We’ve all been there. Funds are low, payday seems years away, and in that moment, you feel like you might not make it. Waiting for payday can make your days feel grey and dull, or it can make it feel like time is at a standstill, especially if you’re struggling financially, or have debt that needs to be paid.
Thankfully, there are ways to make your money go further and to help make those last few days before salvation a little bit more bearable and less stressful. Here are some of the top ways to make your money stretch as you wait till payday.
Set a Spending Allowance
One of the first things that needs to be done when trying to last till payday is to take stock of your current finances and figure out how much you have left. Once you have that, you should be able to work out how much money you can spend each day. Now with this limit in place, you need to prioritise the essentials that you need to spend it on. Food will be your main concern, so make sure you budget that into your allowance, as well as bills and utilities.
When following an allowance, it’s vital that you stick to it and avoid unnecessary payments. It is always best to underspend one day and let the leftover funds rollover to the next than it is to overspend and find yourself trying to cut down on the next day.
To help keep you on track, it may be worthwhile keeping a record of everything you’re spending with a spending diary, so that you can be held accountable. By having these records, you can more clearly spot patterns and spending habits that you should try and break.
Use Discounts When You Shop
If you do have to go shopping during this time as you wait till payday, it’s important to try and get the best deals you can find. Shops usually drop sales between Wednesday and Fridays, so it’s always good to shop then and be sure to go towards the end of the day, as there’s more chance there’ll be produce in the reduced aisle that the store wants to get rid of.
When online shopping, you can also get great discounts through coupons. These can reduce the prices on your goods and some can also be used in conjunction with each other to stack deals and reduce the price even further. Also keep an eye out for free shipping, as this can drastically reduce the prices of online goods.
Try Free Activities
When some people are low on funds, they feel they’re unable to have fun and enjoy themselves, as socialising is usually a costly pastime. However, it’s important that we remain active to boost our mood and general wellbeing. That’s why it’s a good idea to do free activities.
There are plenty of free things people can do, too, depending on where you live. You can always go to the local park, hike in a forest or other nature reserve, check out some free museums or even just have people round for movies and snacks. You don’t have to break the bank to have fun and see friends and doing this can really help make the days till payday pass quicker and become more bearable.