How to Get One Month Ahead of Your Bills in Less Than 30 Days

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Your bills are never ending but did you know you can get one month ahead of your bills? They feel like they’re endless and unless you are an extreme minimalist providing your own power and leading a self-sufficient lifestyle, you’re guaranteed to have to pay bills every month.

So, the majority of us have to pay bills. It’s a given. We know that. Paying bills is a part of life but that doesn’t stop it from feeling very stressful, especially if you’re living paycheck-to-paycheck.

A solution we found is to get one month ahead of your bills.

Imagine feeling peace of mind knowing that you’re actually ahead of your bills and to be honest, the process is super easy and it can open doors to helping you live a financially independent life.

Once you accomplish getting one month ahead of your bills, you’ll be one step closer to reaching your savings goals and building wealth.

Doing this can help you accomplish things like paying off your car in 6 months or less, saving for your child’s education, and growing your nest egg in a rapid-fire kind of way.

If this all sounds interesting, keep reading while we uncover how you can get one month ahead of your bills in less than 30 days.

Don’t forget to bookmark this post that you can come back to it later.

When is the right time to get ahead of your bills?

The right time to get ahead of your bills is now!

The sooner you start this plan, the faster you’ll be one step closer to reaching financial freedom.

Regardless of what your goals are, retirement, saving, paying off debt, we know that if any unexpected scenario were to arise it could totally throw a dent in your financial picture.

That’s why getting ahead of your bills is a great idea and something that everyone should do, in our opinion.

For example, last summer my husband needed multiple emergency root canals that set us back a few thousand dollars! 

And then a few months later he got into a car wreck when she was able to walk away from uninjured, so we’re super thankful for that, but the cost of the car insurance deductible, deposits for rental car, and other costs we’re unexpected and these two events can happen to anybody at any time.

These are examples of unexpected expenses that can arise in your life and when they do, you want to make sure that you’re financially prepared.

How to get one month ahead of your bills in less than 30 days

Okay, so here is the plan.

1. Budget
2. Change lifestyle
3. Make money

Step 1: Budgeting

First, it starts with a strong budget.

You need to make sure that you have a budget and place that works for you and your family.

Don’t let anything or anyone influence how you budget create a budgeting strategy that works for your family whether that means including 2 fast food trips during the month or Starbucks runs or a monthly movie theater family night.

Step 2: Adjust your lifestyle (if needed)

Everyone’s lifestyle is different and having a budget does not mean that you have to sacrifice your life in every way (at least not forever).

With that said, we are talking about getting one month ahead of bills here so some sacrifice and cutting back will need to happen because the focus to make this work is going to be to minimize your expenses and save, save, save!

In order to  get one month ahead of your bills, you need to have an entire month’s worth of expenses saved up.

Start by calculating all those expenses including rent, utilities, credit card payments, student loans, food cost, gas, etc.

Doing this will help you live off last month’s income rather than living today and you’ll be able to achieve financial freedom.

With your budget in place and knowing how much cash you need to save create a goal for yourself to put that money towards a savings fund that will cover an entire month’s worth of bills.

Once you reach this goal and you have savings you can resume with your long-term savings goals.

Step 3: Make money (optional)

This isn’t a hard and fast rule but, if you can, making more money will help you get a strong handle on your finances MUCH FASTER than if you didn’t. There are plenty of ways to make more money and we’ll cover this in more detail down below.

How to get Ahead on Bills

Managing monthly bills can be a juggling act, and sometimes unexpected expenses can catch us off guard. But what if you could break free from the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle and gain the peace of mind that comes with being one month ahead of your bills? In this blog post, we’ll explore a practical plan to help you achieve this financial milestone in less than 30 days.

Step 1: Assess Your Current Situation

Before you embark on this journey, it’s important to know where you stand financially. List all your monthly bills, including rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, transportation, and any outstanding debts. Calculate the total amount needed to cover these expenses for one month.

