As someone who can never say no to treating herself to a sweet treat, a new holiday drink from Starbucks, or new clothes, I find that I need to be incredibly strategic about how I utilize my budget to afford the cost of living and my indulgences.
In full transparency, I do use my financial aid refund to give myself a little bit of extra cash every month so that I can afford all these fun things. However, I do put most of that in savings, limiting my amount for fun things, so I need to be mindful when it comes to how I use my money. If not, November rolls around, and I end up running dry on cash. Here are some of the things I do to afford all my favorite novelties before the semester ends.
How to Budget for Takeout… And Rent
Since I’m living alone in an apartment for the first time, I find grocery shopping and food spending in general to be one of the most difficult things for me. Since I’m shopping for just me, I never know how to buy enough for one person so that it doesn’t go bad and lasts me throughout the whole week.
Other times, I wind up craving Wingstop or other takeout food, so I end up getting that anyway, which results in the food in my fridge going bad and my money in the trash. Another thing is that if I want to eat out with friends and be social, I don’t want to have to say no because I spent all my food on groceries at home.
After many trials and errors, I realized that all the money I’d budgeted for food only went towards groceries, and that I didn’t use that money for the sweet treat I craved or the social outings I’d be invited to. I changed this habit by first looking at my banking statements and seeing how much money I was spending on groceries and takeout. Then I shifted my weekly grocery budget to account for less than it was before, and now I do have a takeout budget.
This isn’t the same every week since sometimes I want to eat out more than cook. However, now that this has shifted, I don’t feel like I’m wasting food or money.
Keeping My Fits Cute And My Credit Score High
Okay, so I do admit that I have a major shopping addiction. I love buying clothes and feeling cute, especially with the cold weather. As a girl who lives in a warmer climate when she’s not in school, I wasn’t prepared for how cold Tallahassee gets. Obviously, I desperately had to go shopping for some cute cold-weather clothes. My only problem is that I always feel the need to get something new for any scenario, which is a big issue.
One thing I like to do is have a set amount of money every month that I like to call my “fun money,” which I can use every month to buy whatever I want, which usually means clothes. By doing so, I always make sure that I can afford the price of living and look cute. I’m also able to avoid feeling guilty for spending so much, since the money I spend is specifically allocated towards having fun and buying new clothes.
A Sweet Treat During Exam Week
I love getting a sweet treat after a hard test, but after a final, I need something a little bit extra. Something I like to do to make getting that sweet treat even sweeter is to get all my freebies from saved-up points for exam week.
For example, I get enough stars from Starbucks for a free drink, free chips and guacamole from Chipotle, or even my cashback dollars from Amazon. All the treats I allow myself end up being free, and it feels so much more amazing!
Things May Not Always Work Out
I find that doing these things and shifting my mindset does help me manage my spending. Things aren’t always cookie-cutter perfect. Sometimes I accidentally eat out too much, or I can’t resist another sweater. However, by knowing my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to where I have my impulses the most, I can at least control how I go about my spending and know where I stand in my bank account.
In the end, it’s about finding a balance. I can still love clothes and expressing myself, while also being mindful of my spending. This approach helps me enjoy my “fun” purchases guilt-free and reminds me that taking care of myself includes taking care of my finances too.
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