I truly believe each and everyone of us is destined to have an exceptional life. I also believe providing for yourself emotionally, financially and physically is the key differentiator. A large factor in my struggle to get out of bed last summer was financial. It got so bad that I had to go to the Salvation Army because I couldn’t afford groceries for my brother and I. I was living in scarcity which naturally hindered my drive, creativity and ability to show-up in my own life.
Here are 5 ways to start saving money today!! It takes a series of small change to see a lifetime worth of results and to shift your perspective. One daily action (or maybe we only pull it off 3 times a week, maybe only once a week to start...) reminds us we are in control of the money we spend and can curate our budgets however we deem appropriate. You got this curators!
Meal Prep: In our house we’ve been using the Cozi App to plan our weeks. While we don’t have kids, my partner and I have been living together for a little over 6 months. As two adults with two careers and a sister roommate... we are busy. When we plan out our meals on Sundays, we are a lot more likely to follow through with that plan. It then decreases any lazy post-work pizza binging. I try to plan at least three solid meals each week.
Stop paying for COFFEE: Coffee is so expensive! At $4 a pop you might as well be a serious cigarette smoker (also an expensive habit). If you have one or two coffees a day and tip the barista (which we should all do because being a barista is a shit job) you are spending anywhere from $125-300 in a month on coffee alone.
Stop drinking so much alcohol: This one was hard for me but when I totaled up my spending on booze, it needed to be nixed. A glass a wine at a restaurant is anywhere from $6-8 and the same goes for beer. An after work drink a day plus coffee will have you spending $300-400 a month in no time. I’m not saying you have to cut these things out completely. Try to cut consumption by half to start. My rule? No drinking during the week. It usually gets broken here and there, but I now have a lot more cash on hand.
Make your lunch a night before: There’s a reason our Mothers did this for us growing-up.
Other tricks I learned from my foster Mom: Cut the dish sponge in half, turn old t-shirts into rags, and water down any “ice teas or orange juices.” (It’s healthier and you get twice as much life out of it!) Reuse grocery bags for trash bags and wash your own car. Never order soda or an appetizer when you go out to eat and try to go to restaurants where you can order family style and share meals.
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