Step 2: Create a Budget

A budget is your roadmap to financial success. Categorize your expenses into fixed (rent, utilities) and variable (entertainment, dining out) categories. Allocate a portion of your income to each category, ensuring that the sum is greater than your total monthly expenses. This surplus will be crucial for building your buffer.

Step 3: Cut Unnecessary Costs

Review your variable expenses and identify areas where you can cut back temporarily. This might mean cooking at home more often, canceling unused subscriptions, or reducing discretionary spending. Redirect the money saved towards your buffer fund.

Step 4: Initiate a No-Spend Challenge

For a week or two, challenge yourself to spend only on essential items. This means avoiding any non-essential purchases like clothes, gadgets, or entertainment. Channel the money you would have spent into your buffer fund.

Step 5: Build a Buffer Fund

Open a separate savings account specifically for your buffer fund. Transfer the extra money you’ve saved from your budget adjustments and the no-spend challenge into this account. Set up automatic transfers on your payday to ensure consistency.

Step 6: Consider Additional Income

If your current income doesn’t leave much room for saving, explore opportunities for additional income. This could involve freelancing, tutoring, selling unused items, or taking on a part-time gig. Direct the earnings from these endeavors straight into your buffer fund.

Step 7: Prioritize Windfalls

If you receive unexpected windfalls like tax refunds, bonuses, or gifts, resist the urge to splurge. Instead, allocate a significant portion of these windfalls towards your buffer fund. These larger contributions can substantially accelerate your progress.

Step 8: Monitor and Adjust

Regularly review your progress and make adjustments as needed. As your buffer fund grows, you might find it easier to allocate more money towards it. Stay committed to your budget and continue seeking opportunities to increase your income.

Step 9: Celebrate Milestones

Celebrate small victories along the way. When you’ve saved enough to cover one week’s worth of expenses, treat yourself to something modest. As you reach larger milestones, like having two weeks’ worth or even three weeks’ worth of expenses saved, acknowledge your achievements.

Step 10: Achieve the One Month Ahead Goal

Within less than 30 days, you’ll find yourself in a more secure financial position. Once you’ve saved enough to cover an entire month’s expenses, congratulations are in order! You’ve successfully broken the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle and gained valuable peace of mind.

How to Get Cash In Savings Fast

Here are some tips on how to get extra cash in the next 30 days:

1. Create a family no spend month
2. Monetize your hobbies
3. Declutter your home and sell off your extras

Pay close attention to these 3 things and think about ways you can make them work in your household and you’ll start to quickly see the opportunity to build your monthly ahead savings.

What are my favorites?

You can make up to $500 a month with survey taking.

Getting paid to take surveys is super easy, you don’t need any text skills, experience, or special skills to do this and you can work from your home computer or cell phone taking surveys 24/7.

You won’t be able to make a full-time income with this but you can earn a part-time income earning up to around $500 a month or more.

The key to making the most money with survey taking is to join multiple survey sites.  

Joining service sites is free and you’ll be able to have a clear picture of how much each survey pays, how much time is required to complete the survey, and more.   They will pay you via direct deposit, PayPal, check, gift cards, rewards, and in other ways.

Our top 3 survey companies we recommend are:

• Swagbucks ($10 bonus to join): Multifaceted site with many different ways to make money including watching videos, taking surveys, and more.
• Inbox Dollars ($5 bonus to join): Take surveys using their app right from your cell phone | for Android | for Apple Iphone
• Pinecone Research (highest paying): Take surveys online super easy. Higher paying survey company.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it!

Our plan to help you get one month ahead of your bills and less than 30 days. You see it is a lot simpler than you might have thought. If you’re serious about doing this, we recommend that you start now. 

Gaining the financial freedom of being one month ahead of your bills might seem daunting, but with the right plan and determination, it’s entirely achievable.

By assessing your situation, creating a budget, cutting costs, building a buffer fund, and seeking additional income, you’ll be well on your way to reaching this important milestone. Remember that every small step counts, and with consistent effort, you’ll experience the empowering feeling of being in control of your finances.

What do you think?