5 ways to hack your budget between jobs

5 ways to hack your budget between jobs5 ways to hack your budget between jobsBetween jobs and struggling to make it by with regular lifestyle choices? Until a hiring manager calls with good news, you need to make a few cuts, but you want to do more than survive.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreYou want to thrive Here are five ways to hack your budget between jobs and save money.1. Cut the Cord and Keep Tube TimeYou may have given up on your New Years resolutions by now, but you can cut back on other bills in your life. Start small. Cut the cord altogether, and keep your tube time intact.Consider casting TV shows from your smartphone to the big screen via Google Chrome, Roku or a similar device if youre the type that just needs noise in the background and loves old shows. Channels such as HBO and NBC have apps available but offer a monthly fee at much less monthly. YouTube lets y ou stream some content for free, especially if you love cat videos and keeping up with favorite vloggers.Youve heard of Netflix, which is great, but there are more options to pick and choose from - even combine to get the TV experience you want for less.You can still access live TVwhen you cut the cord, with streaming subscription services such asSlingstarts at $20 and goes up, depending on the package, and you can customize your package with add-ons for Spanish language channels and sports.Hulubegins at $40 a month for 55 channels that include varying major networks, such as NBC, FOX and CBS.PlayStation Vuestarter packages offer 45 channels with Access/Access Slim $40/$30 per month with up to five continuous streams allowed at once.2. Hack Home and Living ExpensesIdeally,never let your housing budget exceed 30 percentof your take-home pay, and for homeowners, that total also counts homeowners insurance and property tax. Typical home repairs vary, but its wise to budget that in, to o, even for renters, who may be responsible for the damage they contribute to or cause.Most dont live in ideal circumstances. Half of your monthly take-home pay gets put toward the mortgage or rent, especially when between jobs. Try living by the 50/20/30 rule where you still have flexibility but maintain a healthy budget for home and living expensesFixed costsshould only consume50 percentof income and apply to those fixed costs that remain the same monthly, such as rent and internet.Savingsshould comprise20 percentof your income.Variable costsshould only use up30 percentof your income and include expenses such as groceries, entertainment and clothing.Adjust these percentages based on your circumstances, aiming to work toward the rule for a healthier financial balance.In the meantime, where else can you cut or hack your expenses? Invest in a French press over heading to Starbucks every other day. Cut the gym fees, and use free weights and bike or dance. Rent out a room on Airbnb or look for a roommate. If you have a skill to teach others, put it to use for a reasonable fee.3.Take Transportation Disparities By the WheelTransportation costs take up a surprisingly large chunk of your monthly budget, especially if youre a car owner. The good news this presents you with more savings opportunities.When buying or trading in a car, do your research first. You probably considered the costs of down payment and closing, but theres more. Do you drive about 15,000 miles a year? Theaverage total cost of car ownership was $8,469 in 2017for clocking that mileage, and that doesnt count the monthly car payment.Every model differs, as does the added costs of ownership. How much does the gas tank hold in city or on one of your famous road trips? Dont forget the loan payments, regular maintenance and emergency repair costs. You never know when youll need to replace the break line.Shop for cheaper car insuranceone study noted an $850 disparity annuallybetween the lowest rates and t he average prozentanteil you receive. So, shop around for multiple quotes from agents and car insurance providers, and dont discount small providers - they have some of the best rates around. Shop discounts on your policy, such as anti-theft built into the car, AAA, low mileage and multiple cars.These little discount hacks add up, but you can always consider alternative forms of transportation, such as taking the bus or biking to work.4.Get By On More Than RamenTheres nothing wrong with living off Ramen. You can add fish and veggies and bake it like casserole. Ramen is versatile, but you need a more balanced diet to keep your health up. Eat your choice of fruit, veggies, meat, and bread even on a budget based on the change you find around the house.Use the power of Pinterest to meal plan, grocery shop and save. For example, Crockpot it if you dont cook to eat cheap and healthy and gain tips on what to do with leftover turkey slices, how to make various curries and make tons of bean s more palatable.Make versatile and big portions of slow cooker recipes like oven roasted potatoes, bone broth and pulled pork - store the leftovers as freezer meals. Youll actually know what went into your food because you made it.Clean up a cast iron pan from the thrift store, and use it for various cooking methods bake, fry and more. Dont be afraid to experiment with vegetarian and vegan meals, using protein-rich veggies such as cauliflower in your meals. Buy wraps and make enchiladas one night and a chicken salad wrap for another day.5.Force Yourself to SaveHorrible at saving? When between jobs, its hard to help - using up emergency funds are nearly a weekly or monthly thing, depending on your circumstances.Save with the power of technology and improve your leistungspunkt score in the process. Apps like Qapital and Digitmake you set rules to save when you spendor put money aside automatically for various goals, even providing you with a spending card separate from your goals. Tip yourself a buck every time you go to Starbucks, and set money aside to back debts.Its also worthwhile to check out secured credit cards and credit builder loans, which may ask for a deposit of funds to act as your spending limit on a card or deduct a monthly amount to save for you. Such services typically report to the major credit bureaus to boost your credit score, but dont go this route unless your budget allows for it.These simple changes will make you save money between jobs, which doesnt mean you have to lead a bare bones existence. Your health and happiness matter - its just about finding what works for you.This article first appeared on Personal Branding Blog.