Spring means many things: melting snow, rising temperatures, and Summer just around the corner. Here at Young Adult Money it means time for another $500 cash giveaway!
My best money saving tip for you this Spring is rather simple: Plan Ahead
Planning ahead can result in cash savings in many different ways. Here are a few of them:
- Plan ahead for groceries and other purchases
Make a list before going grocery shopping, and stick to it. I can guarantee you that you will save more money this way than going and buying whatever you think looks good. Also, when you plan on purchasing something online, look for online coupon before making that purchase. Ideally you can wait for a good deal before buying something, but sometimes the best you can do is do a quick search for deals and discounts and go with the best one you find.
- Create a Budget
Budgeting is, at it’s core, about planning ahead. Knowing how much you are allowed to spend for entertainment, clothes, gas, etc. will help prevent you from splurging or spending recklessly. Of course, it all starts with tracking your expenses. If you don’t know what you are spending, you won’t be able to set a realistic budget.
- Plan for unexpected expenses
Life happens. Whether it’s finding out your house needs a $7,000 sewer line repair, or some other unexpected expense, there will always be something that comes up and potentially crushes your finances. The best way to deal with the unexpected is plan for it: put money in your Health Savings Account, set aside a little bit extra each month in a general savings/emergency fund, and live within your means.
How has planning ahead saved you money? What is your best tip for saving money?
This giveaway runs from March 11th to March 31st. Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!
MonsterPiggyBank says
I hate stupid unexpected expenses! I just had to fork out money for unexpected pipe repairs at our house :(
DC @ Young Adult Money says
@MonsterPiggyBank Yep I feel your pain….we have to save to pay down a big pipe repair that is inevitable.
GregatClubThrifty says
Glad to be a co-host with you! Yay savings!
DC @ Young Adult Money says
@GregatClubThrifty Happy to be co-hosting with you as well!
FrugalRules says
Great tips DC! Planning ahead is huge! After all the snow we got dumped on us last night, I am more than ready for it to be Spring time.
DC @ Young Adult Money says
@FrugalRules Haha sorry to hear about that. We were in Madison, Wisconsin this weekend for a friend’s wedding and I was happy to see that the snow would miss us here in the Twin Cities.
AverageJoeMoney says
This is why I do most of the grocery shopping in our family. Cheryl likes to fill the pantry with “just in case” items, while I work from a meal plan. Our grocery bill is about 30% less when I shop…although the kids don’t like the fact that we don’t have snacks laying around for them all the time.
DC @ Young Adult Money says
@AverageJoeMoney Sounds like my parents when I was growing up ;)
Eyesonthedollar says
Somehow spending money on a sewer is never going to seem very fun. Thanks for co-hosting.
DC @ Young Adult Money says
@Eyesonthedollar Haha very true, though the alternative (backed up water into the basement) makes it a little easier to stomach the expense.
DebtRoundUp says
Great giveaway DC. My best money saving tip is to leave the impulse desires at home. They get you no where and just end up with Buyers remorse.
DC @ Young Adult Money says
@DebtRoundUp Good idea! Too bad you can purchase so much from home these days that the impulse spend can hit you quick when you are surfing the internet.
Beachbudget says
I’m a firm believer in a budget. Without one my life was a mess. Thanks for the giveaway!
DC @ Young Adult Money says
@Beachbudget No problem!
KyleJames1 says
Good tips David. Whenever I shop without a list I get into big trouble and either overspend (especially at warehouse clubs like Costco) or come home without stuff that I needed. Thanks again for co-hosting this!
DC @ Young Adult Money says
@KyleJames1 No problem!
TacklingOurDebt says
We don’t really have to worry about spring expenses until around June. This year I would like to get all of our windows professionally cleaned and have the lawn sprayed for weeds, so I better start budgeting for that now.
DC @ Young Adult Money says
@TacklingOurDebt Yeah our spring expenses likely won’t start until May. It really doesn’t thaw out until then.
I just remembered I need a lawn mower….shoot!
JustinatTheFrugalPath says
Planning ahead is very important. I seem to have been focusing so much on planning though that I sometimes forget to implement what I have planned.
Thanks for co-hosting the giveaway.
StudentDebtSurvivor says
Planning for emergencies, ie. having our emergency fund really saved our butts after the hurricane when our car flooded. Had we not had that money saved up we would had had to take out a car loan. Instead we just wrote a check and bought our (new to us) car.
renvann says
I would put the $500 towards my marriage fund (not wedding fund!). Talking about getting married in a year but we want to have our savings built up first for “after the honeymoon” stage in our lives. This would help us get started to that next level!
cathy henatyszen says
i’m working at getting my own place again, and this would be a great help for getting some of the things I need
cathy henatyszen says
I’m working at getting my own place again, and this could help so much with some of the things I will need
SamMy1 says
Piggybacking off of creating a budget, using Mint has helped us tremendously in keeping track of expenses.
sinbob says
I would put it towards my “Moving to America” fund. I’m saving up to move this year and having money for setting up in our new home that doesn’t require foreign exchange would be amazing!
