Money is Tight…Now What
If your income was changed or impacted due to COVID it will be necessary to reevaluate your budget and look for ways to free up some extra money. Keep in mind we are living a crisis and the normal rules of life went out the door and out of all the windows.
I know lots of people are saying support local like I say myself however this doesn’t apply to you if your income has changed or completely disappeared. If your income was altered then you should not be shopping anywhere temporarily. Your plan has to be different than your neighbors’ who may still have a job and working every day. Don’t compare your situation or lifestyle to others. Every household is experiencing a different COVID experience. If you have lost income, here are tips that will help you save money.
- First make a new temporary budget plan
- Defer loan payments, if possible
- Cut any subscriptions that add up or put on hold
- Cook at home & skip take out & if you do take out, budget for only once a week.
- When grocery shopping, follow a list & check your pantry before heading out
- Make your own coffee at home
- Clean out garage & sell things to pay a bill or two or save the money for an emergency
- Perhaps utilize a hobby to make money, like selling cupcakes, masks, etc.
- Don’t shop online, don’t shop local & don’t shop at all except for necessities like food
Focus on needs versus wants. And lastly during this COVID-19 Stay at Home, if you must go out of your home, try to consolidate your trips to once a week. When you leave your house make a to-do-list and put it in the order that you will do them from the minute you pull out the driveway.
This is what I have been doing and I feel it cuts down on the time that I’m out of my house doing chores and overspending.
Rosa Julia Parra
