6 brilliant ways to make your salary last longer
On the other hand, a lot of us also wish we had more money to do more of the things that make our lives meaningful. We just don’t know where to find that money.
Well, you’re in luck. Most of our customers find hundreds – sometimes thousands – extra each month very soon after they sign up. They quickly see where their money’s actually going, and very easily change or cancel things they’re spending money on that they really don’t need or want to be. After all, who wants to spend money on bank fees or insurance? Um, no one we know.
So check out these popular little money nooks and crannies…
BANK FEES: This is probably one of the top three places our customers find to save money. Think you know exactly what you pay each month? Banks have all kinds of little charges, like ATM fees, that add up pretty quickly, often over and above your monthly fee. We’ve had customers who were spending close to R1000 a month on bank fees. Seriously. Also: does that R450 a month Platinum account really give you value, or would Silver work just as well for you?
INSURANCE: There’s no reason why you shouldn’t get competitive quotes. Even every year. Company X might offer you a cheaper premium, or other benefits or bonuses that make it worthwhile. Changing your insurer is a minor inconvenience and can put hundreds extra in your wallet every month.
GYM (OR ANY OTHER) MEMBERSHIP: Ah, the old “I must get into shape” chestnut. If you’re actually going to gym, great. If you’re not, and you honestly don’t think you will, cancel your membership and do something else with that few hundred rand. Invest it. Go to the movies. Buy roller blades. If it’s not gym, maybe it’s another membership or subscription you could stop or downgrade, and not miss much.
CELLPHONES: If you’re on a contract you may have to wait, but you may not need to be on the contract you’re on. You may not need to be on contract at all – often Pay As You Go works out cheaper. And you may still be happy with your phone – that upgrade will probably cost you a few hundred each month for two years.
EATING OUT: If you love food, if you love socialising, go ahead. At the same time, a lot of our customers have big eyes and dropped jaws when they see what they spend on this. And they feel that eating out once or twice a month less won’t detract from their quality of life. If anything, it’ll free up some cash to do other things they thought they couldn’t afford to.
IMPULSE PURCHASES: Impulse happens. At the supermarket. At the mall. At the bar. But sometimes we regret buying that chocolate bar, or imported pair of shoes, or last round of beers. That double whammy of emotional-financial self-loathing… not a good look.
Sometimes one simple change makes a big difference. Sometimes lots of smaller changes make a bigger difference. Usually, doing less of the stuff that doesn’t matter means you can afford to do more of the stuff that does.
10 Dating Tips I REALLY Wish I'd Followed While I Was Single
When I started seeing my husband, aka the first guy I wasn't embarrassed to tell my therapist about, I was gobsmacked to realize how much I hadn't known about dating before then.In fact, I'd been going about being single all wrong. I didn't have very much fun at it, which is depressing since I didn't pair up until my 30s.
Besides, so much luck was involved in my finding my match that there are probably more alternate universes where I'm still living solo than where I'm married.
I could've written three novels, started a business and hiked the Appalachian Trail with all the wasted time and energy. It's too late for me, but maybe you can learn from what I wish I knew then.
1. Finding a romantic partner is only one of many goals you can have at once. There's a difference between making something a priority and having an obsession. No one wants to be the Captain Ahab of the dating world.
2. When you like a guy, and your mutual friends have multiple anecdotes about him projectile vomiting after excessive drinking, you need to rethink the infatuation. You didn't like it when your godson hurled on you, and he was a toddler.
3. It's not about getting someone to think you're good enough for them. It’s about finding someone you can stand to spend a ridiculous amount of time with. It's about finding the puzzle piece you fit with and the Ernie to your Bert.
4. Work on your gaydar. It'll make your life much easier.
5. Sometimes boyfriends have little annoying habits. And sometimes they have small behaviors that indicate a complete lack of respect. If you wouldn't let your friend's sweetie talk to her that way, don't put up with it yourself.
6. If you're bored out of your mind at the local bar on Saturday night, you're probably not going to meet anyone there who's going to liven up your evening. Instead of downing an extra cocktail to numb the ennui, think of somewhere else to go next weekend that you might actually enjoy. If your friends don't want to join you, go anyway.
7. Stop worrying about potential paramours rejecting you for being too fat, too short, too whatever. It's entirely possible that you would've had to reject them for never having seen Star Wars (your essential piece of pop culture may vary) anyway. People who simply are "not the right fit" exist. The sooner you weed them out of your life, the happier you'll be.
8. Go to movies by yourself. The same goes for museums, parks and concerts. When you're part of a couple, you miss being free to follow your every whim. Being unattached means not having to compromise on your plans.
9. A first date is not an audition for marriage. It's just a tryout for a second date. No one ever fell in love while analyzing every detail of their momentous first meeting.
10. If a man says that he's too damaged for you (or too neurotic, or too anything), just take his word for it. Even if it is his low self-esteem talking, you're not going to be able to fix him. And it's probably just a euphemism for "I'm just not feeling it."