Being on a budget is hard. It is really hard. This is especially true when you are around others who spend like there is no such thing as a budget. It’s hard to keep your mind on saving money when your friends keep inviting you out for dinner and drinks or you see pictures on social media of your neighbors on yet another vacation. So how to you keep your budget in check without making yourself crazy?
If you need a little help with this, here are 6 tips that will help you stay sane while saving money:
- Repeat a mantra. Keep reminding yourself that your life is not their life. “Not my circus, not my monkeys” is quite popular on social media lately.
- Write down your goals. Write down your goals in saving money. What are you working toward? Saving for retirement, buying a house, etc. If you have your goals written down, you can go to it at anytime and remind yourself.
- Chart your progress. If you are on a budget in order to save up or to pay down debt, chart your progress as you go. Seeing the progress as it goes, is very motivational.
- Splurge. Make sure to splurge a little bit every once in a while to keep yourself from getting too down. Even if it is with a single latte after a no-spend month. Treating yourself is important.
- Relax. Since you are busy saving money, you will have less stress than people who are living paycheck to paycheck. That will save you considerable stress and allow you to relax for a change.
