As a self-sufficient college student, I have tried everything to ensure that I can pay my bills, have food on the table, save up for medical emergencies, and still have enough income to enjoy my life with adventures and unnecessary items. I have worked three jobs at a time, sold my used clothing items, and shopped solely at thrift stores. Along this learning journey, I have learned more about myself, what matters to me, what is essential in my life, what brings me the most joy, how hard-working I am, and how proud of myself I am. Allow me to enlighten you about what tricks I have learned throughout my personal experiences of saving money and taking care of myself financially.
Even though I am exceptionally conscious about my spending habits, sometimes I allow my desires to overpower my needs. With that being said, when I needed a new car, I decided to purchase a Jeep instead of a safer car with better mileage, like a Subaru. I face the consequences every time I pull into a gas station, but it helps to have Cumberland Farms SmartPay Rewards. I get 10 cents off per gallon and I receive rewards, such as a free chocolate bar inside the store. Sometimes when you are driving a long distance, receiving a free item like a bottle of soda seems like the most perfect treat. My mom and I share an account; she joined in 2018 and I joined in June 2020. Together, we have saved 225 dollars.
When money is tight, you tend to make yourself ramen noodles for dinner and neglect your health. Don’t worry, it happens, especially as a busy college student and with the prices of grocery items rising every day. Are coupons even a thing anymore? Well…they actually are, but digitally. If you download the Stop and Shop app and create an account, you can scroll through the endless amount of coupons and save them to your account. Then, when you are physically at the grocery store and scan your Stop and Shop card or type in your phone number, these coupons automatically apply to your purchase! This process is such an easy way to save that you probably did not even know about.
Even though I am aware of how much money it saves me, a simple task that I am especially bad at is food preparation. When I am working at my office job in Amherst, the easiest and most delicious way to enjoy lunch is to walk across the street and order tofu pho, especially on a cold day. However, at the end of the day, I would rather save 12 to 15 dollars every workday by preparing lunch the night before work and bringing it with me. I know ordering food sounds tempting, but stay strong, because saving as little as 12 dollars a week for a year saves you 624 dollars.
Have you ever heard about the 30-day rule? When I first heard about it, I thought it was unnecessary. But over time, the 30-day rule has allowed me to save a large amount of money, be less of a material girl, and purchase only things that I truly admire and appreciate. The 30-day rule applies when you want to purchase something that you may not necessarily need. The trick is to not purchase this item, wait 30 days, and see if you still want it enough to spend money on it. For me, this process has made me learn that I can be an impulse spender, especially when I am having a bad day. Just recently, I discovered the Prada Paradoxe perfume, but I was not willing to spend over 100 dollars on it. Instead, I thought that maybe the 32-dollar travel-sized bottle was a better option, but only if I like it after 30 days. During those 30 days, every time I would go to Ulta or Sephora, I would spray the store’s sample bottle on myself and fall in love all over again. Once the 30 days were over, I was incredibly eager to have the travel-sized bottle of perfume in my room. Because of my patience, I appreciate the scent even more than I could have possibly imagined. For other items that I have tried the 30-day rule with, I forget about the item the next day, which later on helps me to afford my rent payment for the month.
There is certainly a learning curve to saving money; it can be an anxiety-inducing and stressful process, but once you learn from your mistakes, and become a professional, it becomes an insanely satisfying experience. Some people will preach that selling your used clothes online is a lifesaver, but I prefer to do this process in person to be more sustainable. I have also had a better and more profitable experience by selling my clothing at local farmers markets and Plato’s Closet than with companies like Depop and Poshmark.
Some other tricks that I have done before are paying my oil bill within 10 days for a smaller fee, turning off lights in rooms that I am not inside at my house, unplugging electrical cords of appliances I am not currently using, rolling coins by hand, shopping at thrift stores, using public transportation instead of using ride-sharing companies, having automatic transfers from my checking account to my savings account every month, and making coffee at my house. There is definitely a never-ending list of ways to save, but I hope that I was able to inspire you to use some of my methods that help me to take more adventures and have food in my fridge.
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