Saving During Challenging Times

I sat at my computer desk crying.

I was failure. It was hard enough that I didn't have enough money coming in from my business because no one wanted to spend money during Covid, but it looked as though I wouldn't be able to afford to buy my kids food if I paid my rent.

I was up Shit creek. For the second month in a row.

I calculated that if I cancelled a couple of subscriptions, I could probably get about $200. If I budgeted correctly, and visited some food banks for the next few weeks, I could stretch my money just that bit further.

So I did.

And it began.

If you have ever fallen on hard times, you are not alone. When visiting the local food bank, I was surprised to meet everyday people, just like me who were working part time, being unable to afford food because they had to pay rent. Here where I live, rent for a 2-3 bedroom house can be anywhere between $350 and $750 a week. On a normal wage, and with bills on top of it, it can still be unaffordable for the average person.

Some had also left emotionally and physically abusive relationships, and were left trying to pay their ex's portion of the rent while he partied it up at a friend's place.

So here are some of my tips to help you SAVE during tough times:

1. Don't be embarrassed to join food banks. Some have alternating weeks so you can go to one of them one week, and the other the next. They are there to help you for as long as you need them. There may be 2 or 3 in the vicinity, with just a small joining fee you can sometimes get up to $60 worth of groceries for $10, like fresh fruit and vegies, bread, meat (in some cases) and pantry items.
2. Review your subscriptions monthly. When we fell on hard times the first thing I did was review every subscription that my family used. We saved an embarrassing amount of money - but that was money used to put food on the table. There was NEED vs WANT. Those that fell in the want category got temporarily, and even some permanently cancelled.
3. Do your washing during off-peak times. At certain times of the day running the dryer, washing machine and dishwasher are cheaper. Write down those times and stick to them. Do you have to do your washing every day? Can you peg your washing on the line instead of using the dryer? Can you hand wash your dishes instead of running the dishwasher for an hour?
4. Turn off fans, lights, aircon and TV when not in use. If you're not home, you don't need them on. You can save a tremendous amount of money on your electricity bill by switching off bedroom lights. Opt for a small desk light instead, and turn that off when not in use - or open your blinds.
5. Opt for instant coffee from home rather than buying one out. Here it costs $4.50 for a takeaway coffee. If you get a heatproof cup, and a box of instant coffees (you can sometimes get 11 in a box for $10) you're already saving $45 you could have used for petrol.
6. Pack your lunch instead of buying it. This is a no brainer. Pack something healthy and portable. Where possibly pack your lunch, you can easily be saving up to $20 a day (if you go out buying extravagent lunches).
7. Refrain from therapy shopping online. Do you really need another handbag or new dress? Do the kids really need more toys or games? Be wise with your spending habits. You won't always have to live this way.
8. Get your money back. This is my FAVOURITE of all time. Do you have money still sitting in a lead system like bark.com or lifecoachspotter.com and have never used them? Do you have money idly sitting in an account that you signed up for, but never used? Time to contact them and get your money reimbursed. I did that this week and got over $80 back into my account.

Anyway I hope some of these pointers will help you out.

If you or someone you know has been suffering from Narcissistic Abuse or Emotional Abuse, help is here! Contact me on [email protected] or visit my website for more information

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