o matter how hard you try, there will always be a time in your life where money is hard to come by. Perhaps you’ve lost some hours at work, had an unexpected bill, or are still learning how to manage your finances and got your calculations a bit wrong this month. It is something everyone will endure at different points in their lives and getting out of the rut simply requires some creative thinking and know-how. When money is tight, a natural consequence is to get stressed and often tense. So, take a deep breath, relax your shoulders and start overcoming your financial instability by following some helpful pointers and finding that works for you.
Being thrifty never looked so good
There is always some prejudice about people that shop at thrift stores but buying your clothes there is a smart move on many levels. Firstly, if you need some new clothes for a job interview, chances are you can find something that is good quality and professional for a fraction of the price. Similarly, you can often find branded and unworn clothes in thrift stores that are perfect clothing for your kids. The joys of the thrift store aren’t just resigned to how they help our wallets. Buying second hand is both good for the environment, as you reuse material while your money goes to a good cause instead of just to profit margins.
Sell, sell, sell
In tandem with thrifting, a great way to generate some extra money is to start selling clothes, or any unused household item, online. Take a weekend to go through your attic and compile a bundle of items you no longer need or want and see if they can be sold online. Not only will this give you a bit of extra money to help put towards the bills, but it will also give you an excuse to clean out your house and declutter, making your home cleaner and stress-free place to live. If you have never done online selling before, it is a great idea to seek advice to making money from selling unwanted items before you start, as there are often lots of tips and tricks that can help you get hold of a slightly higher profit. For example, when charging for postage and packaging, a good idea is to add one or two dollars to the cost. This way, if an item unexpectedly costs more to post, you haven’t lost any money, and if it doesn’t, you have made a little bit more which can be put into your savings for a rainy day.
A pantry of essentials
Eating well is a constant expense but also an absolute necessity. When you are worried about money, the stresses can make you want to go for easy options, such as microwave meals and takeaways, that are quick but costly and, truth be told, not very healthy at all. One clever way of kicking the expensive eating habits is to make the most of your pantry by stocking it with all the essentials that are needed to make tasty, not to mention cheap, meals. By investing in some cooking oils, seasonings, spices, and condiments, you have the building blocks to take any ingredients and make them into a dinner fit for a king at half the price. When you know how to properly season food, you don’t need to factor in the added expenditure of buying expensive, pre-prepared food. One example of this is if you’re buying a cut of meat for a Sunday dinner; if you can prepare a cheap cut rump steak well, there is no need to buy the overpriced fillet steak. Another great thing to stock your pantry with is long-lasting items, such as pasta and rice, which are versatile and cheap so can be used to bulk up a whole host of meals and may be the saving grace of dinner time.
A little helping hand
There are many reasons why you could be experiencing financial hardships, but one fact remains no matter what your situation: everyone needs a little help sometimes. It is nothing to be ashamed of and often seeking some extra help can be the best thing you do for yourself and your family. One way to start is to conduct some research into loans that will help you get back on track, and a good place to start is on Bonsai Finance, where reputable advice and options are readily available for you to browse. By procuring some quick credits without payroll from a responsible lender, you are already on your way to getting back in control of managing your financial obligations seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. The key to this method is to find something that is suited to your monetary situation and credit history so you can get the best deal possible.
Taking care of you
As mentioned earlier, struggling for money can be one of the most stressful things you can go through as an adult, and this feeling will only intensify if you also have loved ones and family members to support. Of course, the main way of overcoming these stresses is to take practical measures that start turning things around, like finding short-term loans to pay off debts. However, you must not run yourself into the ground trying to cope with everything on your own. Remember to reach out to friends and family for emotional, as well as practical, support through this hard time. Research signs of stress and ways of coping so that you can keep your head above water. All other things aside, the main thing your family needs is you to be in a positive frame of mind, so you can all work together to help each other out. Once you know the signs of your stress, you can begin to combat them. Even something as simple as taking five minutes out of the day to have a cup of coffee by yourself and just breathe, take in the view, or catch up on a favorite show can make all the difference.
