Money Talks Monday (1/29/18)

Two essential, and often forgotten, aspects of saving money are strong time management and excellent travel planning. According to a recent study by the School of Business and Economics and George Washington University, the average person wastes $54.06 each month simply running errands. How can you avoid this and save money? Time management and travel planning, of course. Think back over the errands you ran last week. Where did you have to go? When did you have to go? Of those errands, how many had a due date? What time did you set aside to run your errands?

Time management is the first step. Look at your schedule and find a time each week that allows you to run your regular errands. Once you have set aside this time, look at all the places you have to go and where they are in relation to your starting point.

Here's a sample:

I have to go to the grocery store, pharmacy, library, dry cleaners, salon, and gym. From my apartment, the library is the farthest point; and the library already has a due date. I make my trips to the library on the same day each week to ensure everything I have checked out is returned on time. When I run errands, the library is my first stop so when I leave, each stop is on my way home. From the library, the gym is the first stop on the way back home. After the gym I can run through the drive-thru at the pharmacy. Keep in mind it saves gas, if the line is not too long, to idle through the drive-thru than stop and restart the car. Next, through the drive-thru at the dry cleaners to pick up what I dropped off the week before and drop off what needs cleaning this week; I idled through this drive-thru as well. The grocery store is almost back home, but since I know I will have to stop at the salon last, I keep a cooler in my car and throw in a couple of ice packs before I leave. Once I leave the store, I end my errands at the salon before returning home.

Setting aside time prevents stress which causes wear and tear on your body. Proper travel planning makes your trips fuel efficient and prevents extra wear and tear on your car. As we all know, something always comes up during the rest of the week though. Something has to go to the post office, you run out of something, or for an evening off you decide to RedBox a movie with friends. When those things happen, quickly look at what else you can do, pickup, or return on your way to do that one-off errand. Can you stop at the post office on the way home from the gym? You have to run to the store for a case of water. Can you do that at the same time you go to the Post Office. You decide to pick up a movie. Can you do that on your way home from work or class? Always look for ways to get multiple uses out of every car trip, no matter how near or far you are going. And, most importantly, make a weekly errand time and route. You will quickly see your trips to the gas pump come less frequently. That's this week's Money Talks Monday...visit me again next Monday and we'll talk money! #MissAmericaServes #NC #MoneyTalksMonday #MissMetrolina2018