Do you have a daily routine? How about a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly routine? As a devout “planner” and over-scheduler, I’d answer yes to all of the above. (Seriously people, you should see my calendar. It has some crazy stuff on it, like “take trash to the curb” as a recurring event every Wednesday morning, and “change linens” so I don’t forget to put out new towels and sheets on a regular basis. Crazy, I know!)
Personally, I love having a routine. It helps me make sure I get everything done when it’s supposed to be done. While I do like to do things out of the norm every now and then, I’m still very much of a planner and not very spontaneous. For example, last night I went to see a long-awaited movie with a friend of mine. Even though seeing a movie is out of my routine, I still planned for this event about a week ahead of time so I could schedule it and get the rest of my routine items done too.
Living with a routine may not sound very exciting, but whether or not you have one can have a huge impact on you financially.
How exactly can living with a routine affect your finances? I’m glad you asked.
Spending More
-Autopilot. Having a routine is putting your finances on autopilot. In some cases having your finances on autopilot can be a good thing, mostly if you’ve already reduced your budget to only include the bare minimums and are putting the rest of your income toward your financial goals. But if you are in any other financial situation, putting your finances on autopilot is probably a bad thing. As J$ revealed, challenging everything is a great way to save some more money even after you think you’ve already got your budget cut to only the necessities.
-Bad Habits. Similarly, if you have bad recurring financial habits that are costing you loads of money every month, sticking to that routine can be quite costly. For instance, I have a terrible habit of going out to eat nearly every Thursday night. If I stick to that routine, it will continue to cost me money each week.
Spending Less
-No Surprises. Not having any surprises may not sound fun to you, but I actually don’t like surprises very much. (Too much of a control freak maybe?!) Surprises usually end up costing you money that your normal routine wouldn’t have. Without surprises you won’t have to worry about being unprepared, and we all know that being unprepared can be a BIG money suck.
-Shopping Around. If you live by a routine and schedule things in advance, you’ll have to shop around for any large purchases or events you have coming up. They may not be part of your everyday routine, but if they are planned in advance you’ll have more time to find the best prices or deals.
Are you a routine and schedule Nazi freak person like I am? Do you find that having a routine helps or hurts you financially? What other ways can you think of that having a routine can affect your finances? Spill it!
