Saving Tips from Someone who Needs to Take Their Own Damn Advice

It’s not news that students are broke – we’ve got thousands of dollars in tuition to pay every semester, monthly rent if you live off-campus, and now we’re grown-ups who have to feed ourselves? I’m sorry, I don’t know who decided we were qualified to do this. Now, I don’t know about you all, but I have a habit of spending too much money, and it really hit me this month. 

I went to pay my rent and realized I had spent a bunch of the money I had allocated for rent, and decided I needed to figure out how to stop spending so much money! Here are some tips I have implemented into my life, and some that I really should start. 

1. Delete the app and unsubscribe from the email 

I have a habit of scrolling on online shops allllll the time, and once I start looking I’m bound to find SOMETHING that I want. I absolutely love Indigo; I would open my Indigo app on my phone and scroll every time I had a spare couple of minutes. It was a surefire way to spend money! Now, I’ve officially deleted the app from my phone. The same goes for apps like Uber Eats and Skip the Dishes – I deleted the apps so I have to think twice before ordering food, and hopefully decide to instead make something yummy (or at least heat up left overs). 

2. Track it! 

Now this is one everyone KNOWS they should do…but let’s be honest, who actually tracks what they spend every month?! (If you do – congratulations you have officially got your sh*t together!) 

I’ve committed to tracking everything I spend in the month of February, and I really think it will make a difference. When I think back to what I’ve spent this month… I know that way too much of it was getting A&W even though I had leftovers in the fridge, and buying random things I don’t need. Visually seeing the amount I spend on everything will hopefully impact how I spend! 

3. Meal plan (ish) 

Almost every week I find myself throwing out food that went bad before I could eat it – and yet I still buy way too much at the grocery store. Then I realized part of why I always had way too much food, was that I had no clue what I needed – I walked through aisles and added things to my cart as I thought of them. Then I started making a little grocery list, but still ended up buying more than I needed! Now, I try and base my grocery list around a few meals I’m planning to make that week. I think of 3 or 4 meals I will make, go through the ingredients, and jot down any I will need to buy. This has really helped me! I don’t buy 4 veggies anymore not knowing what I’ll use them for – I buy the couple that I plan on using! Of course, allow yourself flexibility here, but I find a few meals for the week is a great starting place. 

4. Little Things 

• You can rent audiobooks or e-books from your library! Just download the app “overdrive” and go to your city’s library system 

• If you don’t like it, ACTUALLY RETURN IT 

• Wait a little bit before making a purchase 

• Save those gift-cards you got as a present for when you really want something! Don’t feel the need to spend it right when you get them 

• Use Pinterest to inspire you with new ways to style clothes you already own! 

• money
• saving