如何减少开支?

如何减少开支?

Budgeting gets a bad reputation.

预算的名声不好。

"The first image that comes to most people's mind is dieting or imprisonment," says Jesse Mecham, founder of the budgeting software You Need A Budget. But that, Mecham says, is an inaccurate picture. "Budgeting is not about being handcuffed. It's really about being liberated."

预算软件You Need A Budget的创始人杰西·梅卡姆说:“大多数人想到的第一个画面就是节食或监禁。”但梅卡姆说，这种描述不准确。“预算不是要铐上手铐。这真的是一种解放。”

It might just be empowering for you. There's no easy or simple solution to fixing the huge financial impact that COVID-19 has had on many Americans. But during the coronavirus pandemic, keeping tabs on where your money is going is a good first step to cutting back on spending and saving more, if you're able to do so.

它可能会给你力量。COVID-19对许多美国人造成了巨大的经济影响，解决这个问题没有简单易行的办法。但在冠状病毒大流行期间，如果你有能力的话，密切关注你的钱花在哪里是削减开支和多存钱的良好第一步。

These six budgeting tips will help you track your spending and make more informed decisions about your money — and your life.

这六个预算技巧将帮助你记录你的支出，并对你的钱和你的生活做出更明智的决定。

1. Don't budget just because you think you should.

不要仅仅因为你认为你应该做预算。

If you're budgeting because you think that's what responsible grown-ups do, that's not super-concrete or motivational. Instead, set a specific goal that has meaning to you, like paying off credit card debt or student loans or saving for a vacation, says Kristin Wong, author of Get Money: Live the Life You Want, Not Just the Life You Can Afford. "Now you have a reason to say no to that $50 dinner, because you have something to say yes to now," Wong says.

如果你做预算是因为你认为那是负责任的成年人做的事，那就不是非常具体或激励人心的。相反，设定一个对你有意义的具体目标，比如偿还信用卡债务或学生贷款，或者为度假攒钱，《赚钱：过你想要的生活，而不仅仅是你能负担得起的生活》一书的作者克里斯汀•王说。“现在你有理由对那顿50美元的晚餐说不，因为你现在有事情要去做，”王说。

2. Harness your anxiety.

利用你的焦虑。

Big life changes — a move, a job loss or, say, a global pandemic — can bring big stress. If you're dealing with major life changes because of COVID-19, you're not alone. Leverage that anxiety, channeling it into motivation to adjust your budget.

生活中的重大变化——搬家、失业或全球流行病——都会带来巨大的压力。如果你正在应对COVID-19带来的重大生活变化，你并不孤单。利用这种焦虑，将其转化为调整预算的动力。

3. Follow the 50-30-20 method.

遵循50-30-20方法。

When you get started, try the guidelines that Sen. Elizabeth Warren helped develop as a Harvard University professor. The largest portion, 50%, of take-home income should go toward basic living expenses — housing, groceries, etc. Then 30% for discretionary expenses, like entertainment and clothes; and 20% for savings and paying down debt.

当你开始时，试试参议员伊丽莎白·沃伦在担任哈佛大学教授时帮助制定的指导方针。税后收入的最大一部分，即50%，应该用于基本生活开支——住房、食品杂货等。然后30%用于娱乐和服装等可自由支配的开支;20%用于储蓄和偿还债务。

4. Use the power of scarcity.

利用稀缺的力量。

With credit cards and overdraft protections, "we've gotten really used to the idea that we never really run out of money," Mecham says. But having a sense of scarcity can be helpful when you're trying to save. Remember back when you were a kid and all you had was that $5 from babysitting or mowing lawns? You were probably pretty careful about how you spent that money because once you did, it was gone. Try designating a certain amount of money for each budgeting category every month, and when you run out, it's out.

有了信用卡和透支保护，“我们已经习惯了我们从来没有真正用完钱的想法，” 梅卡姆说。但是，当你想存钱的时候，有一种稀缺感是有帮助的。还记得小时候你只有5美元的保姆费和割草费吗?你可能对如何花钱很谨慎，因为一旦你花了，它就不见了。试着每个月为每个预算类别指定一定数量的资金，当你用完时，它就(真的)用完了。

5. A roommate is worth a thousand coffees.

一个室友值一千杯咖啡。

It's unlikely you'll reach your budget goal just by cutting back on coffees. Housing, food and transportation are usually the biggest expenses. "If you get a roommate or move to a cheaper place, those major decisions are going to save you so much more money," says Wong. "They're harder decisions to make, obviously. But they give you more bang for your buck."

你不太可能仅仅通过减少喝咖啡就能达到预算目标。住房、食品和交通通常是最大的开支。“如果你找了个室友，或者搬到一个更便宜的地方住，这些重大的决定将会为你省下更多的钱，”王说。“很明显，这是一个更难做的决定。但是他们给你带来了更多的好处。”

6. Try different budgeting techniques to see what works for you.

尝试不同的预算方法，看看哪些适合你。

Whether it's a simple spreadsheet or a budgeting app with lots of categories, use the system that works for you. Mecham says the main thing is not to wait until a "normal month" to get started — that will never come. So just start doing it, like right now. It's worth making a budget now, and if it changes in the coming months or year, as life starts looking a little like it did before the pandemic, that's OK.

无论它是一个简单的电子表格还是一个有很多分类的预算应用程序，使用适合你的系统。梅卡姆说，最重要的是不要等到“正常月份”才开始——那是永远不会到来的。所以现在就开始做吧，就像现在。现在就有必要做一个预算，如果在未来几个月或几年内发生变化，比如生活开始变得有点像大流行之前，那也没关系。