What’s one of the most common unhealthy habits. That would be money worries. You know that tossing and turning all night over money concerns can’t be good for you. Well, it’s not. So today, I want to talk about healthy ways to increase your cash flow.
I feel like an old lady when I say this, but life is getting so damn expensive. There are so many pricey things that might have once seemed like luxuries, but now are necessities. Ah, the ‘good old days!’
For instance, when I was little, we didn’t even have cable. Now everyone has at least some type of streaming service. And maybe cable too. Plus you need the internet to stream. I mean, you can’t even get a job without the internet. Just more bills.
Yes, you could just abandon civilized living and go live off the land. That would be cheap. But let’s face it. It’s not very practical. So today I want to talk about healthy ways to increase cash flow and ease money worries while living in the real world.
Become a spy
Here’s one of the ways that the internet can be a fabulous tool. It can help you spy on all sorts of sales. Stop paying full price just because you find what you want right in front of you. With just a little bit of effort, you can price compare and get a better price.
I talk about exercising willpower with food. Start applying it to your spending as well. Wait for a good deal. And don’t forget to stock-up when the big sale hits. This will make the time you spent hunting for a good price totally worth it.
Get Ratuken (Formerly Ebates)
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Make sure to get the extension for your browser. Not only will it alert you when there is a cashback deal on a website and search for coupons and discounts. It will point you towards a better deal if you’re not seeing the best price. The extension saved me $100 on an air purifier by directing me to a fabulous sale.
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Have a recipe copycat challenge
If you find yourself getting a favorite restaurant dish over and over again, your missing a great, money saving opportunity. You can ask the restaurant general questions about how it’s made. And then look for copycat recipes online. Have a taste test among your friends and find the best match.
When you eat at a restaurant, you pay about three times what you would spend on just the ingredients. Don’t sell yourself short that you can’t do this at home. Hey, if you pretend you’re from out of town, they might even give you the recipe for free. Restaurants are great for special occasions. But if you love a certain meal, learn to make it yourself. And try to find ways to make it healthier as a bonus!
Swap Aeropress for your coffee house
As a food coach, I’m not going to tell you to drop your java. But let’s get real. You’re probably spending way too much of your hard earned money in coffee shops or on overpriced coffee pods. Add this adds up, so that by the end of the month you’ve parted ways with lots of cash. Just a simple change in coffee habits can increase cash flow.
Enter the Aeropress. It’s cheap to buy, can go anywhere with you, makes everything from regular coffee to espresso-like shots, and gets phenomenal reviews. And did I mention that it is super simple to use? You have to check this out!
AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker –
Stay away from store wide retail sales
Did I just tell you to stay away from sales in a post about easing money worries? You betcha! We just had Amazon Prime day which gave Prime subscribers access to thousands of sales. How many people bought things impulsively that they had little use for because they were on a great sale?
This is how sales get you. You don’t want to miss out on a good deal. So you buy things you don’t need. And now you’ve bought way more than you’ve saved. If you’re easily tempted, avoid these like the plague. Your available cash flow will thank you.
Write lots of checks – to you
It’s been said before, but I’ll say it again. You need to start thinking of yourself as a creditor who needs to be paid. Otherwise, it’s so easy to make excuses as to why you’re not putting money away.
Decide beforehand how much you plan to pay yourself monthly. Then treat it like a bill. Pay yourself before you go out and spend your earnings. This is likely to dramatically boost your savings account. And money in the bank reduces stress and money worries. What a healthy choice.
Have someone regularly look at your body
A serious illness is a huge source of money worries for you and your family. And don’t just think of the health costs. You also need to account for all that time missed at work. That’s why it’s important to be proactive about your health so you can give yourself the best shot of treating things early.
I know you’re busy. I know that a doctor’s visit with the appropriate tests can be pricey. But this is a long-term investment. And there are places that offer free screening services. For instance, don’t have insurance? Here are some places to get free mammograms.
Get rid of that stuff
There’s all sorts of research that shows negative side effects of clutter. Clutter isn’t good for you. But here’s what is good for you – making money from things you’re not using.
It can be difficult to part with belongings. Maybe you’ll need them some day. Maybe you feel attached. But it’s time to rip off the band-aid and get rid of things. Sell books, DVDs, and good quality clothes to second-hand stores. Or consider an online store like swap.com. If all else fails, have an old fashioned garage sale.
Re-discover this public service
Your library card isn’t just for checking out books anymore. You can do all sorts of amazing things with it that will increase your cash flow. So if it’s been a while since you’ve been on your local library’s website, now’s the time to rediscover it.
For instance, you may be able to borrow free audiobooks or kindle books through Overdrive. It does require a bit of patience since there may be a wait. But again, learning to pacify the need for instant gratification is a good thing.
Make this the top criteria for planning meals
You can go online every week and see your store’s sales for the week. Study this before planning your meal. That way you can target what’s on sale in your grocery trip. Discover a new recipe based on something that’s on deep sale. Bonus: eating foods that are in season and likely to be on discount is super healthy.
Shopping this way has benefits that go beyond financial. It can help curb boredom and help you discover new favorites. Eating the same predictable meals is never fun. Plus, saving money at the supermarket is a fantastic way to increase cash flow and ease money worries.
So stop letting money worries destroy your health. Small changes can free up cash quick. And change your relationship with your finances. Fretting over money isn’t good for you. So stop it. And instead, make productive choices to ease money worries and protect your future.
(This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you)
What a great post, Erica! Wonderful tips to cut down on spending. Yahoo. I love the Kindle-library connection. I might have to wait a bit for a book I want, but that’s okay. My on-hand queue is always huge. ha ha.