How to Start Saving Money

Money is the #1 problem people struggle with, whether it's from over-spending, not saving, or just not understanding. Either way, I have come up with a few hacks and tricks to help everyone save money:

1. Limit your expenses

While we can't control the big expenses (rent, bills, etc.), we can control how much we spend on food, going out, and shopping. My philosophy is to always pretend I am in a worse situation than I am. If I have $100, I pretend I only have $50. This helps me to cut back on unnecessary purchases.

     2 . Always save some of your paycheck 

Whether it's $10 or $500. Saving is saving.

     3 . Keep up on the necessities to prevent a major catastrophe

Look, I don't like getting my oil changed as much as the next person, but that $40 change can prevent a $2,000+ engine replacement. Keep up on the small things to avoid even larger issues.

     4 . Don't waste money on items you don't use

This could be as simple as not buying a blender that you'll only use once, or it could be less obvious such as paying for unlimited data, when you only leave your house once a week. You can always add more or less, but try to keep it as low as feasibly possible. 

     5 . Give yourself a couple of weeks before buying an item

I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I have waited even a week to buy something and decided I don't actually want it/ I won't wear it. It helps to think about whether the item will truly benefit you and wait to buy it to avoid impulsive buying.

     6 . DIY gifts or other possible items

DIYing is honestly the most under-rated way to handle gifts or even decorations. I have gifted my mom a hand drawing of Guess How Much I love You, and I have honestly never seen her love a gift so much. I DIYed my graduation cap, all of my college furniture (okay, so it was maybe a box we used as a chair, but hey *shoulder shrug* it works), and many other things. The best part? It's either free or almost free.

      7 . Delete apps that you spend too much money on

I have a major weakness for clothing, so resale apps such as Poshmark, Mercari, and Ebay are my weakness. At one point, I started to get so addicted that I would check it whenever I could. I spent hundreds of dollars on items I didn't actually need but swore I wanted. Since deleting these apps, I haven't really lost anything, but I've gained my sanity and saved my wallet.

I hope you find these tips helpful and let me know in the comments, what works best for you!

Happy saving,

-Amber