If you’re anything like me, money is on the forefront of your mind. Specifically, saving money. Everyone tells us it is a smart thing to do, but, considering many of us are living off our disbursements and/or part time jobs, it is not always an option. I feel you on that, which is why I have come up with some slightly Unorthodox ways to save money.
1. Stop bringing your debit/credit cards with you
I know, a little weird. But hear me out: you can’t spend your money if you don’t have it. Having literally all your money in your pocket makes it really easy to spend. So, just don’t do that. Leave your cards at home. Get rid of your apple pay. And for the love of God, do not connect your bank account to your student ID.
2. Deal in cash
Just because you’re leaving your cards at home doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t have any money on you. Just make it cash. Bring however much money you will need for the day with you in cash. Whether that is 5 dollars or 20 dollars, this forces you to stick to your budget because you physically can’t spend any more. On addition, being able to see the money leaving you makes you not want to spend it as much.
3. Keep a change jar
You know all that spare change you have now that you’re only using cash? Keep it. Put it in a jar. Then, when you fill up the jar, you can take it to your bank and trade it in for cash or deposit or whatever. This will give you a little extra in your savings or a little something to treat yo’ self. Plus, this is just another excuse to buy a mason jar and decorate it! Or buy a piggybank.
4. Buy a bike
I know it seems counter-intuitive to buy something to save money, but hear me out. If you start riding your bike whenever you can instead of driving, you’ll save on gas. You’ll also probably lose that freshman 15.
5. Save your condiment packets
If you don’t already have a drawer in house filled with old taco bell and soy sauce packets, you’ve been doing it all wrong. Every time you order in and get a bunch of small packets of sauces you aren’t going use, save them. Eventually you’ll build up a stock or various sauces, syrups, spices and never have to buy condiments again.
6. Buy frozen foods
This is something I started doing to eat a healthier, but it also helps me save money. When you go grocery shopping, get some frozen veggies and meats. You can fry them up with some of those sauces from the sauce drawer and have any kind of meal you want. Grab some broccoli and chicken and add soy sauce: Boom! Stir fry. Spinach and ground beef with some tomato sauce: perfect with spaghetti. It’s so easy and cheap.
7. Use baby wipes instead of makeup wipes
Makeup wipes can get expensive, especially if you wear makeup daily. Instead, just buy baby wipes. They are cheaper, but still work well and are good for sensitive skin. If you need a little more to get the makeup off, you can use the facewash sitting on your bathroom counter that you haven’t used in a month.
8. Sleep more
You can’t eat if you’re asleep. I’m not saying trade meals for a nap, but if you stay up later you’re more likely to go for a midnight snack. You’ll also spend less on electricity at night. Not to mention, we could all use some more sleep.
9. Shop at consignment shops
Here is how this works: buy your clothes at Plato’s Closet or some other place like it. Whenever you need something specific, like a fancy dress or pair of pants for work, sell back the clothes and buy something else. It basically turns the whole store into your closet.
10. Only spend your credit line
Being young and having little credit means you probably don’t have a lot of money on your credit card. Use that for your budget. Anything you aren’t using cash for, like Spotify premium, Netflix, and all that stuff you shouldn’t have bought from Amazon, put on your card. This will keep you from spending more than you have and really help your credit when you pay off your card every month.
There are a lot of different ways to save money, if you just get a little creative. These are all the ways I can think of, but I would love to hear what other ways you guys have. Comment below the weird ways you stop yourself from spending and save money.