Moving From WFH to City Life? Here are 5 Smart Cost-Cutting Hacks to Save Money

The COVID pandemic's work-from-home rule has been a blessing for many, but post pandemic most of the organizations are removing that WFH rule and calling back the employees to work from the office. Hence, you will need some smart cost-cutting hacks to save money and minimize your city life expenses.

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From managing travel costs to finding new accommodation, almost every phase needs a huge investment. 

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It may seem rocket science for some of us, but it's not. To make your transition to city life seamless, we have created a comprehensive list of financial hacks that will help you optimize your payslip while cutting unnecessary costs.

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1. Start with budget preparation

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Whenever you encounter a huge change in your lifestyle, it's no surprise that your expenses and earnings will also transform. 

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Yes, the level of transformation may differ from one person to another, but it is inevitable.

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Now that WFH is no longer an option, it's time for you to assess how your cash flows will change.

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The salary will remain the same, but the work-from-home allowances you used to receive every month may not be applicable anymore. 

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Expenses will increase in terms of rental charges, food, travel, and so on.

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Therefore, you need to prepare a budget to ensure the reduction in take-home salary does not significantly impact your life. 

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Moreover, we don't know if the pandemic will relapse once again. So, you must have an emergency fund to tackle any adverse situation again. 

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2. Plan to make more investments

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Investment is one of the most realistic money-saving hacks that everyone must concentrate on.

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If you want to live your life how you want, even after moving back to city life, you need to use your salary in a planned way. 

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No matter how much you earn every month, always take at least 10% to 20% out of the pay slip and invest smartly. Let the money work itself and grow.

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Life and health insurance are two of the best investments you shouldn't ignore. 

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You can go for a PPF account where the returns are pretty high. Apart from this, you can also invest in trading channels, stocks, and crypto-currencies. 

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Alternatively, if setting aside a major chunk of money for investment sounds daunting, you can save money daily in small amounts.

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Jar app can help you do that. It is a one-of-a-kind micro-savings app that works like a digital piggy bank. 

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The app allows you to choose an amount you're comfortable stashing away each month or daily.

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You can go as low as Rs.10/day or up to Rs.5000/month; the choice to save as per your saving limit rests on you. 

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The best part, you're investing your money in digital gold. Read our blog to know how the Jar app can make money for you.

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To save money and optimize your paycheck, you may have to cut down on your expenses, miss some parties, or bail out on weekend plans. 

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But after a couple of months or years, you can easily withdraw double the amount you invested in the first place, if not more.

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After all, investment is the best way to save money and get lucrative returns.

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3. Separate the accounts

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To increase your savings, you should strategically maintain your bank accounts. Your salary gets credited to the salary account.

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If you consider the same bank account as your expense one for every month, you won't be able to keep track of the earnings, investments, and costs. 

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So, maintain separate bank accounts for monthly expenses, investments for tour plans, investments for studies, and so on. 

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Alternatively, you can invest in mutual funds in SIP format per your budget.

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This way, you won't overspend the funds, save diligently, easily track the cash flows, and you'll get higher returns.

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4. Do not fall into the debt trap

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Life after pandemic is not easy. With the uncertainty still lingering in the air and the rising cases of covid in several countries, the future is unexpected. 

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Therefore, you must prepare yourself financially to face any such crisis if a situation arises.

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And one of the best ways to save yourself is by avoiding debts at all costs. 

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If you already have debts piling up, repay them as soon as possible to improve your credit score. Reduce your dependency on credit cards. 

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If you exhaust your funds at the beginning of the month, managing the finances will become very different.

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Therefore, you should focus on remaining debt-free for as long as possible. This will help you save more money than you can comprehend.

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To begin with, you won't have to pay the late payment interests on EMIs. Secondly, there will be no legal penalty against your name.

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So, the chances of spending money unnecessarily will get reduced, ensuring maximum savings at the end of the month.

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5. Establish a balance between cash flows

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One of the best ways to cost savings for employees is to establish a balance between your cash inflow and outflow. 

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If the expenses increase by one or two thousand, you must replenish your savings with the same amount immediately or in the next month.

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Remember to avoid frivolous spending and save the rest.

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This way, your savings account won't get depleted, and you can still live your life easier. No doubt, financial balance is hard to achieve. 

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But with proper guidance, reaching that milestone won't be a hassle anymore.

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All you need to do is maintain the savings account balance at the same level or increase, even when you withdraw funds from the same. 

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Only then can you save more money and start working from the office again after two years of the pandemic without feeling the financial strain. 

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Conclusion 

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Although many people consider pre-covid and post-covid life to be the same, they aren't.

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Life after this deadly pandemic is more challenging than ever. 

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Limit your expenses to what is necessary and develop the habit of saving money daily.

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If your paycheck is small, opt for freelancing or part-time jobs to earn extra money. 

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Remember, planning is the only way to maximize your savings and maintain a comfortable lifestyle without spending too much.

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We hope these money-saving tips were helpful.