Budget tip 1: unsubscribe from newsletters
On the outside, you might not see it (I think), but I am really bad at managing my own finances. Maybe it's because I used to panic when Mr. Holwerda from math asked me to calculate something or because I am a huge procrastinator when it comes to administrative tasks, but I just can't get myself motivated. Which is a shame, because I suspect there is still a lot to gain for me.
I am 33 years old and I save for every object or memory I want to make. A new couch? Just save a bit. Going on vacation? Save a bit more. Buying a house? Oh crap, save and save and save some more. Setting aside money for a goal is something I can manage, but I have never had a buffer. Which according to NIBUD is necessary, because what if your washing machine breaks down? I would like that to be different, because now my balance collapses after a big expense, resulting in me canceling all dinners and immediately returning my ordered clothes to buffer a bit. Recognizable? I will share budget hacks with you in the coming weeks, so we can spend as little as possible together (you need to save this per day to be a millionaire by your sixty-fifth birthday).
Hack 1: avoid temptation. How much temptation can you have in a light lockdown like this, you might think. I have a lot, a lot, a lot. The culprit is my inbox, where about fifteen newsletters pop up every day with offers that I absolutely must not miss and every hour a limited-exclusive-never-before-seen collection. From an email from a travel provider with an overnight stay in Schubbekutteveen, because I accidentally clicked that link, to everything that is still in my cart and not checked out and that one restaurant where I want to eat. The solution? Unsubscribe. From everything. And everyone. Immediately.
On Saturday, I started the mission to unsubscribe from every newsletter I am on the list for. With three email addresses, that is quite a task, but by now it is mostly a satisfying task. The new feature in Outlook helps too, so I no longer have to search with a magnifying glass for the word ‘unsubscribe’, but I just click ‘unsubscribe’ at the top and done. I find myself less often in online shops where I actually don't want to spend anything, but do anyway, because what if it sells out later or suddenly you have to pay shipping costs.
Apps and push notifications are the same deal: get them off your phone, that nonsense. It will happen that you miss a deal once, but it wasn't really the intention to spend anything anyway, right?
To be continued, because next week we will tackle our wardrobe.
P.S.: Is your mascara really out? These are the best products on a budget.
