Budgeting Hacks to Help You Save Time, Money, and Avoid Stress

Blog Highlights

• Automate: Schedule recurring bill payments and set up payroll deductions to go directly into a savings account to stay on track and build your emergency fund.

• Tools: Use free budgeting templates and other resources to manage spending and plan ahead.

• Habits: Make small changes and use rewards wisely to save more each month.

Stay on Budget: 5 Budgeting Hacks to Help You Save Time, Money, and Avoid Stress

1. Use Automation to Make Paying Bills and Saving Simple

Automation is the key to ensuring your bills are paid on time and savings deposits are made regularly. Setting up recurring bill payments and automatic deposits to your savings account is a smart money habit to get into. It helps avoid late fees, missed payments and allows you to build up a savings with ease. Consider creating regular automatic transfers to an emergency fund or a separate savings account to make budgeting for other expenses easier than ever!

2. Use Budgeting Apps, Templates, and Calculators

Budgeting apps, templates, and calculators are excellent ways to make managing your money simple and painless. Take advantage of easy to use tools like our budget calculator and free budget templates designed to help you track income and spending. As a member of Peach State, you also have FREE access to financial education and resources from the industry experts at BALANCE. You'll learn about credit, homeownership, money management, and more by completing the Balance Track e-learning modules (available in English and Spanish). To learn more or get started - sign up here!

With BALANCE, you can focus on learning more about: 

• Spending
• Saving
• Debt
• Retirement
• Financial Planning

3. Make Small Changes That Add Up 

You might be surprised at just how much of a difference a few small changes to your daily spending habits and monthly household purchases can make. With a few adjustments and tweaks to your money routine - you'll see the savings add up and your monthly budget improve. 

Here are a few easy changes of habit that can help reduce daily expenses:

• Cancel unused subscriptions or memberships
• Meal plan and grocery shop with a list to avoid impulse buys
• Shop sales and use coupons for essentials
• Brew coffee at home instead of buying it every day
• Buy used and repurpose items you already have
• Purchase generic instead of name-brand items
• Switch to reusable items (bags, jars, food containers, and cloth napkins) 

4. Use Cash or Debit Card Instead of Credit

Another budgeting hack that can help save money, control spending, and keep your budget in check is by using cash or a debit card. Using a debit card or cash gives you a realistic view of your spending patterns so you can make every dollar and decision count.

There are a few ways these methods can help:

• Using Cash: If you only spend the cash you have on hand, you'll be more mindful of purchases and not be tempted to overbuy. Using cash feels more tangible and this increased awareness encourages you to stay on budget!
• Using a Debit Card: Your debit card gives you direct access to the money in your checking account and serves as a secure alternative to cash. Unlike a credit card with a high balance, you cannot borrow more than what you have available, so you must be cognizant of your balance and carefully track your spending to avoid unnecessary fees.  

5. Put Rewards and Round Up Saving Programs to Good Use

A savvy money-saving strategy is maximizing credit card rewards and enrolling in programs that allow you to save "spare change" from every day purchases. Taking advantage of offers and perks such as these as often as you can is a clever money management tip. 

• Cash in points for household items, personal care, apparel and more.
• Use Peach State's Debit Card Round Up Program to build an emergency fund, pay for major purchases, repairs, or use it help cover regular bills. 

There are a variety of reward programs offered by credit card companies, issuers, and financial institutions. Avoid spending just to earn rewards – use your credit card responsibly and redeem rewards for things that are already in your budget.

Keep Budgeting Easy and Consistent

Creating and following a budget is crucial for financial success. The key is to keep it simple and stick with it! We invite you to download our "Budgeting Tips and Tricks: Quick Solutions to Start Saving Today" Guide, which provides everything you need to build your perfect budget and start saving money today. 

Making small changes now and taking advantage of the easy-to-use tools from Peach State can mean big savings and financial rewards in the future. Get inspired and empowered by using our budgeting resources, calculators, and contacting a member of our team for personalized assistance with developing smart financial goals and a spending plan.