Popular Youtuber Lara Jarvis proved to be extremely clever in the way she managed to save up around $25,000 within the short span of a year! Was it a miracle? No! You can do it too! 

Jarvis has a passion for saving, and she showed how healthy saving can lift you toward a better house, car, a luxurious vacation, or even a chance at higher education for you and your loved ones! Sounds great right? 

There are many things that you can try to improve the way you use your monthly budget and squeeze out the most for saving! Here is a quick guide to help you manage your resources more effectively.

Saving starts from somewhere, right? So let’s begin! 

The Five Steps 

When it comes to saving, and saving “big,” it is always a great idea to plan how “big” you intend to save. When starting a project, it is always a great idea to map out your goal before you can come up with effective strategies to achieve it.

Lara Jarvis made use of five simple steps to help her meet the target she had set for herself. The results were amazing! She had saved more than she thought she would.

Here are the five big saving steps explained. 

1. Think for 30 Days 

With the increasing ease of purchasing through online forums and credit cards, buying things has become far easier than it used to be. 

Though this has many benefits, if you’re not careful it can pack a serious punch to your bank balance. To combat the urge to buy, Jarvis uses a delaying technique, and surprisingly it has proved to be effective. 

Every time you see something that you want to buy, just give yourself a moment to pause and ask yourself if you really need it. 

In fact, ask yourself this question every day for the next 30 days. If your answer at the end of the month is still “yes” only then can you allow yourself to purchase the item. 

You might not believe it, but it has been proven that a month of think time is a good way to ward off impulse buying. As Lara says, when it comes to shopping on impulse “often we’re not thinking things through”. By evaluating your needs, you can save money!

2. Plan Your Meals 

You may be surprised to realize how much we spend on food every month. Lara managed to reduce her total food bill by half by carefully planning her daily meals a couple of days in advance. 

Here’s a great read for more ideas on how to meal plan and save below: 

http://www.beingfrugal.net/how-meal-planning-can-save-you-money/

Lara proudly admits that she believes that planning your meals is an important part of budgeting because “it saves you time, it saves you money, it makes you more organized.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTJLVJP27tU

If you’re wondering how to plan your meals, you needn’t worry too much. Planning meals isn’t hard. You simply need to go through the contents of what food items you have at home and see if you can make a dish from what you already have. 

Many people tend to choose what to eat before surveying what ingredients they are missing. This often makes them go pay a visit to the supermarket where it becomes very easy to get carried away by the wave of “wants.”

However, if you feel that you still have to go to the supermarket, it helps if you make a list and buy only what is written on it.

3. Say “No” to Your Card

Having a card within arm’s reach can easily lead to a budgeting disaster. Not only is it a quick and easy way to get what you want, but it also tends to do what Lara describes as “devaluing money”.  

Lara believes that paying with cash seems like a much more serious transaction than those who choose to pay with cards. You consciously count the money before handing it to the cashier while using cash which creates a greater impression on you that you have spent something to get something in return. 

For those who use plastic money, it often feels like they got the thing they bought for “free” because all they needed to do was swipe a card. 

Thus, to increase your overall savings, it is wise to decrease the use of your card. 

4. Remind Yourself of What You Have

This may seem like a no-brainer, but when it comes to budgeting it may help you save a lot. It is important to keep reminding yourself of the things you already possess so that you can avoid buying more things. 

According to Lara, one of the best and most effective ways to remind yourself of the things you own is by keeping them in clear sight. One excellent way of doing this is to take cute pictures of yourself wearing different outfits, especially outfits that make you happy while wearing them. 

This way every time you think that you “have nothing to wear”, all you would have to do is to whip out your phone and swipe through all the cute outfits that you know you have. 

Not only will these pictures help you remember all the outfits you may have forgotten at home, but it might also boost your self-esteem, as do good pictures! It’s a win-win situation! 

5. Remember What It Is All For

Every time the going gets tough, and keep in mind that it will, remember what you are doing this for. You should consciously remind yourself of the importance of devoting every single day of the whole year to achieve your big goal. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXbOKZp4UIc

Ask yourself what you plan to do with the money you would have saved, and constantly uplift your mood and spirits by reminding yourself of what you’re budgeting for. 

Lara said, “Know you are why, write it down, always look at it and congratulate yourself.” 

Saving brings with it a kind of hope. Not many people budget for the sake of it, there is usually a greater plan. But the year is long, no doubt about that. Often people think that budgeting over a longer period is hard, and they’re not wrong.

With budgeting comes the idea of curbing your recreational activities, especially those that are costly. To save more effectively would mean to avoid going out frequently for dinners, or even stop yourself from spending too much on expensive clothes and luxury items. This might make you feel frustrated and annoyed at times. 

When it comes to these feelings, you must stay positive throughout your journey. It is important to consider each day you budget as a minor victory that is a stepping stone to bring you closer to your main goal. 

Lara was firm in her opinion that it is essential to “Celebrate the little wins along the way”, while also constantly reminding yourself of the bigger picture. 

Conclusion 

The process of saving up and staying within a budget has many perks, and the larger picture is bright. Lara Jarvis is living proof that even with two kids in tow she managed to save enough to have a whopping sum of $25,000 at the end of the year. This just proves that hard work and dedication pay off.

Budgeting can be made more enjoyable if you do it with friends. Surrounding yourself with a positive and persistent support circle can help you stay focused and persistent in maintaining your goal to save throughout the year. 

I hope this helps you plan out the perfect budget! Happy saving!