If you’re not a budgeter, you have plenty of reasons to become one, not the least of which is the opportunity to see very clearly where your money goes every month. You might be surprised to find out how much you spend on certain items on a regular basis – and it’s a great way to see where you can cut back or redirect some funds.
Creating a personal budget is one of the best ways to make your money stretch further, because you know exactly where it’s going.
For instance, once you see the specifics of how your money gets spent, you’ll be surprised how easily you spend $15 here or there. That might seem like an insignificant amount, but you could be putting it toward something that will be far more useful. Using a personal monthly budget form can help you get organized easily – you’ll find a number of examples online or built into software you might already have on your computer.
So, what can you typically get for $15 a month?
* A pizza
* Two or three beers at a restaurant
* Depending on prices at the pump, about five gallons of gas
* A text message plan
* DVD rental delivery service
* About an album’s worth of downloaded music
Some of those items are indulgences, some are necessities, but only one can protect you and your belongings. If the home or apartment you rent had a fire or suffered extensive smoke or water damage, your landlord’s insurance policy likely won’t pay to replace any of your belongings. That’s up to you. A renter’s insurance policy can help protect your personal property from fire damage, theft, and vandalism while also providing liability protection for your visitors and guests.
With renter’s insurance rates being quite low it can be a good thing to add to your monthly budget. With that small expenditure, you can protect all your belongings, the total value of which could easily be in the tens of thousands of dollars. You can often find renter’s insurance quotes offered online, or you can consult with an agency near you, typically for free. Of all the things on which you spend $15 per month, renter’s insurance might just be the smartest buy.
