How To Spring Clean Your Spending
Buds are blooming, birds are singing, and sunshine is warm on our skin. It’s spring! People often associate this time of year with rebirth, new beginnings and, of course, spring cleaning. While you may only associate that with your home, it can also be extremely useful for your finances. Here are five ways you can spring clean your spending.
Meal planning
Make a weekly list of meals that you want to prepare and what ingredients you need for each one, ensuring that you go through your current inventory so you’re not doubling up on ingredients you already have. Then, stick to your list and only buy what you need.
Freeze leftovers in single-serving portions to use for a quick dinner on a busy night or an easy lunch at the office. Want to spread your leftover ingredients even farther? Soup is extremely versatile and can be made from nearly anything. End your week by making a “clean out the fridge” soup. This is a wonderful use of any veggies that are starting to soften or leftovers that weren’t frozen and an opportunity for you to get creative and explore your culinary skills.
Plug spending leaks
A spending leak is a small but routine impulse purchase. From a morning drink at Starbuck’s or the gas station to a daily candy bar from the vending machine in the lobby, these small treats can add up quickly and can have you hemorrhaging cash. Cutting these leaks by preparing drinks and snacks ahead of time can make a dramatic difference in your finances.
While you’re at it, cancel any subscription you haven’t used within the last 30 days, whether it’s TV, magazines, newspapers or mobile apps. If you don’t use it, why pay for it?
Eco-friendly eating
We all know that the cost of groceries has gotten much higher. One way to make sure you’re getting a balanced diet while cutting costs is by eating less meat. Beans and grains are a great alternative and can be paired with plenty of veggies for a delicious and healthy meal.
Speaking of veggies, save your scraps. Store-bought veggie bottoms like green onion, celery and Bok choy can be planted and grown at home and unused scraps can be frozen and combined with meat scraps and bones to make your own broths. Seeds can also be planted for a plentiful bounty of peppers, tomatoes and strawberries.
Nix the marketing
Social media ads and marketing emails can also pose a problem with your finances by enticing you to purchase a product that you may not have a need for. A great way to make sure this impulse shopping stays minimal is by nixing the marketing. Stop ads on social media using the ellipses and asking for less ads to show and unsubscribe from marketing emails to reduce the temptation of spending.
Cut energy costs
Wasted energy happens without even realizing it, which can lead to wasted money. There are several effortless ways to help cut costs. Take advantage of natural light and open blinds during the day and make sure that any time you’re not in a room the lights and ceiling fans are off.
Reduce water waste by turning off the water while brushing teeth and washing hands, turning it on only when it’s time to rinse. Going on vacation? Make sure you unplug anything that doesn’t need to be on while you’re away. You can also save on cooling costs by “baking” meals on the grill to reduce the heat in your home.
Take it one step further and save leftover water from bottles and cups and catch runoff water from rinsing fruits and vegetables to use for watering houseplants and gardens to cut additional waste.
Through mindful spending like meal planning and eco-conscious eating, we nurture both our wallets and the planet. Plugging spending leaks, cutting subscriptions and resisting marketing can strengthen our financial foundations. Energy-wise habits also save money, reducing waste and costs. As we move into this season of new beginnings, spring into action and create a brighter financial future today.
By Rachel Caballero | TruWest Credit Union
