We’re at the start of a new year, and that means that many people will be thinking about how to change their lives for the better. Some will consider how they can push their careers forwards this year. Others might consider how to get physically fit and put their body back in shape. Maybe you’re considering starting a family and settling down with the person you love. There might also be people considering how to save more money this year. They are the people who we are going to focus on for this post, and you might be one of them.

If in 2015 you found yourself constantly struggling to pay the bills and afford the things you want, it’s time to think about saving. Or, if you have just never been good at putting money away, you need some advice. By learning how to save more, you’ll be able to spend on what you desire. Let’s look at a few of the best ways that you can do this.

Let Go Of Expensive Bad Habits

There are certain bad habits that don’t cost you a lot at all. For instance, you might have the rather nasty habit of biting your nails. It might seem slightly disgusting to some people but as far as we know it’s not going to cost you any money. However, there are bad habits that are a bigger weight on your income than you realise. We think that some of the bad habits that fit into this category are smoking, drinking and eating unhealthily. All these habits are ultimately going to cost you a lot of money. But we’re not just going to scold you for them. Instead, we’re going to offer you a way of making them better without quitting them completely. We know how difficult that would be.

If you are addicted to smoking or if you just like the puff of a cigarette now and then, you could be spending hundreds of your income each year. The truth is this money is just being wasted. You’re not getting anything from it except a fix for your craving. But, once that fix is gone you need it again and again. Cigarettes are expensive, but there is an alternate possibility. You could instead switch to vaping. Vaping is a lot cheaper because you buy refills rather than packets or cartons, but you still get the sensation of smoking. As well as this, you will actually have a lot more control over how you smoke with gadgets such as the Kanger KBOX 200W Box Mod. Due to this, you might find it more enjoyable than smoking cigarettes.

Or, you might have a craving for alcohol. Let’s look at the best possible scenario in this instance. The best scenario is that you will be spending about ten dollars on wine each week. That’s pretty average and would in no way make you an alcoholic. Not even close. But ten dollars each week for a year still amounts to $520. That’s a lot of money to pour down the drain and remember, that’s the best scenario. So what’s the best way to tackle this one? Well, we think you should try having dry months. That means there will be times throughout the year when you have no alcohol at all. If you manage them, increase the frequency, until you have spent a whole year without booze.

Finally, we’ll think about unhealthy eating. We’re not suggesting you stop eating sugary snacks. But, if you are going to eat unhealthy products, at least, make sure they’re on offer. If you head into the supermarket, you’ll constantly find deals on certain sugary treats. At least, then you’ll still be saving some money.

Cut Costs On Bills

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You’ll be amazed how much you save if you could let go of every one of those bad habits. But it’s nothing compared to the amount of money you’re wasting on home bills. We say wasting because it’s money you simply don’t need to spend. It might seem like you have no choice but you do. There are easy ways to cut back on how much your home energy bills are costing you.

The first piece of advice we can offer is to check your energy rates. You might find that your current supplier is not giving you the best deal on the market. If that’s the case, you should think about switching to another company. That way, you will already be saving money without changing your lifestyle.

But the next thing to think about is whether you’re wasting energy. There are a few reasons why this might be the case. For instance, you might have a tendency of leaving doors open in your house. If you are, you’re probably using a lot more gas to heat your home than you actually need. Or, you might be one of those people who leave lights on in every room in the house. If that’s the case, you should consider how much electricity you’re wasting. By switching things off that are not in use, it’s not an exaggeration to say you’ll save a fortune.

Saving And Investing

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The last thing you should think about is how you save and invest. For most people this is the only change they’ll have to make. You should be making sure that a little money is going out of your account into savings each month. By doing this, you’ll always have extra money if you ever need it. But it’s not enough just to save. You then need to think about how to invest it wisely.

Investing is one of the easiest ways to make and save money at the same time. There are a lot of options for you to consider. But we think one of the best forms of investment is real estate. If you have the money, invest in some property to keep your cash safe. Watch it rise in value and sell it on when the market is healthy. By saving money the right way you will soon have made a small fortune.

Good luck saving more of your money this year. We know you can do it.