As the economy takes a downturn, you may need to tighten your belt. Sure, you could always make more money, but sometimes you’ll be playing catch up—solving financial issues as they arise and finding your feet again. As you do this dance, keeping your spending low becomes essential. But cutting costs shouldn’t equal destitution—it’s about knowing what to prioritise, being adaptive, and living well on a budget. Let’s explore a few tips for making the most of your cash.
Food
When it comes to food, a combination of buying cheap ingredients, experimenting in the kitchen, staying away from processed food, and eliminating waste should do the trick.
The Grocery List
A list is a plan—it keeps you focused and it is the first stage of streamlining your budget. The moment you’re budget conscious, you begin to look at your grocery requirements with fresh eyes—do you really need balsamic vinegar/ extra virgin olive oil/ chocolate/ premium baked goods in this economy?
The best way to remain within budget is to plan one grocery trip per month. Write an entire list of everything you need. Roughly calculate how much the trip will cost. If the total goes above what you’re willing to spend, cut out luxuries you can do without. On the actual trip, develop blinders—only go for the items on your list.
Fresh Produce
When it comes to vegetables, buying from the farmers is always the best option—you get them cheap and fresh. But if you get your vegetables from the supermarket, you will get the best value for your money if you hand select your own veggies and have them weighed and priced.
Prepacked vegetables are usually way more expensive than those you get weighed yourself. As a bonus, when you hand-pick your own vegetables, you select for the best quality. Also, note the prices per kg. Local produce is usually the cheapest. Some imported fruit can cost up to twice as much as local fruit
Cheaper Alternatives
Don’t be overly selective when shopping—even the cheapest veggies are full of nutrients and they can make a wonderful addition to a meal. Cabbage heads are cheap as dirt, but cabbage can be properly cooked/ prepared for a wonderful meal. Be in the habit of searching for good recipes that incorporate cheap ingredients.
Also, consider cheaper alternatives. If button mushrooms are too expensive, pick oyster mushrooms instead. If red/ yellow peppers cost twice as much as green pepper, just stick with the green.
Brand Disloyalty
Most times, salt is salt, sugar is sugar, flour is flour, and rooibos tea is rooibos tea. Being loyal to a brand that is failing to cater to one of your needs (affordable price) makes little sense. If you want to support the local industry, then fine, but support a brand that is responsive to consumer requirements and pockets.
Processed Food
If you want to keep your grocery bill really low, stay away from most processed food. By processed, I mean all foods that come precooked or prepared with one or numerous primary ingredients until they are ready or almost ready to eat straight out of the packaging. Examples include condiments (tomato sauce, mayonnaise, chilli sauce), baked goods, drinks, candies, tinned products, and soups.
When you buy processed food, you are partly paying for the processing factory’s rents, utilities, salaries, taxes, transportation, machine maintenance, and wastages (on top of the farmers’ costs). These foods are most often way more expensive than cooking at home. And, to boot, you don’t know what exactly is in your food—some of the ingredients are numbers, and the nutrient content in the primary ingredients is diminished by the processing.
You should stick to mostly primary ingredients in their most basic forms—your carbohydrates, veggies, and proteins. You will be shocked by how low your grocery bill will become.
Reduce Waste
Waste is no different from crumpling your money into a ball and throwing it in the trash—think about this visual the next time you throw food in the bin.
Start by cooking food you actually like and have proper storage for any leftovers. Never cook bigger portions than you can consume. Waste should be something to abhor, both for financial and ethical reasons—as you throw out food, thousands or millions are starving.
Grooming
When you look good, you feel good, but how will you feel when your frivolous shopping habits leave you broke? You can still look good on a budget—simplicity is key, and simplicity will never be out of style.
I used to think you needed those expensive cleansers, toners, and moisturisers to get rid of common skin ailments (acne, uneven skin tone, rough skin—blackheads, whiteheads). Thankfully, I got tired of the exaggerated marketing and all the skincare steps when money was still easy to come by. But the education that followed was priceless—the simpler my skincare routine became, the better and healthier my skin looked and felt. Whereas the harsh acids and drying alcohols left my skin looking grey and feeling dry before, with the simple skincare routine, my skin felt moisturised and looked alive.
If you don’t have any serious skin condition, the following basic and cheap skincare routine may work for you:
- Clean your face/ neck twice a day (mornings and evenings) with Dove Beauty Cream Bar (it’s actually a cleanser, not a drying soap).
- Moisturise with/ apply Vaseline, tissue oil, or aloe vera after cleansing.
- Exfoliate every third or fourth day using a gentle facial sponge and your Dove. Moisturise as usual.
To prevent bad body odour, all you need is a cheap supermarket roll-on deodorant. There is no need to get more expensive and/ or assertive perfumes that may even end up putting some people off.
As far as hair care, DIY is your best option. For guys it’s easy—just buy a good quality hair clipper and trim your own hair (it is possible with enough practice and/ or mirrors). You don’t have to pay a barber several times a month to trim your hair and beard.
Going Out
Going out with friends or on a date with your significant other doesn’t need to be a cash vortex. Sometimes, a change of scenery is all that’s needed to create some excitement. To save money on dates, you’ll need to be creative because the usual go-tos (bar and grill, restaurant) are not cheap.
One of the cheapest and most intimate dates/ time with friends is dinner at home. Entertaining/ being entertained at home is a great way to really get to know each other. It just becomes about the two of you (or you and your friends), and not the waiting for your order, that noisy guy in the bar, or the parking nightmare. You all get quickly comfortable at a friend’s house, and the mood is relaxed.
Another option is to pack your food and go to a scenic location for a drive, hike, sightseeing, and a picnic. If you’re driving, pick a location close to your home.
Outdoor activities are also a great way to spend time with someone on a budget. You can play a sport you both like or go to seasonal festivals and cultural events.
Bottom line is, search for activities you will both enjoy. If you really enjoy each other’s company, the setting won’t change that.
For more information and a whole book of tips, check out the PDF eBook, Living Mindfully on a Budget.
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