Spend the Weekend on Budget

With weekend round the corner, a silent sigh of relief escapes my soul.

It is often a topic of discussion how the monthly budget slips the most over the weekend. Whatever be your weekend mantra (shopping, movies, eating out, all of it), the weekend is when the consumer contributes most to the country's economy.

There are some fateful weekends which we wish to keep subtle. When we do not want our bank balance to shrink, and still feel recuperated for the coming week in office.

Here is my list of things that you can take up for a weekend-like-that.

• Check the newspaper for television listings and catch up on stuff playing on the television ( I am personally a movie marathons person, thanks to the new age time-shift television)

• Pick a hobby - something you can do on a recurring basis, and needs little investment, like photography, gardening, cooking or dancing.

• Organize (or clean) those corners the neglected areas in your home - these are usually the ones which belong to no one in particular and are not in everyday sight. Like the storage cupboard.

• Give your maid an off, and cook. Cooking gratifies instantly, and your family is going to love you. If not, you can kiss your own hands. 

• Volunteer for something you feel deeply for. Teaching your domestic helps' children can make a big difference to their lives.

• Shine yourself, and do some beauty rituals at home - read more about it here.

Shrink your Salon Spend

• Follow the 90 day rule - yes, a gap of 45 days between two haircuts is considered the best, but you will be glad to know that our hair can manage without crying out loud for up to 90 days. 

• Scrub your own back - smash about three walnuts into fine powder, and mix it up in leftover cream. Add to it few drops of rose water (for your nasal delight), some honey and whip up a home made body scrub. 

• Curate your limbs - with that bottle of shampoo you bought to try but did not turn out so great. If you do not have that, cut up two sachets of shampoo in tub full of warm-to-your-taste water and dip your limbs in. You can get rid of the dead skin and mend those cuticles while enjoying your favorite television show in the comfort of your home. Use cold cream from last winter for massage, and finish off with nail paint. Some great choices are listed here.

• Bleach yourself - while it is way easier to get yourself bleached amidst other rituals, getting the same brand of bleach home from your pharmacist, and doing it yourself is about one fifth the cost, may be lesser. We must not ignore that four out of five parts as application fees is a pretty large chunk. 

• Soothe your eyes - with the changing lifestyles, most parlors have come up with eye soothing packs. You can handle your own eyes effortlessly yourself. Read more about it in another post.

Basic Budgeting Tips

• Know your MUST-DO expenses

• Learn to cook as outside food is unhealthy and expensive

• Never leave home without a bottle of water

• Periodically take the public transport like may be once a week

• Shopping sabbaticals that last a month are good to do twice a year. I usually do mine when fresh back from a vacation.

• Trim the frills by going online for journals, books, periodicals and movies

Shrink your Mobile Bill

• Subscribe to pay per second plan
• Choose a common operator for numbers you call most often (family, friends, coworkers) - check to see if your workplace has a CUG
• Activate GPRS to be more connected and save on texts
• Special numbers are a BIG NO, specially the ones that predict your future
• Analyze usage periodically (every quarter, may be), and adjust your plan
• Calling cards are Very cost efficient when calling long distance