to simplify your life, stay organized and save money on
unpaid bills, fines or other surprise costs.
Make your own easy household products
Here is an easy way to save money and keep things simple. Why
spend five bucks on a bottle of multipurpose cleaner when you
can spend pennies on your own homemade household product.
Replace your expensive Windex cleaner with your own concoction
of ammonia, vinegar, water and rubbing alcohol. If you want it
to look blue, add a few drops of blue food dye. You can make a
full bottle for about 35 cents. This is an easy way to make an
effective, safe and very inexpensive household cleaner.
Keep household essentials in stock and save money by buying
in bulk
Ever reached for tissue and find that you are out? Or what
about needing a napkin and finding none in stock? Not having
household essentials on hand can be stressful and frustrating.
Many times when we are hurried and harried and shopping for a
household essential, we tend to overpay. After all, who has
time for comparison shopping when you are in the midst of a
throbbing headache? Save yourself the stress by shopping in
bulk for household essentials. You should only buy in bulk when
you know you’re getting a good deal. If tissues are on sale,
grab a few boxes. There are many non-perishable household
essentials that are easy to buy in bulk, including toilet
paper, toothpaste, tissues, napkins, canned food and
others.
Get a bill calendar
With many of us juggling numerous bills, it can be easy to drop
the ball every once in a while. Keep things simple and your
bills paid by keeping a handy bill calendar. Buy an oversized
calendar and put it somewhere easily visible. Make a note of
when you have to make payments. Even simpler, automate your
payments online if possible.
Sign up for email updates
If you can’t automate your payments but you check your e-mail
often, signing up for email updates is an easy way to keep
track of your accounts. Most credit card companies offer many
easy tools for keeping a close eye on your accounts.
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