Saving for a Rainy Day
Saving money can be one of the most difficult things there is to do when it comes to exercising discipline in your personal life. It becomes nearly impossible to save money when virtually the entire world is against you. Not sure about that? Just watch TV. A half hour Sitcom is 19-21 minutes long. An hour drama is 39-42 minutes long. That means the next time you’re watching the Simpsons a full third of your TV time will be dedicated to someone trying to get you to spend your hard earned cash before you can lock it away in some form of savings. The average American male watches TV for 30 hours a week, or 1560 hours a year. That equates to spending 520 hours a year watching commercials a year, and that’s just on the television. That’s a lot of people sticking their hands in your pockets, and you wonder why you can’t save any money…
Keep the Hands Out
If you are serious about saving money maybe it’s time to shut out some of the people trying to separate you from your wallet. Rather than turning on the TV try watching Hulu or Netflix. On Hulu you can get limited or commercial free television shows and on Netflix there’s never any TV ads. Sure these sites will cost you a few bucks a month but it’ll make saving that much easier when you don’t have to fend off sales pitches so often.
Another way to Save
Once you get adjusted to a certain lifestyle it’s tough to change. If you are used to living on $3500 a month it can be near impossible to live on a $100 less and it’s even easier to get used to living on $3700 a month when you get a new job, or a raise on the old one. On the other side of the coin, you can also get used to living on less if you have to. Most companies who offer direct despite to their employees will allow you to have an extra dollar amount withheld and put in a savings account before you even see it. If you’re living on $3500 a month try and live on $3450 for a change. When that begins to feel doable go ahead and save another $50. Suddenly you’re saving $100 a month, or $1200 a year. Do that for a couple years and you have your dream vacation taken care of.
More importantly, you need that extra cushion in case you have unexpected expenses like medical bills or car repairs that you just cannot anticipate. Living paycheck to paycheck is a constant stressor in your life. You go on thinking all day long, what is going to happen if my car breaks down or I get laid off? You will have no answer to that question if you’re not saving money.
The Answer
The answer is places that offer instant loans to help you pay for those unexpected bills, or to just help you get to your next payday. There are places in every state that offer services like these;
- Cash Advances
- Signature Loans
- Title Loans
- Installment Loans
- Auto Equity Loans
- Personal Loans
Some of these programs require a checking account and direct deposit while others don’t even require a checking account. Some will want collateral like a car and many do not even check your credit. Even if your car is not paid off yet you can get an instant loan based on the amount of equity you have in the car and the amount you need.
Instant Gratification
Instant gratification means instant approval and instant cash. These businesses are there to give you the cash you need and they offer it quickly because they know that you are probably in a bind when you contact them. Making you wait for even 5 days would defeat the whole purpose of the service. They’re here to help and to help you fast. Not everyone has the means to save money every month and most people do need a helping hand every once in a while. So the next time you’re going through your bills and you realize you cannot make it to payday just remember all the places around you that are there to get you through the hard times.
Julie Bird is a professional blogger that enjoys providing consumers with personal finance advice. She writes for TitleLoansofSavannah.com, a leading title loan company offering bad credit loans.
Category: Saving Money