This article contains information on the Top 10 Life Hacks To Save Your Money
LIFE HACKS!! What comes to your mind when you hear that word? I remember the first time I heard the word in my teen years. Lots of thoughts ran through my mind. I didn’t know what it meant exactly, but then, I felt it was referring to negative stuff.
Looking back at the experience, l simply smile. Lack of information can really be embarrassing. If you are like me then, you don’t need to think too far when you come across that word. When you see the word “LIFE HACK” think of the word, easy improvised or substitution.
In other words, life hacks [2] are simply easy ways of doing things, substituting and taking improvised actions that would have cost you more if you did it the normal and common way. So, life hacks are smarter and easier ways of doing things to save your money, time and energy.
Now that we have known what life hacks are, we will be looking at Top 10 Life Hacks To Save Your Money.
What are the things you need to do in a different and easy to save your money?
As my custom is, I always love to infuse my passion for fashion and cooking into my writings and in this topic, I’ll be looking at money-saving life hacks on fashion and clothing, food, creativity, etc.
BELOW ARE 10 LIFE HACKS TO SAVE YOUR MONEY.
FASHION AND CLOTHING HACKS
Clothing is one important basic need of man. Everybody wants to dress smart and look good. In fact, the competition as regards fashion is mind-blowing, people are spending tons of money just to wear clothes, others who do not have such money to spend, do terrible things to meet up but do you know that simple hacks on fashion can save you the spending stress? This is how:
1. Buy More Of Neutral Colours.
You may not have excess cloth, but this technique enables you to get more value out of your wardrobe because basically everything goes together, you can mix and match easily to get a fabulous look. You can accessorize with lower cost items to add a colour effect.
I have lots of black wears in my collection, it saves me the stress of looking for which colour goes with what. Black goes with anything at all. You can have a pair of black skirt or pant with different tops you can alternate and people will keep wondering how you have So much beautiful dress without knowing your secret.
Ensure you have black Incorporated in your wardrobe.
While buying neutral colour clothes, choose well-made garments that will last for a long time. Check the tightness and neatness of the stitching. Clothes that meet up these factors are likely to last much longer and it saves you unnecessary spending.
2. It Doesn’t Have To Be From A Boutique / Unused
A lot of times, people have this mindset that the boutique is the best and only place to get beautiful wears. That’s a big no.
If you want to save more, make fewer visits to boutiques, go for used but clean cloths.
I’m a good dresser, those that know me can attest to it. Each time I step out especially for official events, people always admire my look. You may think I get most of my clothes from an expensive boutique but No. I buy most of my wears from second-hand sellers, what we popular call “Okrika”( bend down select).
I get beautiful clothes that make me look different from the crowd because Ok wears hardly come in pairs, unlike trending clothes you probably get in boutiques, which is likely to be seen on countless people at an event.
Second-hand clothes are less expensive, very durable and nice. Apply this and save wisely.
3. Learn To Repair Cloths
Some people have the habit of discarding clothes when there is a little tear, stain or fallen buttons. These are simple things that don’t require special skills.
Don’t toss out a shirt because of a fallen or broken button, fix another one with a needle and thread. Don’t toss out pants because of a hole in them, patch it up, be creative.
I discovered my passion for fashion designing from mere repairing of torn clothes with needle and thread. As an undergraduate, tailors made a fortune from me by mending my oversized clothes. One-day, I sat down to think. I know I’m good at using needles and thread, why waste money. That was how I started working on my clothes with needle and thread and today, I’m into fashion designing.
Most basic sewing jobs can be completed by anyone, and a little bit of practice goes a long way. Repairing clothes is a perfect money-saving hack.
4. Buy It Because It Fits Not Because It’s Beautiful and Cheap
Remember how I wasted money to shape oversized clothes? A number of times, we end up buying what doesn’t fit for different reasons. Don’t end up buying a shoe you will end up not using because it turned out to be tight and uncomfortable, same applies to clothes. Go for exact size and save your money.
FEEDING HACKS
Like cloth, food is a very important basic need of man. Food is needed for daily sustenance, we eat to live. Do you really need to spend a fortune to feed?
Below, are simple hacks that will enable you to spend less and still eat healthy.
5. Cook Your Food
I understand some people dread the thought of cooking probably because of how to come up with daily food ideas [1] and as such, prefer eating out. Constant visits to fast foods and restaurants is a money drainer. Form the habit of cooking at home and stop giving excuses like I can’t cook, I hate cooking or I don’t have time. It is an excuse you need to do away with if you must save. Get cooking books, watch YouTube videos and learn. Practice makes perfect. The more you cook, the more you discover it’s not as hard as you imagined. The fact is, homemade food is not only less expensive, but it also tastes better.
I dread eating out. I tend to spend more and sometimes pay huge amounts for a tasteless meal. Also, there’s no rule that when your friends come visiting, you must hang out, that can be done in the comfort of your home. Cook, watch movies on TV, gist and you’ll find out you had more fun at the end of the day. Once in a while, you can eat out but never form it as a habit.
6. Drink More Water
Drinking more water instead of sweetened beverages doesn’t only help you to save, it also has great health benefits.
7. Don’t Waste Leftovers
Some people have the habit of discarding leftovers. Rather than waste it, you can always convert it. I’m good at converting my leftovers. I can turn that leftover white rice into delicious jollof rice.
Recently, I needed money and ended up getting it by mere application of this technique. How did it happen? My dad gave me some money to prepare egg sauce and yam. All I did was buy eggs and used the old stew. The rest is history. It was so delicious and the remaining money entered my pocket.
Leftovers are not poisons but convertible resources.
CREATIVITY HACKS
These are what I refer to as “Think outside the box hacks”. There are things we ordinarily waste without knowing they can be money-saving hacks.
8. Banana Rind Equals A Shoe Polish
Do you want your shoe to sparkle and shine but you can’t afford a shoe polish? don’t worry, your banana peel gives you the same result. Banana peels are wonderful shoe polish.
I never knew this till I saw my younger brother using it, I felt he was being silly till I read about it. Try it and you’ll be glad you did.
9. Prevent Your Bread from Getting Stale Using Celery
Are you tired of having your bread spoiled before consumption? Save yourself the stress of spending on daily bread purchase by putting celery inside the bread bag. It won’t get stale so easily.
10. To-Do Somethings Yourself
Be versatile, acquire skills and it will save you the stress of paying for some services. In my house, my dad does most of the carpentry, simple plumbing and mechanical stuff.
I redesign my old clothes. There are clothes I have worn for years without friends knowing. This is because, I may transform it by simply attaching beads or appliques.
I have a friend that hardly visits a salon, she makes her hair. There are numerous things you can learn to do for yourself and save money.
A very important and bonus hack is, forming a reading habit. Reading gives you the opportunity to learn more. There is no way you could have gotten this information without reading. Reading will expose you to countless ways of saving money. You might want to know how I found out that the use of piggy bank is in Vogue again, I read about it. Readers are leaders, read.
Conclusion
Having read these top 10 money-saving life hacks, apply them and you will see a transformation in your financial status. In the course of my research on this topic, a friend dropped this brain-teasing money-saving hack “If you cannot pay for it twice, don’t buy it”.
Confusing right? I will leave you to unravel it. Have fun in your new money-saving habit.
References
[1] Before you continue to YouTube. (n.d.). Youtube. Retrieved December 26, 2023, from https://youtube.com/@omasfoodkorner?si=NQlnrZ3eINxnwIj7
[2] Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Life hack. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_hack
I think I will love to read more of ur article. Lovely one