Disclaimer: This is an old post that has been updated to meet present needs.

In recent times, I’ve heard several workers complain about financial challenges that they may be going through. Most workers complain bitterly about living from pay check to pay check. I totally understand how disheartening and worrisome this may be if you are going through a similar phase.

While changing your job may not be feasible or an easy solution to get at this time, it’ll be a wise decision to consider ways that this issue can be addressed or at least curtailed. Another thing to bear in mind is that some of these issues are easier said than done, what is the guarantee that when you find a higher paying job, you still won’t complain about finances?

Human wants are insatiable as I have come to realize over time. It appears to be that the more money one may have, the more his/ her needs. It’s in our nature, I suppose. So, the most important thing we should address is how to manage finances and cut down on frivolous expenses.

I had some down time in the past and one of my paramount goals was to cut down on expenses which I did, I’ll share some tips on how I was able to manage my expenses and I’ll also be sharing some tips I have gathered from people. I know that the influx of articles on this topic is quite overwhelming, but trust that as always, I’m sharing more from an experience standpoint.

Something important to consider is that food, clothing, and shelter is the basic necessities of life. Once you are able to manage expenses that relate to this, then every other thing will most likely fall into place.

Find below 5 tips to help you cut down expenses as a worker.

1. Set a scale of preference:
This is very important and will help you cut down cost. When you have that impulse to spend, prepare a list of unsatisfied wants or needs arranged in the order of their relative importance. We all have things we desire but being able to determine how important one is over the other is key to reducing expenses.

Practice drawing out a list of what is most important in order of priority and over time strike out what is not too important off the list. You will have the urge to spend on something that is off the preference list but learn to stick to your preference list with your goals in mind.

Work your way around your expenses based on your list.

2. Clothing:
Personally, I am of the opinion that the best alternative to looking good (in a less expensive way) is to stick to the basics. Dark colors will go a long way and casual not too detailed clothes also do the trick. A few detailed or colored clothes may be included in your wardrobe for special occasions. Regular jeans and a few tops can be worn regularly for after work activities.

For men, spend a few bucks on different colors of ties to match with a few closely colored work shirts. If you stick to setting a scale of preference, choosing the right clothes will not be a difficult decision to make since you’d have a list. You wouldn’t have to spend a fortune on it. There are so many magazines and blogs that help with learning how to mix/ match clothes and change the dress combination with the same set of clothing.

3. Food:
Food is so important in life; as humans, we need to feed. Cutting down expenses doesn’t mean that you are poor. It simply means setting your priorities right and making it clear.

Monthly budgeted expenses for food is a good idea to keep in mind. You can also prepare a scale of preference and make a list of regular food items you should always have stored in your house. There are several everyday ingredients shared online depending on your meal preference. This will prevent impulsive spending since you’d know your necessities.

Have you also considered always checking out nutrition facts when purchasing your groceries? Consider taking a minute or two to check the number of calories, vitamins, iron, fat, carbohydrate, protein, sodium, calcium, etc. content per serving.

Being aware of what your food contains will help cut cost because you won’t have to spend money purchasing what isn’t beneficial to your health. While you are trying to reduce unnecessary spending, you should also purchase what is essential to your health. You want to ensure that you are healthy to do your daily activities and meet set targets. Try to avoid lacking any form of nutrient that may have side effects on your health. In other words, maintain a good diet.

4. Learn to do it yourself “DIY”:
There may be times when you can’t afford to get your looks perfected by a professional. For instance, a hairdo, a haircut, makeup, manicure, pedicure and so on.

Imagine if everyone decided to do these things themselves; it’ll most definitely take professionals out of business. What I am trying to say is that apart from the fact that doing something by yourself can be satisfying, there may be times when you may need to do these things yourself so that you can reduce your expenses. When this time comes, the fact that you can do it yourself will help prevent you from being stranded and you will still hold your head up. There are several videos on the internet that educate people on how to DIY. This may help cut cost once in a while.

5. Do not live above your means:
At the end of the day, it’s just really important that you learn to live within your budget. It is your life and you owe no one any obligation to impress them. Remember your goals and what you have set to achieve. If cutting down needless expenses will help you achieve them, then so be it. Time will come when you can fully enjoy all those things you took off your list.

Be true to yourself and live a life that meets your means. The truth remains that these tips all depend on what your priorities are and how you set it. I’ll be interviewing workers overtime who will share more tips from their personal experience.

I’ve had some workers complain about financial challenges and I would like to look further into addressing this for readers. If you’d like to share more tips, anonymously or not, please get in touch. Send me an email: [email protected]

What do you think? Have you practiced anything here previously? Did it work out? Do you have any other ideas? Please feel free to share your thoughts and you may end up helping someone!

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by Zinny
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