It can be said that the lockdown has definitely changed our daily routines and now we all have to embrace the new norms with positive mindsets and attitudes. Thus, we will be spending more time at home and less on going out. So, what we can do then to ensure that we can manage our money well during the Covid-19 lockdown?

Despite of the obstacles that we need to confront, there can be some good ways that we can do with our money throughout these uncertain times. Let’s check out these easy tips to manage our money and how to put our money to good use while on lockdown, and in this way, we can have a more sustainable and secure financial future.

1. Make a budget

If we think we haven’t started creating a budget by now, this is the time that we should make one amidst these uncertain intervals. It is vital for all of us to track our income and plan as well as manage our expenses regularly. There are many methods that we can choose to start a budget. We can always use a spreadsheet to do things manually or even use budgeting apps that can help us to manage our expenses and finances. The key is to choose the suitable method that can suit our financial goals and assist us to track our expenses effectively whenever we need it.

2. Do your online shopping smartly

With various websites and apps that offer us with great prices on necessities and different items, we may tend to buy unwanted things. Hence, what we can do is that we should list out the items first before searching them online. Try to find the affordable price that we can get in a couple of clicks. This is because it is certainly easy to shop around for the best price and quality ones when we are doing it online. Some online shops and platforms also enable us to earn a cash back and coupons on our purchases. We just need to grab these beneficial offers to start saving and to avoid ourselves from frivolous spending.

3. Upsurge your savings

We surely need to put aside a month a certain amount of money, if we truly want to diminish our financial stress in the time of quarantine. It can be RM50, RM100 or more – will vary based on our monthly income and living expenses. No matter how much the amount that we are trying to save for our financial goals, just keep it up doing it monthly. This actually reflects that we have done a great effort to attain those goals. Perhaps, we can have a nice treat for ourselves and families after lockdown has been lifted later.

4. Constantly prepare your emergency fund

By constantly contribute to our emergency fund, this easy tip can help us to reduce the burden of unexpected events in our lives, especially today we all need to concern about our health and safety during this pandemic. Being prepared for any emergencies is very crucial so that we don’t have to end up feeling worried and regret for not starting our emergency fund in the first place.

5. Find possible ways to save money at home

Since we will not be headed to the salon any time during the lockdown, we need to look for ways to cut and trim our hair at home. We can always search for some videos for the current haircut trends and guide our way with the scissors. Other than that, we can also plan our meals ahead to help us prepare and buy the groceries efficiently. In fact, we can still shop for food, groceries, personal care and many more – we just name and get them from our favourite stores via delivery services. However, we need to make use of these convenient apps prudently. It is really important for us to resist the urge to splurge on unwanted items.

Moreover, another way to save our money during the lockdown is that we need to keep our energy usage low since we are at home 24/7. Don’t forget to unplug electronics and turn off the lights, fan or air conditioner after using them. These actions can add up to savings on our monthly energy bill. Suffice to say, we need to always find ways to save and manage our money at home amid this lockdown period.

In these times of uncertainty, managing and taking control of our finances indeed can give us peace of mind and wonderful rewards at the end of the day. Most importantly, we need to manage our finances carefully. By applying these simple ways, at least we are doing our very best to save and manage our finance although we are on lockdown. Stay safe, stay positive and stay strong everyone!