Hey, there sexy mamas!

Hope the New Year is treating you well so far! To help usher us into a what will hopefully be a fantastic year, I wanted to bring you some tips on money habits to make your 2018 sparkle! Read on for some kick-booty advice on slaying your finances this year!

Money Habits To Make Your 2018 Sparkle

Could your year have gone better financially? If 2017 was characterized by poor money decisions, having to carefully budget and worry about unexpected expenses, then there are ways to look forward to a much brighter future in 2018. It starts with a few simple steps, such as consolidating any debt and trimming your outgoings. This should leave you with more of a cushion to cover anything you didn’t budget for. Here’s how…

Check Your Utilities

It doesn’t pay to be loyal when it comes to your gas, electricity and other bills such as broadband. Despite the huge array of comparison sites out there, many of us still aren’t taking ten minutes to make sure we’re getting the best deal. Your circumstances will change over time, so the tariff that is best for you will also change. You could save up to $300 a year just for a quick check! The onus is firmly on providers to make it easy to switch so there shouldn’t be much hassle for you as a customer. Save those dollars where you can! 

Pay Down Your Debt

Wouldn’t it be amazing to wake up one day completely debt free? While this is a completely achievable reality, you have to be smart about your borrowing. Many people just let their repayments tick along. What you actually need to be doing to make inroads in the amount you owe is proactively managing the situation. Consider finding a debt consolidation loan through a service like Evolution Money. That way you can reduce multiple payments into one monthly amount. If you have credit cards, try transferring the balance onto a card with an interest free period to then pay it off in the timeframe.

Seek Out Cashback

If you’re planning any big purchases this year, then make sure you go through a cashback website like Ebates. I personally use and love this site, it’s only an extra click when you’re shopping online and boom! Automatic cash back! You’ll get a percentage of what you pay back – and when it’s a larger purchase, like white goods, this is well worth doing. You can even earn cash back for purchases made via your mobile phone using their app. 

Set a No Spend Zone

You may be in the habit of small, daily purchases. They don’t cost much individually, but add them up over the course of a year and they can make a significant dent in your budget. Often these habits don’t really bring us happiness. So one trick to to set a ‘no spend week’ or even just a ‘day’ in the month where you don’t spend any money at all. Prep your lunch in advance if you work out of the home and bring a coffee your own coffee travel mug. Leave your debit card and any cash in a drawer. You may be surprised how effective this is at breaking a pattern of mindless spending.

Waste Less Food

Food waste is a huge environmental problem, and it’s also an issue for our wallets with the cost of the weekly shop rising all the time. But we can get better at correctly estimating portion sizes and find creative recipes for leftovers. Finding out information on how to correctly store food and using our freezer more can also help. Love Food Hate Waste is a great place to start.

If you want to do something for your family that could also help boost your financial standing, check out my post on owning stock with Stockpile!

I know as single moms it can be a serious challenge to save money and get finances in order, so I hope these tips will help you get on track and make 2018 your richest year yet! 😉

A collaboration.

Don’t forget to like, comment & share!

Love always,

JessXO