Easy Ways To Stay On Budget All Year Long

Budgeting definitely sounds like something we should be doing, but the truth is that staying on budget isn’t about denying yourself things and not having any joy - it’s about planning for it. And when you do it right, you get to enjoy life and enjoy saving money, which is the ideal situation to be in. 

So how do you keep your budget in check all year round? It’s simple - you make it manageable, and here are some of the ways to do it.  

Know Where It’s All Going

Step one to staying on budget is figuring out where your money’s actually going - it’s perhaps not the most glamorous task, but it’s oddly satisfying once you get into it. For example, you might think you’re just nipping into the supermarket for a few bits, but if those bits include lots of things you don’t actually need (or even just one thing), or you do it when you don’t actually have to because it’s a habit, it adds up fast. 

That’s why you should track your spending for a month - and you can do it roughly if you want. The great thing about this is that you don’t need fancy apps (though they help some people, so it’s your choice). A notebook, your phone’s notes app, or even the back of a receipt will do, and the goal isn’t perfection, it’s awareness. Once you know your spending patterns, you can spot the habits that are quietly destroying your budget behind your back. 

Plan For The Big Stuff Early

There are things we know are coming every year - birthdays, back to school, Christmas… but somehow, they still manage to feel like a problem, and as though our finances are just going to have to take a beating when the time comes. That’s where forward planning is going to come in really useful.  

Christmas is a big one to think about, for example, but instead of scrambling in November and stressing until January payday, what about setting a little bit aside each month? One of the easiest ways to do that without overthinking is to use Park Christmas Savings, which is a fuss-free way to spread the cost of Christmas over the whole year and it means you won’t have any last-minute panics about budgeting. 

Try No Spend Days 

This is a surprisingly effective trick - challenge yourself to have the odd ‘no spend day’ once in a while. It’s weirdly empowering, and it gives you a chance to get quite creative when it comes to meals, for example, plus it shows you that you don’t actually have to spend money - yes, there might be something you want, but if you don’t need it, you don’t buy it. It’ll show you just how often you spend money without even thinking about it, and, more importantly, it’ll show you how much you spend when you could be saving. 

Remember, this idea isn’t about total deprivation - it’s just a sort of reset so you can keep on top of things. Plus, it makes days when you do spend money feel a lot more fun (and you’ll be much more aware of what you’re spending too). 

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