Budgeting Tips to Save you Money in 5 Key Areas

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If trying to save as a single person is a challenge, you can bet that saving money as an entire family is even tougher. Living as a family means dealing with countless small expenses and sudden emergencies that seem to crop up out of nowhere and empty your bank account instantly. While it takes time to adjust to the budgeting challenges of a family, when you carefully and strategically plan out the process, the result is more streamlined spending.

Since saving money successfully means that you need to be conscious of every area you might be spending in, we've put together a list of tips to help you cut costs in some of the most important areas.

1.    Food

There are plenty of ways that you can save money on your food expenses. For instance, using coupons and buying products when they're on sale is a great start. However, one of the best things you can do is plan your meals. By planning your meals, you can not only reduce the amount of food you waste each week, but you can also cut fuel costs by reducing your trips to the supermarket.

At the beginning of each week, sit down and write down all the meals you're going to eat in the days ahead, and what ingredients you'll need for them. Try to stay away from unusual ingredients or expensive experimental foods and stick to dishes everyone loves.

2.    Transportation

Transportation can be a common source of money worries. After all, you not only have to pay for the fuel to power your car, but you'll also need to think about insurance and tax too. With that in mind, start by making sure that you own as few vehicles as possible. This will keep your costs to a minimum. If you can, you could even look into carpooling for work.

Additionally, remember to consider walking or public transportation when it would be cheaper to travel by foot than waste additional fuel. If your car eats a lot of petrol, you might consider looking into a personal loan so that you can get a new one.

3.    Entertainment

While finding the money for entertainment might not seem as important as sorting out cash for food and transportation, it's still a pivotal part of many people's lives. After all, we all like to have a little fun from time to time, and it's important to keep your kids entertained whenever you can. The good news is that there's plenty of ways to keep everyone from getting bored without spending a lot of money.

Visiting museums on free admission days or simply going out for a walk-in nature can be a great way to tire out the youngsters. You can also consider indoor movie days, learning something new together, or embracing a new hobby like gardening.

4.    Utilities

The cost of your utilities can add up a lot faster than you'd expect. Everything from the price of Broadband, to the cost of your electricity and gas bills, can end up getting on top of you. A good way to reduce your spending and improve your budget is to look for small ways to cut costs. For instance, replace your showers with baths if you can, and consider leaving your clothing to dry naturally instead of using a tumble dryer. Make sure you turn off lights that you're not using and don't overuse your heating too.

Another great solution for cutting utility costs could be to look into switching your providers. There are plenty of comparison websites that can help you to find the same services you have now for a lower price online.

5.    Cleaning

Finally, one thing that any family with kids has in common is a higher than usual cleaning bill. That doesn't necessarily mean that you're spending on a professional cleaning team. Instead, it suggests that you could be spending too much on everything from kitchen towels to disposable wipes and pads. The best way to cut costs when it comes to cleaning is to exchange anything that's "disposable" for something reusable.

Microfibre cloths can take the place of sponges and throw-away wipes, and plastic and paper dishes can be replaced with actual table settings. While plastic utensils are convenient for BBQs and fun picnics with friends, they can also waste a lot of cash. Look into making your own natural cleaning solutions at home too, with things like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice.