Making Your Income Go Further

One thing that many people forget is that money doesn’t make us wealthy; knowledge does.  If you’re on minimum wage or a low-paying salary and are struggling to make ends meet, or finding it a challenge to afford any of life’s little luxuries, you might need to think about how you can be smarter with your money.  Although many experts will keep repeating obvious things like ‘spend less money’, sometimes, you literally can’t spend less money to maintain a sustainable lifestyle, so what is the answer?  I’ve got some advice that could potentially save your finances and improve your quality of life.

Running Shoes    

It might seem counter intuitive because running shoes are necessarily expensive, but switching out your monthly gym membership for a one-time payment for running shoes and a pair of shorts will make you far better off in the long run.  There aren’t just financial benefits to swapping your indoor exercise routine for an indoor one.  Running outside, for example, burns more calories per mile than running on a treadmill does.

Similarly, you’ll also get more exercise into any given time because you won’t need to ‘get to the gym’ before you begin your exercise.  Most cities are now doing all they can to facilitate outdoor physical exercise, with so-called outdoor gyms in most council parks and next to playgrounds so that health-conscious people can do pull ups and other essential exercises for free in the great outdoors.

I picked these beauties up from Skechers, and am in love. Not only are they the perfect shade of pink, but they have memory foam cushioned custom-fit comfort insole, flexSole lightweight shock absorbing flexible midsole design,super flexible articulated traction outsole, BUT they also have a 1/2 inch built in heel. Needless to say it was a worthwhile investment as I’ve been running at the indoor 3-4 times a week now.  Goes to show, that investing something simple is more than worth it.

Entertainment and Leisure

Your leisure time is precious, but it’s also the time you spend your hard-earned money. Therefore, when you’re on a tight budget but in a position where you don’t want to give up your precious leisure activities, you should take steps to make them more budget-appropriate.  If you enjoy eating out, for example, go to places that uphold a bring-your-own-alcohol policy, as usually, the drinks are the most expensive part of the meal.

If you’re deep into your TV love like I am, consider switching your expensive satellite TV package for internet-based streaming packages such as Netflix or Amazon Instant Video.  If you couldn’t live without music, embrace the digital age.  Most bands and artists stream their albums on sites like the Guardian’s Music page before they even release them officially; allowing avid fans to get an early listen.  Creative ideas like this mean you don’t necessarily need to buy music again, though if you do, subscription services like Spotify give you access to everything you’ll ever need.

Investing in Things You Believe In

The word investment might conjure up thoughts of millionaire business people, but in the 21^st century, anybody can be an investor.  Commodities markets, such as the art market, are perfect for first-time investors.  You might also try the property market if you have enough money for a second mortgage, as the property market is about to sky rocket.  Finally, if you’re adventurous and technically-minded, you might consider looking into investing in the foreign exchange market as there’s a low barrier to entry thanks to social features of trading platforms like MT4 and MT5 by Alpari.  If you’re ever confused or want to learn more, simply ask other more experienced traders what they’d do.

Ultimately, there are a number of smart ways to maximise your minimum wage income.  So help yourself and make your wages go further.