The news has recently brought attention to an issue that many employees experience every year. That experience is becoming unemployed unexpectedly and needing to save money while unemployed. The temporary closure of the federal government and delayed paychecks has brought this to the front of media coverage. The truth is that many individuals that do not have government jobs face this challenge without having the media bring it to light. These individuals have to find their own way to save money. This is frequently by reducing their expenses on costs such as with cable and Internet, groceries, and entertainment.
Cable and Internet
If you become unemployed, one of the first suggestion many make is to get rid of your cable and Internet service. This is indeed a way to save money, but those services can be critical to you finding a new job. Having access to the Internet makes job hunting easier. It increases ways for the job hunter to communicate with potential employers and find new job opportunities.
With cable and Internet being essential services, the key is to review your bill. Only pay for the services that are essential. If you are not under contract, suddenlink offers a significant cost savings over what you are currently paying. If you are stuck with your current Internet provider, eliminate channels, services and packages that are not essential.
Groceries
May families find they throw a significant amount of their grocery budget in the trash each week. This loss can be limited by going through your closet, refrigerator and freezer regularly. This will help you avoid buying food items that you either already have or have a replacement for that item. Be sure to keep your leftovers visible in the front of your refrigerator. This will reduce the amount of leftovers you “lose” and have to throw away at the end of the week.
When shopping, be sure to make a list. Review your list and eliminate any items that you do not feel are needed or can be replaced. Avoid grocery shopping when you are hungry. If you shop when hungry, you are likely to purchase more food than when shopping on a full stomach. Coupons can help you save if used wisely. Using them wisely means only use them for items you would buy anyways. Do not add to your grocery list to “save money using coupons”, it doesn’t work. Finally, buy items in bulk if you have storage space. If you have a large freezer, stock up on each type of meet for the month when they are on sale.
Saving On Entertainment Costs
Another area of your budget to investigate when needing to save is your entertainment budget. Start by looking at the amount of times that you go out for dinner. Try to limit this or eliminate it entirely depending on your financial situation. If you can budget for dining out once or twice a month, go where you can save money. Join frequent customer cards or visit restaurants where you have discounts from advertisements or frequent customer cards.
There are other entertainment choices you can save on as well. If you attend movies on a regular basis either consider a movie ticket subscription plan, or watch movies at home instead. Some rental services allow you to rent a movie or video game for a dollar or two a night. Renting video games ensures you are your children enjoy the game before you purchase the game. Another option is instead of going out for entertainment, speak to your friends about doing a monthly gathering at each other’s houses.
Saving Takes Time To Learn
Becoming an expert saver is not something that comes to everyone naturally. Saving money takes time to learn. Picking up on money saving skills will reduce your monthly expenses. Simple but overlooked tips and tricks can help as well. Riding with a coworker and saving money on gas saves money. Another way to save gas money is to keep a list of places you need to visit and limit your time on the road by grouping nearby trips into one longer visit.
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