Till not long ago we would complain of being unable to save but now the question is how to manage the month. Since Covid 19, most of us are experiencing a slash in income and high prices.

Monthly dues that need to be settled without a second thought, school fees, rent, utility bills etc. gave me sleepless nights thinking of how and where to cut down. After a lot of contemplation, I thought of a few changes and small investments which I implemented almost 2 years ago and I am glad I did.

The changes I am sharing start with me. These are neither rocket science nor something out of the box; the only trick is implementing and being steadfast.

Grow Your Own Food

The most frequently used items in a desi kitchen are ginger, garlic, green chillies, curry leaves, lemon, coriander, and mint. These are also relatively more expensive than veggies. Another problem is that these items rot very quickly so it’s difficult to store them.

To lower the cost of daily sabzi my first step was to make space on the balcony. Then on the way to pick up kids from school, I bought coriander, mint, green chillies and lemon grass, aloe vera, and curry leaves in small pots. Even small plants work well because with these plants you don’t have to wait for the fruit. You can just pluck the leaves and use them. Lemongrass saves you from buying green tea, mint tea is also good.  My 10-year-old son’s job is to collect all the half-filled water bottles from everyone’s room and water the plants.

Save on Salon Trips

Another money-saving tactic I have adopted is cutting down on my salon trips. I invested in a hot wax machine for my facial hair. This is a real lifesaver, I don’t have to go, and spend money fuel, and time. Now I do it whenever I want to.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             The aloe vera plant gives an unlimited supply of hair masks and face-soothing gel after waxing. I’m not saying I do every salon service at home myself but there is some saving happening also I look neater all the time. Another good buy is the jade roller. Apply cold aloe vera gel on your face and massage with the jade roller. It is so relaxing and improves skin quality. My face is now taken care of.

Get Energy Efficient

Fuel is another big expense.To save here, I make sure that I do most of the running around during the weekdays. Plan your visits and try to manage maximum work on the way. Like when I go to get my car serviced I get the monthly ration from a wholesale market on the way.

Did you know the electricity peak hours?  Yes from 6:00 pm to 10 pm. Electricity rates are higher at this time.  By this time most of us are home. We have made these peak hours our family time. We gather in one room and switch off all the light and fans and sometimes the fridge as well. During these 4 hours, we do our school HW, make projects, have dinner, talk and do colouring.

It’s so interesting that I started this journey in the quest to save money but somehow I came closer to my family.  Now we all work towards it. As you go step into this you will automatically come up with many many more ways.