There are over 27 million people in the United States who work on a part-time basis. Everyone has their own reasons for this—many not by choice.
If you’re a part-time worker, you need to make an extra effort to save money. These are some money-saving tips for part-time workers.
Be Honest About Your Financial Situation
You’re going to find yourself in trouble if you’re not honest about your financial situation.
There are a lot of reasons why people work part-time as opposed to full-time. Maybe you’re a student, or in the process of finding a different job.
Regardless of the circumstances, you probably can’t afford to live alone or splurge often, with only a part-time job.
There are, of course, exceptions, when people make a high hourly wage while only working 20 or 25 hours per week. But the point still stands – you need to be upfront with yourself about your spending limits.
Learn How to Budget
Budgeting is a good idea for everyone. It’s all the more pressing for people who’re working part time.
There are a few reasons for this. A lot of part-time jobs have variable hours, which means fluctuating income. You can’t live the same way if you make half as much one week versus another. Therefore, you need to take extra precautions when budgeting your money.
This is one of the greatest money saving tips for people who work part-time: Use a budgeting app.
There are a few options available; but not all of them are of the same quality.
Clarity Money is a top choice for people who’re working part-time for several reasons. For starters, this is a free app. So, you won’t have to worry about more money going out the door just to keep track of your finances.
There are a few more features that make it super desirable, such as integrated income and expense tracking.
The app even keeps tabs on all your subscriptions and suggests when you should cancel ones you’re not using. That’s hugely beneficial information for people trying to operate on a lean budget.
Plus, you can set various automated saving schedules. This means a certain amount of your paycheck will go directly into a dedicated savings account. You can seamlessly build savings without even realizing it.
Read also: Adopt These 8 Healthy Money Habits for Financial Success
Find Some Ways to Cut Expenses
No one wants to cut out the things they enjoy in life. But this is sometimes necessary when you need to save money while working part time.
There are probably some ways you can reduce expenses, while also improving your quality of life.
Do you smoke cigarettes? Stop. This can potentially save you thousands of dollars per year if you smoke regularly.
How about drinking? Spending five or 10 dollars per week on booze might not seem significant. But consider how much that cost you over the course of a year.
Not to mention, you probably decide to make other purchases when you’re drinking that further eat into your savings.
Seek Other Ways to Make Money
If you’ve already done everything you can to reduce how much you spend, it’s time to find other ways to make money.
One of the benefits of working a part-time job is it allows you to pursue other things. Consider taking another part-time gig.
Think about your potential reward versus time invested. Even if a job doesn’t offer many hours, it can be beneficial if it offers a decent hourly pay.
Selling some of your items is another way to make money. You obviously don’t need to part with all your worldly possessions.
There are, however, probably things you’re not using often enough to justify having them. Getting rid of these can help you generate some liquid cash, while also simplifying your life.
Saving is difficult. This is especially the case when you don’t have a steady income. People working part-time need to take care in ensuring they can meet their savings goals. Even though it’s hard, there are ways to do it.