In times of economic hardship, many people are forced to cut back on their expenses and live more frugally. This transition can be difficult for many people, but fortunately it’s possible to live on a budget without severely sacrificing the quality of life. Let’s talk about some tips on living frugally while also affording all the things autism.
Write Down Your Expenses
The first thing to do when adopting a frugal lifestyle is to first make a list of your monthly expenses and see where all of your money is actually going. Start with writing down expenses that are pretty much set in stone. These would include things like rent, utilities, car payment, therapy copays, medication, special food, etc.
Next, write down expenses that are more flexible like food and entertainment. Once you have all the numbers figured out, you can decide on which areas you could cut back on.
Learn The Difference Between Needs and Wants
To really live frugally requires you to separate the things you truly need from what isn’t really necessary. Eating out at restaurants is great but it’s inherently cheaper to eat at home. Only doing therapy at a center is nice but doing it at home will get you better results in a shorter amount of time.
Basically you need to prioritize your expenses then start eliminating superfluous items that you could possibly do without or make do with less. Making these decisions is however up to each individual/family.
Money Saving Ideas
Here are some things anyone can do to immediately cut back on costs. You can use the money saved to pay off bills, work less, save money or bump up therapy options.
* Stop consuming on impulse. This is where a lot of people get into trouble and where much money can be saved. Stop and think it through the next time you see something that seems nice but is going to get you into debt.
* Cook at home. This is a big money saver because eating out frequently (even fast food) really adds up fast. This one is easiest for my family because there are very few gluten free restaurants especially fast food.
* Buy used items. Between thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales, Facebook Marketplace and eBay, there are a multitude of avenues available for buying quality used products for much cheaper than their normal retail value.
* Cheap entertainment is another big money saver. Consider activities like hiking, camping, reading books from the library, spending time with friends or family or go at less visited times.
* Go to sensory friendly events. This can save you money as it sets you up for success from the beginning. You are far less likely to need to leave thus wasting your money. If there isn’t a sensory friendly time, don’t go.
Living frugally might seem difficult at first, but some careful self analysis and discipline can get you on the right track in a hurry. Implementing a budget and seeing tangible results usually happens for most people in 2 to 3 months. Just stay on track and give yourself grace when you mess up. It happens to all of us.
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