Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck, according to Lending Tree. This means that many of us are putting to work all the money we earn in a month, and very little, if any, is left over. 

Living paycheck to paycheck can make it feel like you’ll never get ahead with your finances. Living paycheck to paycheck can specifically cause added stress when it comes to bigger bills and staying stocked up on common household items. 

In this article, we’ll talk about a few different strategies you can use to get ahead in paying bills and buying common household items.

Create a Bills Calendar

Be sure you know when all your bills are due. 

We pay some bills monthly, and we’re often more on top of those. But other bills are due in different frequencies, like annually, semi-annually, or quarterly. These bills can be tricky to keep track of and can put a big dent in your budget in the months they’re due. 

Create a bills calendar to help keep yourself on track and better factor these bills into your regular budget. A bills calendar is a calendar that can help you see all your bills in one place and get a better sense of where your money flows out of your account over time. 

To create a bills calendar, start with a blank monthly calendar with dates. You can do this with a pen and paper or on a computer, whatever is easiest for you. 

Then, look at your past bank statements to get a feel for when your bills are due. 

Write each bill down on the date that it’s due. Be sure to include what the bill is, how much you pay, and the frequency (monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, or annually). This will give you a complete picture of how the money flows out of your account. It’ll also help you factor your different bills into your budget over time.

If you’re worried you won’t remember to pay your infrequent bills or even your monthly bills,  put your bills calendar into your digital calendar on your computer or phone with reminders to help you keep on top of them.

Open a Savings Account for Bigger or Infrequent Bills

Creating a bills calendar can help you get a handle on when your bills are due. But to help keep your bigger or infrequent bills from wrecking your budget, create a sinking fund to cover these expenses. 

To do this, break the bigger bills into monthly amounts. This will allow you to spread the cost more evenly throughout your budget. 

Consider this example: What if you have a $600 car insurance bill due each June? 

You could wait until June and try to come up with $600 on the spot. Or you could divide $600 by 12 to determine that you need to set aside $50 each month to be able to pay the bill in full when it’s due. Each month, put the $50 that goes towards car insurance into your bigger or infrequent bills savings account. Then, when the bill is due, take the money from savings to pay it. You’ll be better prepared, and it won’t break your budget.

This strategy can be helpful because breaking your bigger bills into smaller amounts makes them more manageable. If you do this for each of your bigger or infrequent bills each month and set the money aside, you’ll have a budget that gets less disrupted by these bills over time.

Shop Around for Services

Another strategy that can help you manage your monthly bills and your bigger bills is to shop around for services. For things like insurance, cell phone plans, and internet, it can be worth it to shop around and see if you can get the same services for a better price. 

When you shop around for a better price, consider the service you’ll be getting and whether it’s better or comparable to what you already have. 

Also, be sure you understand the terms and conditions of any new contracts you’re signing. Be sure you’re clear on the length of the contract you’re committing to, all fees associated with the service, and any early termination fees or repercussions of breaking the contract early if you aren’t happy with the service.

It’s worth noting that as you shop around, if you find better rates for comparable service, you can also try to negotiate with your current provider. Sometimes they may be willing to match the price you’ve found elsewhere.

Have a List of Common Household Items/Supplies

When it comes to common household items, it can seem tough to save money or get ahead on your purchases because they’re everyday items you must have, no matter the price. 

One thing that can help is to keep a list on your phone or in your wallet with all the common household items and supplies you use regularly. 

Add the item and how many of it you currently have at home, then periodically update the list with current counts. 

This will allow you to check your list when you’re at the store to see if you need to buy more of the item or if you have enough at home to skip it. This can help you stick to your budget when you’re shopping and can also help keep the number of unnecessary duplicate items that you buy to a minimum.

Shop Strategically

Another thing you can do to get ahead when buying household items and supplies is to shop strategically. This means shopping sales or buying household items you know you’ll use in bulk.

Shopping sales for things like cleaning supplies and pantry staples can be helpful because you can save money on things you know you’ll need that won’t expire or go bad. 

If you’ve made your list of common household items and supplies and kept it up to date with how much of each item you have, you can check your list when certain products are on sale to see if you may run out soon. This allows you to save money and be prepared for a time when you run out of your current supply.

It can also be helpful to buy items in bulk. Like shopping sales, buying in bulk can help you save money on items you know you’ll need. Typically, when you buy something in bulk, the price per unit of what you’re buying decreases. So even if you spend a bit more to buy three canisters of sanitizing wipes than you’d pay for one canister, each canister is less expensive. Cleaning supplies and paper products can be good things to buy in bulk and can be a place where you save some money on household items.

Regularly Audit Your Expenses

Whether you’re trying to get ahead on your bills or your household essentials and supplies, knowing what you’re spending and where is helpful. This is why you must regularly audit your expenses as you work to get ahead in these areas. 

When you audit your expenses, you’ll review the last few months of spending to see where your money is going. Review your credit card and bank statements to see where you’ve spent money. 

This can help you identify big bills you missed when setting up your savings strategy so you can incorporate them. It can also help you see specific areas where you might want to shop around for less expensive goods or services. 

During an expense audit, comparing your expenses to your income to see if you’re running a surplus or a deficit each month can be helpful. This can help inform your spending behavior and help you understand if you need to change your spending to live within your means. 

While expenses are key to the budgeting equation, it’s important to remember that it’s a two-variable problem. Considering your income and expenses together will help you have a more complete picture of your financial situation.

Whether you’re living paycheck to paycheck or are in a situation where you have money left at the end of each month, getting ahead on your bills and essential household spending is a good goal. 

Doing so can help you smooth out rough spots in your budget and help you be better prepared for things you know are coming up. 

It can often be hard to see ways to save when you’re in the middle of the situation, so take a step back, get organized, and you’ll find ways to get ahead paying your bills and buying household essentials.