$500 Cash Giveaway – Save Money this Spring through Planning Ahead
Spring means many things: melting snow, rising temperatures, and Summer just around the corner. Here at Young Adult Money it means time for another $500 cash giveaway!
My best money saving tip for you this Spring is rather simple: Plan Ahead
Planning ahead can result in cash savings in many different ways. Here are a few of them:
- Plan ahead for groceries and other purchases
Make a list before going grocery shopping, and stick to it. I can guarantee you that you will save more money this way than going and buying whatever you think looks good. Also, when you plan on purchasing something online, look for online coupon before making that purchase. Ideally you can wait for a good deal before buying something, but sometimes the best you can do is do a quick search for deals and discounts and go with the best one you find.
- Create a Budget
Budgeting is, at it’s core, about planning ahead. Knowing how much you are allowed to spend for entertainment, clothes, gas, etc. will help prevent you from splurging or spending recklessly. Of course, it all starts with tracking your expenses. If you don’t know what you are spending, you won’t be able to set a realistic budget.
- Plan for unexpected expenses
Life happens. Whether it’s finding out your house needs a $7,000 sewer line repair, or some other unexpected expense, there will always be something that comes up and potentially crushes your finances. The best way to deal with the unexpected is plan for it: put money in your Health Savings Account, set aside a little bit extra each month in a general savings/emergency fund, and live within your means.
How has planning ahead saved you money? What is your best tip for saving money?
This giveaway runs from March 11th to March 31st. Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!
Put it towards our wedding.
pay some bills!
I would get married!
I would pay off some credit card debt with the extra money.
I would take some unpaid time off of work to take a trip with friends.
I would use it for social media technologies to help others with digital world and...change-the-world!!!! :))
Buy my 3 year old son a new car seat
I would put the $500 towards a DSLR camera!
I would put the $500 towards a DSLR camera!
I would pay bills with the money
I would use it to start saving for a vacation! By starting a savings for vacation, I know how much I can enjoy myself without worrying about paying for it later.
I would use $500 towards our upcoming move.
I would buy the materials to finish our fence so we can get a dog :)
Having an emergency fund saves me money by allowing me to pull cash out at the drop of a hat. Whether it is for a sewer pipe fiasco, or school I don't have to pay credit card fees when I am prepared.
I would go to Peru and climb Machu Picchu!
credit card payments!!
go back to Mexico for vacation
Pay off some bills!
Bring silverware for your work lunches. It's a green solutions in the sense that you're not throwing anything away, and you're not spending money on disposable plasticware.
Best tip--do automatic drafts from your checking to savings account when you get paid--that way you never see the money in your checking account and get tempted to spend it
pay off some bills and spoil my nieces!
My husband is in medical school. I would put it towards our student loans.
Put it in our wedding savings account
I would save it for my next vacation :-)
I would put it towards adoption costs.
Save towards a car because walkinh and taking the bus isn't fun.
I'd save the money towards a new laptop. My HP from 2006 is running on life support :(
I would put it into our wedding savings account.
Probably save it for college
Hannaliisa
I would use the $500 to pay off the last of my credit card debt. Am getting so close.
I would use the money to help pay off some loans! Thanks for the giveaway.
I would put it towards our debt payments.
We're saving for a down payment, so I would put it in savings!
pay down my credit card. i just paid tuition so I couldn't pay down this month as much as I wanted.
I'd put it in my IRA before April 15.
With $500, I would use half to buy my first mutual fund share in my newly-opened Roth IRA (S&P 500 Index Fund), put $100 towards my car loan and add $100 to my emergency fund. I'd probably use the rest to take my girlfriend out to dinner!
If I won the $500, it would go a long way toward helping me finish off my emergency fund. Then I would be able to start making accelerated payments toward my $150k in student loans.
Someone gave me advice to start putting money away in an emergency fund a few months ago, and their advice could not have come at a better time! I few weeks later I chipped my tooth pretty badly, requiring an urgent medical procedure to fix the problem. I had insurance, but if I didn't have the emergency savings to cover the rest, I would have definitely been in trouble.
With an extra $500, I would add it to my savings so I can finally reach my 3 months emergency cash!
I'd use the money toward saving for my next apartment!
I would use $500 to replenish my emergency fund after it's took a hit because of dog emergency.
I would put it towards wedding expenses!
I would use it to pay off some credit card debt!
Would put it toward my personal loan. That sucker is almost toast!
How has planning ahead saved you money? What is your best tip for saving money?
Planning ahead saves me money on eating out. I always make all of my lunches and snacks at home, so I don't have to grab something "convenient" (and expensive) when I'm hungry.
My best tip is to save as the first thing out of your paycheck. Treat your savings as an "expense" that must be paid out before all of your other bills, and you'll save much more than if you wait to save what ever is "left over" at the end of the month.
I would use it as bonus money and go on a weekend getaway
With $500 I'd make an extra couple payments to my car loan- I really want to pay that sucker down!
I would pay off my credit card. Almost there!
I'd put it (minus maybe $50 "fun money") into my credit card. Responsibility!
I'd use that $500 to put towards my security deposit for my new apartment - I found a cheaper place which is great for my budget.