We’ve all gotten used to the ease of technology, and so many products on the market are designed to help people do as little work as possible. But how to save more money still seems a problem.
In a way, life is easier than it ever was before. Machines can perform the simplest of tasks, and chores hardly take any time at all. Even cleaning went from being done by vacuum cleaners to robot vacuums. We have dishwashers, washing machines, and so many other items that are now necessities.
But with this new age, there has also been a big increase in our expenses, not just bills. Whether you need something built or want to buy something for yourself, our industries are designed in a way to gives you everything for money.
It’s a far cry from our parent’s generation, but it’s not just about the machines. People spend money where they don’t need to, and there are many ways to save. It’s just a matter of getting a bit handy, and you can do a lot without putting a large dent in your wallet.
If you don’t want to follow in your parent’s footsteps and take a more modern approach to finance management, Atome is the perfect solution for your shopping bills. Atome is a BNPL that lets you own what you want today but pay over time.
We will discuss more later, but first, let’s look at a few ways our parents used to save money.
DIY Projects to save money
What if we said that one of the best methods to save money is to DIY wherever possible? A lot of the things we consider necessities and spend hundreds on could be done at home for much less.
While DIY projects seem time-consuming, they’re quite efficient once you figure out how to fit them into your routine.
Cleaning Supplies
The best advice people used to carry out DIY projects in their daily life can give you is to make your own laundry detergent and cleaning spray. Think about it carefully, how many times a week do you wash your clothes? How much do you have to clean the surfaces in your home?
We don’t notice it, but the final amount can rack up to be quite high. But there’s an effective way of cutting back this cost by using simple recipes. If you think your clothes won’t smell as nice as your favorite detergent, you just need to add essential oils.
Building Your Own Furniture
If you can do it with IKEA furniture, you can probably make a simple chest of drawers or shelves yourself. You might want something simple for your home, but it daunts you to cough out the money it would take to get a nice, sturdy piece of furniture.
You can buy the materials at a store and rent the necessary tools to whip them up yourself, or even make something like a marquee for your room.
DIYing Decorations Around the House
The biggest DIY niche is decorations and fun projects that get you useful things to place around the house. Even if you like the minimalist look, you can’t exactly have nothing in your house.
DIYing them lets you customize stuff however you want and on a budget too!
Repairing Things Instead of Replacing
How often have you seen a nick in the wood and realized it sets off the room, so you’ll need a new one? Have you considered just replacing that one side of the furniture and giving it a new look?
We’re so used to constant consumption that something like this doesn’t even cross our minds, and many of the things these days are designed to last for less time. But there are still a lot of objects we replace without a second glance.
The need is to reduce, reuse and recycle. Here are a few things you can repair in one way or another.
Clothes
With how many simple YouTube tutorials there are around the internet, it’s easier than ever to learn how to add a missing button or sew a tear in a shirt. But it’s also important to consider repurposing them because you can easily turn your existing wardrobe into an entirely new one.
It will save you hundreds that you would’ve otherwise spent on fast fashion, only to move on to a new one once trends died out. A worn-out shirt can become a cute crop top, skinny jeans can become ripped, and an old maxi dress can become a trendy two-piece.
Appliances
This one seems scarier because we’re used to assuming appliances are unfixable or need to be taken to a professional as soon as something goes wrong with them. But certain issues are solvable with a few tutorials.
Of course, you should maintain your appliance well if you want to ensure it lasts longer, but you’ll still save money by knowing simple repairs.
Furniture
We already discussed setting up your furniture, but you can fix everything, from chairs to old wardrobes.
The point is to avoid unnecessary spending. A small break can be fixed with wood glue, and an old cupboard can be as good as new with stylish new knobs and a paint job.
Ceramics, Jewellery, and Shoes
Certain ceramics can be fixed using glue. The same goes for jewelry; you can replace a fallen gem with a new one or use pliers to add a missing clasp. Even shoe repairs are easy using special glue or good polish.
Hand-Me-Downs
Social media means that many people lean towards constantly getting new things to keep up with the times. With every new trend, chances are your wallet gets a bit thinner.
Hand-me-downs are a great way to shake up your wardrobe often but without using up tons of money. Of course, sharing among siblings is common, but you can take old clothes from anywhere.
These days, even the classic maxi dresses are in style. With a few alterations, your mother’s or even grandmother’s clothes can become the most stylish outfit ever, so you should reuse them wherever possible.
You can also share with friends, exchanging clothes you don’t wear anymore. Try not to buy stuff unless it’s a necessity.
Cooking From Scratch
Pre-made kits and instant food is pretty enticing when you’re home after a long day and want to eat something filling without working, but cooking from scratch is another change that’ll save you an unprecedented amount.
Stop getting takeout and buying expensive coffee; if you can start meal planning, you’ll be able to save money, time, and energy. The basic necessities of life include food, so make sure you don’t skimp.
Try to consider basic necessities and maintain a balanced diet by buying fruits and vegetables. You can prepare certain ingredients on the weekend to make your week easier and prepare your food for the day before work so there’s food when you get home.
Atome: A modern solution to your spending habits
Sometimes, it’s possible to delay or avoid a purchase altogether, but at other times, shopping becomes necessary. That’s when you can use a payment service like Atome to pay your shopping bills. Why Atome? It’s because the service allows you to purchase the product you want today without paying its full amount.
Instead, you can split your bill into three parts and pay the total over two months. This empowers modern consumers to make conscious shopping decisions and spend their monthly budgets smartly.
Atome is a Singapore-based BNPL that operates in ten locations worldwide and has more than 15,000 partner merchants working alongside its services. With Atome, you can access hundreds of top local and international brands, all through a single payment platform.
To become an Atome user, you must download the app (Get Atome’s app) and set up a new account. The system takes a few minutes to verify your details, after which you are ready to shop at any partner merchant store you want. It’s as simple as that!
So, if you want to step back from ancient saving ideas, try Atome and its modern approach to fulfilling your shopping wishes. You never know what surprises await you once you become an Atome member.
A penny saved is a penny earned
Hopefully, this article helped you realize where to make changes to spend less and save more. Some of these points may seem small, but they make a large difference in the long run, and you’ll thank yourself someday if you incorporate them into your life.
Many people wonder why saving is so important, and the best reply we can give you is that it provides security. The pandemic was an obvious example of unexpected situations where you could lose your job.
Having money saved is crucial for moments like medical emergencies. But even if you never have to face any of them, saving helps you invest in your future. You could start a business or another venture to help you settle better and buy a house or car.
If nothing else, it could be for something as small as a trip abroad. Saving is important for many reasons, and you should consider cutting back on expenses where possible.
