As funny as it may seem – living an adult life can get pretty hard. Sometimes, you can get pretty overwhelmed with how much you need to do. There is work, sometimes a family to take care of, friends to meet, bills to pay – this can all get pretty hectic! Especially when you have just moved to Tennessee and you are trying to find a job after moving. While you are waiting for it to happen, and for those sweet, sweet greens to start pouring down, you might want to learn about living on the down-low. But how do you do it in a state as loud and as beautiful in Tennessee? Well, that’s why we are here for you! In today’s article, we look at living on a tight budget in Tennessee.
The importance of planning when living on a tight budget
The first thing you will need in order to succeed living on a tight budget is a solid plan. You will need to create your own budget. Figure out how much money you are earning right now, how much you have in savings – and how much do you spend. This way, you can get a clear picture of how much money is coming in, and how much of it is going out. This is also a great way to gather all your stuff. From there, it will be easy to cut and adjust – once you have everything in one place. A thing to remember are the income taxes. If you don’t already get them deduced in your paychecks, you should do it yourself. Set aside 20% for them when calculating your budget.
The goal of this who process is to figure out whether you are earning more than you are spending. It’s a smart idea to set something aside – saving money when you move will always come in handy. Even if you have already moved, saving some cash is always good because you never really know when you will need it.
Doing this will help you create a plan. You will want to plan out exactly how much you will be spending on, for example, clothes, entertainment, food etc. Creating a plan that both makes you happy and makes sense is a staple of living on a tight budget. And even though it might seem like a chore to track down your spendings, it can really open your eyes and make you question whether or not you really need all the stuff you are getting.
Separate your wants from your needs
An important part of living on a tight budget is prioritizing. This means you figure out what your needs are versus what it is that you want. For example – think about the last shirt you bought. Did you really need it, or did you just feel like buying it because it made you look good? Questions like these will help figure out where your priorities lie. At the end of the day, you can afford to splurge on some facet of your life – if you are saving a bit more money on the other. When doing this, also consider these:
- Are you eating enough or eating too much? How much of your food goes to waste, and how often do you go out to eat?
- How do you travel around the city? Is a taxi more expensive than metro or just driving yourself?
- How often do you have your beauty appointments? Do you think you can reduce their number?
- Living on a tight budget also means prioritizing the tickets for sports and cultural events. Do you need season passes for these?
You can change your life a lot just by changing some of your habits. It is also a smart idea to examine the area you live in, especially when buying your first house. If you are in an urban setting, then you might expect to go out quite often – while a quiet town won’t have many opportunities for it.
For example, if you like urban living and being close to Nashville, then Antioch, TN might be the right place to move to. On the other hand, if you want to dedicate yourself to your work, family or hobbies, then a smaller place in the countryside might be your best bet.
Think when spending money
A thing that bugs most people who want to try living on a tight budget is that itch of impulse shopping. You just see something while standing in the line, or passing by a window, and you need to have it. Luckily for you, there are different ways you can fight this.
For clothes, you can pick stores who are known for their low prices. Even though some might scold at such an idea, these can offer great bargains when you are trying to save up money. You can also wait for sales, or get items from the clearance racks. For example, prepare for the winter by buying clothes in April and May. Around these time these items go “out of season” – and the same applies for springs, summer, and fall as well! You should also not shy away from thrift stores, because you never know what you might find there!
Shopping for groceries is probably one of the most common times where you reconsider living on a tight budget. So, the first rule is never to go hungry at a grocery store! This way, you will not be tempted to buy everything in your sight. You should also create a list of things you need – just like you did when you were picking good movers like Move On Relocation Nashville to move to Tennessee. This way, you won’t wander off and get more than you can possibly handle.
