Have an affordable social life

Can you have a great social life without spending too much? As everyone knows, socializing is great - until you look at your account at the end of the month and realize you don’t have the budget to meet your lifestyle. The good news is that you don’t have to cut yourself off from the outside world in order to save money. Here are some tips for cutting down on the spending without cutting out fun.

Budget Know your figures when you’re looking at cutting down on your spending. How much do you need to cut down by? What do you want to do with the money – do you want to save it for a property, a new car or pay off debt? Put into place a plan – perhaps when you get paid, put some money directly into a savings account so you won’t be tempted to spend it.

Change things up You don’t always need to go out to see your friends. What about inviting them to your house? Have a movie night or maybe a Chinese takeaway evening – whatever you enjoy, you can do it just as well at home.

Avoid impulse buys Wonga suggest a few useful tips on how to cut down on social spending. Check it out here. Consider carefully before you make a purchase. Remember: needs vs. wants. If it helps you to avoid spendy situations, don’t go to shopping. How about stopping indulgences for a month? Such as: dinners out or girl’s night out.

Phone bills Ensure you have the best phone package. Compare your phone package online and look at how much data you need. If you use your phone a lot on the go, make sure you log into free Wi-Fi networks if you can. Also, use messaging services like WhatsApp rather than sending text messages. Consider calling your phone company and trying to negotiate a better deal. The Simple Dollar say that it’s useful to come armed with comparable deals from other providers - state that another provider has this particular deal and ask if they can then adjust your price to one of their packages to match it.

Vacations Wonga ZA also suggest holidaying close to home. Find great local deals for ‘day trips’ that don’t require pricey accommodation. If you do want to go a little further afield, last minute deals are a good place to look. Get great savings by booking closer to the date. Use online search engines to compare packages. Do the same for currency exchange… good deals can be had there too.