With each passing day, we get involved with recurring expenses that, if not tamed, could harm our financial stability. Many people do not know how to control themselves when it comes to underindulging themselves of some recurring expenses especially one they could live without. Imagine recurring expenses like treats or snacks, there are sometimes we know we don't need another snack, the temptation is strong and before you know it, you give in.
Same thing with some expenses that keep coming back regularly, and even if we could live or do without them, controlling the urge becomes a tough one. It's like saying no to an extra treat; we know it's better for us, but it's hard to resist. So, for these expenses, it is a matter of recognising what we truly need versus what we want and cultivating the act of discipline to cut back on the things we could live without.
In this year, I have outlined some recurring expenses that have journeyed with me all through last year and because I am being intentional about my financial stability this year, it's important to strike a balance while saving more money for other important things.
Recharge card
The truth is that I can live without recharging my phone for a while. The reason is that sometimes I wonder why I even carry my phone around when no one would call me. Most calls I make are done on WhatsApp, either through audio or video. When I want to recharge my phone, I load nothing less than a thousand naira and because I see such an amount on my phone, I start to make unnecessary calls which on a norm, I shouldn't.
Even if I don't recharge my line for a month, as long as I have WhatsApp, I am good to go. The only thing that may bother me is calling my dad or other family members and this, they do themselves instead of me calling them as all the time, we chat on WhatsApp. Perhaps I should only reduce it by loading just a small amount of money on it while I leave it there till only God knows when it would finish or for emergencies.
Spotify subscription
Since I started listening to music through Spotify, I have enjoyed the service most when I subscribe. If I don't subscribe, I am limited to songs that I listen to and I hate the idea of listening to music and when it ends, ads start to pop up before the next song plays. Without a subscription, I cannot next a song or choose the one I like without first waiting for ads to finish and it irks me. This is the reason I subscribe with #900 monthly. I stopped subscribing to it in August last year and only settled for the limited version of it. At least I was able to cope and live without subscribing to it not until I saw an opportunity to subscribe in November and it would last me till March before I start to subscribe to it monthly again. I saw that as a big opportunity and a way to save money and I know once this subscription ends, I won't be subscribing but continue to manage what I am given.
At least I can live without a subscription, only that I won't enjoy listening to music as I want and to my satisfaction. Although Spotify is so good and cool for different kinds of music I want, even searching for evergreen songs, but I can do this on YouTube while I download songs I may like on my phone while listening on the go.
Bottled water
I started buying Cway water in the year 2022 when I had typhoid twice that year, it was as a result of the kind of water I was drinking including sachet water. My sister advised that I start drinking Cway water because it's safe and purified. Ever since I began drinking the water, though it's better for my health as I never had typhoid, yet the amount it takes from me monthly was something else. When the year 2022 ended and I calculated the expenses for the water alone, I knew a big chunk had fallen from me. Still, I continued with it as I had no other choice. It was towards the end of last year when I couldn't get the cway from the supermarkets I visits often, I started buying packs of bottled water; there are 12 bottles in a pack but I realised it finishes within 3 days and I am off to buy another pack. A pack costs #1200 in my area and buying more than 4 of it in a month is a lot of money.
But this year, things are changing.
Oh yes, I have decided to start filtering my water and saving my money for other things. I can do without bottled or cway water as I can start boiling my water and filtering it, that also is safe and would protect me from sickness. The only time I can buy bottled water is when I go out or travel to another place except I am assured that the water is clean enough to drink. With this, I won't be spending my money on buying water every week or month when I could get free water, boil and filter it.
This year, I have decided to deal with these recurring expenses as I can do without them while also balancing things even if I still need to go back to doing them but it would be a 'once in a while' thing and not every time as before.
All images are mine
Thanks for your time on my blog.
