I always have been a really crap person when it has come to saving money. I don't know what it is, I just can't put that money into a jar and accept the fact that I am not allowed to touch it. I love clothes, food, and cat toys. Yes, I can't walk into a Dollar Tree without buying a cat toy for my little brats. The point is that I am never going to be able to actually save money so I leave that part to Stephen. What I did realize I am good at is finding really good sales, picking different items over other items to save money, and falling in love with the thrift store. Here are some tips from a girl that is just like you.
1. Accept that the Thrift Store Really isn't that bad
I have always felt at least where I live there was this bad thing about thrift stores. It almost felt embarrassing to say that I picked up a shirt from the Goodwill down the road. Now I proudly post everywhere how much I love that Goodwill because it has saved me so much money. Speaking of thrift store, check out my thrift haul!
2. Make a Budget
Having a budget has saved me so many times. When I sometimes forget that I have a bill coming up, I look in my planner and I look at my budget list. It helps me each paycheck put money back for those bills and make sure I am not getting any late bills. It is important that you don't get any late bills because one, it can cause your credit score to go bad. Two, there are evil, evil, late fees. Having a budget helps you save money in that way but also makes sure you don't spend too much money on one thing. A little tip, everytime you get paid take out what you need for food and leave the rest in your bank, that way you will only spend what is in your pocket.
3. Make a Compare list
I am crazy about lists, so anytime I have a chance to write one I do it. Make a list of your budget of everything you spend on a day to day basis. Then make your budget, and stick to it. Come back to that list in a few months and write down next to it what you now spend on items. You will be hopefully surprised at the difference, and it will motivate you to keep on saving money. Plus it proves to you that you don’t need that Starbucks everyday, regular ol’ Coffee does the job just as well.
4. DIY
The one thing that always jumps up and surprises me as gifts for people. I love buying gifts so I normally take it way too far and I buy a lot of things for them to just see a smile. Something recently I’ve really enjoyed is DIYing the gifts instead and wrapping them in homemade wrapping paper. It adds a special touch that might have not been there before. Another thing I have learned is decorating a new home is expensive as hell. Instead research on YouTube some ideas that you have and see if you can DIY it. The point of this point is to learn to DIY and enjoy it. It saves tons of money and gets you off your phone for a while!
5. Take advantage of free days
If you have not heard of free days, you are about to have your mind blown. I didn't learn about this until a couple of years ago. It is days when museums are free, and it just depends on the day and the city you live in. Research museums that are around you, call them up and ask what day they have free admission. Instead of spending money on going out and doing things, why not have free things to do?
6. Stop shopping online
This one might be a harder one to do, or maybe you just might have to cut down on this. Stop online shopping so much. I have prime on Amazon and it is great because it does save you on shipping which does save you money. But since it makes it cheaper I spend so much more. Delete those shopping apps, and take them out of your bookmarks, you will thank me later. If you do have to buy things online use Ebates, it has helped me a lot with getting money back quickly. I will speak on that later in the post.
7. Make a capsule wardrobe
I recently have done this. My closet was so full and it was annoying when I was trying to find something. I would go buy more pieces because I couldn't find a single thing! I decided one night I was sick of it (and the laundry that came with it.) I went through every item and found shirts that still had tags on them, yikes. I then made a pile I wanted to keep and sell, and the keep I kept very small. I picked items that helped me make more than one outfit. How does this save you money? You learn to buy items that are going to last a long time, then relying on fast fashion. You also find out that you don't need to buy so many different items to look fashionable.
8. Ask yourself if you really love this item.
When you are out shopping, no matter what it is, ask yourself if you really love it. Is it something that is going to bring you happiness? Are you going to regret it when you bring it home? Love the things that you bring into your home so you are surrounded by happiness.
9. Prepare in advance
I don't buy anything now unless I have a list and I have researched everywhere to see what the best prices are. I don't have time when I am in the store to do that, and it starts to get really stressful. This way you have a list of what you need to get and where the best place is to go.
10. Ebates, baby.
Life. Saver. You don't really save money but you get money back. Swagbucks also does the same thing. If I have to shop online I always make sure that I will get some kind of money back, if I can't, then I think a lot about if I really end that item or if there is another place I can find that will sell that item and I will get money for it.
11. I leave money in my PayPal that I make from my side hustles
If you haven't seen my side hustle list, go there and come back here. There I list all the side hustles I do on a daily basis. When I make money from those I leave the money in my PayPal so I do not spend that money and it is like I am just saving that money. It is really helpful since Stephen and I are still working on our home to make it what we want. I will be writing a post soon on what I did to buy a home at 21, so look out for that!
12. Bundle. Bundle. Bundle.
Bundles are a fantastic thing when it comes to getting internet and TV. I am sure other companies offer bundles also so you get to use more than one product of their at a cheaper price. Even value packets are bundles and will save you more than money if you just got that one product. Look out for promotional items also that might be on sale and wait until then to get the product if you can afford the time to wait.
13. Go with a contract-free cell phone plan
If you can afford to just straight out buy your phone, that is the best thing to do. Then go with a contract-free phone plan like Boost Mobile. That is the plan that Stephen is currently on and he gets better data, and more bang for our buck then my contract phone plan has.
14. Track your spending
This point is kind of a mix of making a budget and comparing every couple months. But instead, you are just tracking what you are spending each day. There are some great apps out there that link up to your bank account and track that for you like Mint. Mint is a safe way to do that on the go without you having to worry about it or forgetting. Another way is to just stick to just ol' fashioned pen and paper, which is my favorite. Make a graph and see where your money is going each day.
15. Have a goal.
I left this one for last because it is for sure the most important one out of this whole list. You need to have a goal in mind before you even start saving money, and I don't just mean an amount goal you want to save, which is nice but have an even bigger goal. Do you want to go on a trip? Do you want to stop living paycheck to paycheck? Do you want to retire at an early age? Or do you even just want to have more money to buy more yummy foods? I have learned that in life you will get nowhere in life if you do not have an end goal because you have nothing to work towards. If you succeed at a goal, congrats and reward yourself then make a new goal. Keep working hard.
I hope that all of these tips helped you reach the comfort you want in life with money. I hope you enjoyed this post if you do please don't forget to leave a comment down below letting me know and any other tips you may have for others. Have a wonderful day!
