Pretty ProgressiveIf you have been paying attention to the financial news lately, you already know about the current round of inflation. It has been quite a while since workers, business owners, and others have had to deal with rising prices and an overall increase in the cost of living. But the good news is that there are several excellent ways to fight rising prices and retain all or most of your spending power. There is no need to let the pernicious creature called inflation downgrade the lifestyle you have worked so hard to achieve. Here are a few of the most powerful ways of offsetting its common effects.
Lower Your Monthly Expenses
One of the best ways to engage in battle against rising prices is to chop the fat out of your current budget. For example, if you are paying on an education loan, chances are you can save a lot just by refinancing the obligation through a private lender. There are all sorts of advantages to this strategy. For starters, when you explore your possibilities, you could discover that a refi with a private lender means much better terms, lower monthly payments, and a more realistic way of repaying the debt. See how much you can reduce cash outflow, and see if it means a lower rate as well, which is another way many working adults save when they refinance a school loan.
Do a Budget Overhaul
In addition to finding ways to reduce expenses, a budget re-do will help you take a fresh look at what sorts of things you spend on and can assist with resetting priorities. For instance, as higher costs loom over the economy, now could be a good time to eliminate multiple restaurant visits, fast food consumption, and random cafe purchases throughout the month. There is no need to get drastic, so remember to allow for leisure, fun, and occasional nights out. The point is to limit them within reason and focus on saving more than you have been.
Consider Investing in Hard Assets
Some people find that investing in hard assets, rather than keeping all their savings in low-interest bank accounts, is a smart workaround to the inflation dilemma. That’s because non-monetary assets, like real estate, precious metals, collectible art, and fine wine collections, tend to increase in price along with everything else. A common example of this phenomenon would be a savings account with $10,000 in it might be worth just $9,000 after a few years of high inflationary effects. But, that same $10,000 invested in real estate or gold could appreciate enough to offset inflation and deliver a return on the investment. Of course, there are no guarantees, and the metal or real estate could decrease in value, but many working adults turn to hard assets when the economy turns sour.
Shop Smart
Hunting for bargains and discounts can make a big difference, especially for families with small children. Simple things like joining a wholesale club for grocery and fuel purchases can reduce monthly household expenses by several thousand dollars per year. Also consider buying gently used products vs new when applicable. There are new social shopping platforms today that make it easy to change the way you shop for clothing and other secondhand items. That is a nice start in your battle against inflationary effects.