JubiTheGreat says
How has planning ahead saved you money? What is your best tip for saving money?
Planning my meals has helped me save so much money. I used to waste so much food letting it go bad in my fridge & then I’d eat out for lunch & dinner. Now I can devote that eating out $$$ to other things
JubiTheGreat says
I’d use that $500 to put towards my security deposit for my new apartment – I found a cheaper place which is great for my budget.
breannesp says
I’d put it (minus maybe $50 “fun money”) into my credit card. Responsibility!
MoniqueNC says
I would pay off my credit card. Almost there!
rmscott731 says
With $500 I’d make an extra couple payments to my car loan- I really want to pay that sucker down!
BrandiFL says
I would use it as bonus money and go on a weekend getaway
rlk21 says
How has planning ahead saved you money? What is your best tip for saving money?
Planning ahead saves me money on eating out. I always make all of my lunches and snacks at home, so I don’t have to grab something “convenient” (and expensive) when I’m hungry.
My best tip is to save as the first thing out of your paycheck. Treat your savings as an “expense” that must be paid out before all of your other bills, and you’ll save much more than if you wait to save what ever is “left over” at the end of the month.
AWanderingLiz says
Would put it toward my personal loan. That sucker is almost toast!
krolvaag says
I would use it to pay off some credit card debt!
bartbartels says
I would put it towards wedding expenses!
nickys says
I would use $500 to replenish my emergency fund after it’s took a hit because of dog emergency.
lemperador says
I’d use the money toward saving for my next apartment!
fromiutodc says
With an extra $500, I would add it to my savings so I can finally reach my 3 months emergency cash!
alyin2000 says
Someone gave me advice to start putting money away in an emergency fund a few months ago, and their advice could not have come at a better time! I few weeks later I chipped my tooth pretty badly, requiring an urgent medical procedure to fix the problem. I had insurance, but if I didn’t have the emergency savings to cover the rest, I would have definitely been in trouble.
alyin2000 says
If I won the $500, it would go a long way toward helping me finish off my emergency fund. Then I would be able to start making accelerated payments toward my $150k in student loans.
phriot says
With $500, I would use half to buy my first mutual fund share in my newly-opened Roth IRA (S&P 500 Index Fund), put $100 towards my car loan and add $100 to my emergency fund. I’d probably use the rest to take my girlfriend out to dinner!
lindsayinMPLS says
I’d put it in my IRA before April 15.
willyandsmokey says
pay down my credit card. i just paid tuition so I couldn’t pay down this month as much as I wanted.
Megan J says
We’re saving for a down payment, so I would put it in savings!
jessscottgreen says
I would put it towards our debt payments.
joyatee says
I would use the money to help pay off some loans! Thanks for the giveaway.
LillaDragon says
I would use the $500 to pay off the last of my credit card debt. Am getting so close.
StoryOfOurLife says
Probably save it for college
Hannaliisa
celinad says
I would put it into our wedding savings account.
celinad says
I would put it into our wedding savings account.
acoto818 says
I’d save the money towards a new laptop. My HP from 2006 is running on life support :(
lisa lo says
Save towards a car because walkinh and taking the bus isn’t fun.
aelizondo86 says
I would put it towards adoption costs.
Tata S says
I would save it for my next vacation :-)
slp517 says
Put it in our wedding savings account
higgskatie says
My husband is in medical school. I would put it towards our student loans.
nadya55k says
pay off some bills and spoil my nieces!
crysctanner says
Best tip–do automatic drafts from your checking to savings account when you get paid–that way you never see the money in your checking account and get tempted to spend it
DerekStein says
Bring silverware for your work lunches. It’s a green solutions in the sense that you’re not throwing anything away, and you’re not spending money on disposable plasticware.
munkeymom3 says
Pay off some bills!
KimHenrichs says
go back to Mexico for vacation
ShaneTobin says
credit card payments!!
KiraThompson says
I would go to Peru and climb Machu Picchu!
Financial Black Sheep says
Having an emergency fund saves me money by allowing me to pull cash out at the drop of a hat. Whether it is for a sewer pipe fiasco, or school I don’t have to pay credit card fees when I am prepared.
vmcarlson7 says
I would buy the materials to finish our fence so we can get a dog :)
goingongoals says
I would use $500 towards our upcoming move.
chelseyhochmuth says
I would use it to start saving for a vacation! By starting a savings for vacation, I know how much I can enjoy myself without worrying about paying for it later.
JimWeaver says
I would pay bills with the money
JimmyArcade says
I would put the $500 towards a DSLR camera!
JimmyArcade says
I would put the $500 towards a DSLR camera!
AskViv says
Buy my 3 year old son a new car seat
qualitybargain says
I would use it for social media technologies to help others with digital world and…change-the-world!!!! :))
amyjobarber says
I would take some unpaid time off of work to take a trip with friends.
Jason Butler says
I would pay off some credit card debt with the extra money.
audreya1 says
I would get married!
GeorgeLeeJr says
pay some bills!
ShaneSwanson says
Put it towards our wedding.