If you want to save more then you need to cut back on unnecessary expenses which are putting a dent in your bank account.
What are unnecessary expenses? These are basically things you don't need or things that you don't have a desire for. When you really sit down to think about the things which you are spending unnecessarily on, you would realise that they really are things you can cut back on.
Simple lifestyle changes like reducing the amount of coffee you buy from your favourite cafe, the number of times you eat out in a week to not buying the extra pair of shoes you buy every month.
This week as I continued on my journey towards saving for a vacation, I decided to cut out on the things I spent on last week.
• I skipped out on buying any soft drinks and chose to drink water instead.
• I ate more at home by preparing healthier home-made meals. Although groceries can be quiet an expense, if you buy in bulk for the month, it saves you more from eating out every week at expensive restaurants.
• My husband and I streamed a movie which was more cost-effective than going to the mall which would have cost us GHC70 minus snacks.
• Used the Barclays Savings Calculator to find out if I’m saving the right amount each month to reach my goal.
• Because I bought internet in bulk last week, I saved more data usage this week.
In all I have saved GHC13 this week. Not that internet is an unnecessary cost but buying data in bulk is a cost-saving measure compared to buying 5 cedis or 10 cedis every other day.
Our savings plan to travel may have taken a new turn. Instead of travelling outside, we are now considering exploring the new local resorts in Ghana. You may be surprised to know how many hidden & fantastic resort gems in Ghana. This is very exciting as it’s also an opportunity to discover other regions of the country and literally act like a tourist in my county.
We opened a joint savings account to use as our savings pot after budgeting for our trip. That way we will be able to determine how much interest we gain on the account through our joint efforts.
We also intend to automatise standing orders to transfer to the account so as to avoid long trips to the bank. Automising the transfers also prevents us from ‘seeing' the money. Less painful that way :-)
Since starting the savings plan we have saved about 10% towards our goal. I believe this is going to increase over time before the D-Day.
This article is the third in a series of sponsored posts for the BARCLAYS SAVINGS CHALLENGE. I hope the challenge has been as interesting for you as it has been for me. You can follow the discussion on Twitter and Facebook and share your own experience by using the hashtag #AFRICASAVES.
Visit https://goo.gl/9QbbAf for useful savings calculators, tips and more information on savings accounts.