With 2018 just beginning, many of us have goals and plans that we’d like to accomplish for ourselves. This could include doing better in school, finding a new job, eating healthier, or the ever so popular resolution to lose that extra weight.
But, something that people also plan to possibly do is to buy a new object such as a car or cell phone or plan for a trip (spring break and summer break will be here before we know it). I’ve found that saving money is usually on the lower end of people’s New Year’s resolutions list, but nonetheless, it is what helps us get the things that we want.
As college students, saving money can be hard with other expenses in mind and all the fun activities that always seems to come up, but it is possible if we put our minds to it!
Here are some tips that will help you save for those new things or that trip you’ve been dying to go on:
- We all love those Sunday brunches or dinner dates with our friends, but those can easily add up to a lot of money spent in just one weekend. I’ve found that at some places, sharing a dish with a friend (because we all know most of the time we don’t end up finishing) or getting an appetizer as your meal can save you a couple bucks as well as get you decently full without feeling overly stuffed.
- Dying to go on a trip soon? Plan ahead! For example, I am currently planning a two-week trip to Europe this summer, which can obviously become real costly, real quick. By starting to plan now you can slowly buy different things for your trip early. Whether it be an Airbnb stay today and your flight two weeks from now, it makes the total cost of the trip seem less scary and spread out.
- Most of us know that trick of putting aside 10%, 15%, or more of your paycheck aside to your savings account. It may not seem like a lot at the moment, but money quickly adds up and you can easily buy something that you’ve had your heart set on for a while with that money. If you already do this, try adding 2%-5% more to that and it will quickly make a difference.
- Online shopping addiction? Me too, trust me. Shop the sale section of the site first! Those items used to be the new arrivals at one point; keep that in mind. I’ve gotten a lot more pieces of clothing for less money this way.
- Influence your friends to help save too! We all have that one friend that always wants to go out to eat, and I mean, who doesn’t? But it gets expensive. Have a group hangout where you all bring something like a potluck one Friday night instead of going to a restaurant. It can be way more fun and it’ll save you that $$$.
Hopefully these tips help! Saving money can be hard and sometimes we just don’t have the means to do so at the moment, but little steps can go a long way to allow you to splurge, which we all love to do every now and then!
XOXO,
Adri <3