I am a stress-spender, as many of us are. I combat the stresses of school and life by occasionally online shopping… and by occasionally, I mean it happens far too often. With graduation quickly approaching and reality closing in, I’ve had to reel in some of my spending habits and start to save as much money as possible. Here are some tips I’ve found to helpful for saving a little bit of money!
1. Avoid Online Window Shopping
When in school, I rarely find time to go out and physically shop in my favorite stores, which leads me to shop online. Even when I’m not looking for something in particular, I find myself scrolling through shopping websites whenever I’m stressed or bored. The best way to not spend this money is to just avoid online shopping! If you don’t know what your favorite stores are selling, you won’t be tempted to buy anything.
2. Use Your Gift Cards
A few years ago, I started using gift cards almost immediately after I got them, which is a practice I would definitely recommend. Instead of losing track of my cards and leaving free money unspent, I now utilize all of my gift cards, even for stores and restaurants I don’t usually go to. This way, I save a bit of money, and I get to shop/eat at businesses I may not usually frequent.
3. Put it in Savings
I find that if I put money in a savings account rather than a checking account, I’m less likely to spend it. At the beginning of the month, I’ll keep a certain amount in my checking account to get me through the month (money for rent, utilities, groceries, eating out and anything else) and try not to touch the other account. This actually really does help! Out of sight, out of mind – plus, then my money in savings collects a little bit of interest.
4. Stock Up, Then Stop
Whenever I’m at home, my family tends to take me shopping for groceries or other necessities, which is incredibly nice and something I’m really grateful for. When my family does this, I tend to stock up on things I know I’ll need in the coming months, so that when I go grocery shopping back at school, I will buy perishable foods, rather than the non-perishables I already have in my apartment.
Even if your family does not take you grocery shopping, look closely for sales and stock up on non-perishables while you can!
5. Utilize Student Discounts
I know that this one is so obvious, but use those student discounts while you have them! There are lots of perks to being a university student (cheaper Amazon prime, the Spotify and Hulu package, etc.) that you only have for a limited time, so take advantage of these!