New Year’s resolutions are always made with the best of intentions. But have you ever stopped to think about how they can affect your bank account? Some resolutions can become very expensive, but there are easy ways to keep your resolutions without blowing your budget.
How to Plan Your Budget Around New Year’s Resolutions
Exercise More
A lot of us resolve to exercise more each year, but this popular resolution can cost more than we may initially think. Purchasing new workout clothes, shoes, and gym bag can cost over $100 all together. The biggest expense for this New Year’s resolution, the gym membership, averages around $49 a month, making this a big chunk of your monthly budget.
Helpful Money Saving Tips:
Friends and Family Discount
If you have a friend that already has a membership to a gym you’d like to join, check to see if that establishment offers a Friend and Family Discount. This way, you can usually save around 15% or avoid a signing fee. As an added bonus, your friend may get a little extra cash, too.
Online Subscriptions
Because part of your membership fees aren’t having to help pay for the upkeep of a facility, online subscriptions are generally cheaper than if you were to become a member at a brick and mortar gym. Services like barre3 have memberships starting at just $25/month for unlimited classes you can stream on your computer.
Free Videos
There are also plenty of free workout videos you can find on YouTube. Yes, you will have to sit through a commercial or two, but this outlet is full of knowledgeable professionals. Channels like Yoga with Adriene release new videos every week and are hosted by helpful trainers who have years of experience.
Start a New Hobby
While some of us can just pick up a new hobby and run with it, most of us need instruction when we’re first starting out. Though the expert help is greatly needed, it can also become expensive.
For example, hiring a private tutor to help you learn a new language can cost around $60/hour. If you’d like to learn watercolors, a class at your local parks and recreation center can cost around $50.
Helpful Tips to Save Money:
Online Subscription
Platforms like Skillshare offer just about any class you can imagine. You can find classes that will teach you how to correctly chop herbs, or take better pictures on your iPhone, or even HTML coding. These platforms offer subscriptions for as little as $8/month.
Free Videos
Just as you can find plenty of free exercise videos on YouTube, there’s also no end to the amount of crafting and hobby videos. If you’re not exactly sure what you’d like to make next, crafty channels like The House that Lars Built teach you a little about everything.
Borrow Supplies from Friend
If you want to pick up painting, but you’ve never actually tried it before, it may be a good idea to borrow some supplies from a friend. This way you can try out the hobby without first making a financial commitment. If you like it, pick up some acrylics and brushes of your own. If you discover painting isn’t for you, simply return the borrowed supplies and continue on your path to finding the hobby that is right for you.
Take Advantage of a Great Deal with an Easy Cash Advance
A lot of gyms and subscription services take advantage of the New Year’s resolution fervor and offer deals this time of year. If there is a great deal you want to take advantage of before you get your next paycheck, consider getting an easy cash advance from Cash Fast.
In just 15 minutes, you can get the cash you need to purchase that super discounted rowing machine or take advantage of a BOGO deal at the arts and crafts supply shop. Give us a call today to see what we can do for you.