Let’s face it, in this day and age, with the economy the way that it is, most of us are broke. Some of us have student loans, some of us are working multiple jobs just to get by and some of us simply “forget” how to save money and would just prefer to buy an endless amount of expensive Victoria’s Secret leggings and massive amounts of Starbucks coffee to be the best basic b*tches that we can be.
I’m not one to judge how you spend your money, considering I spend entirely too much of mine on The Office memorabilia and toys for my dog that he will destroy in 2.5 seconds, but I know that I can offer a little advice when it comes to savings.
I know the term “savings account” isn’t something that is common knowledge nowadays, but it is something that still exists. While I live with roommates and don’t know what it is like to be out in the “real world” with actual bills, I do know what it takes to resist spending all my money on Harry Potter’s butterbeer and put some aside in order to pay for “adult life things.” It might seem hard to believe, but in just a few simple steps, you could be on the path to not just opening a savings account, but being able to put more than just $10 in there at a time.
Here are some quick and easy tips that will help you to keep a little bit more in the bank for those rainy days or for those sweet pair of new running kicks that you have been wanting to get (Size eight if you happen to be looking for me – Thanks!)
- Coupons! Yes, grab a newspaper and cut some coupons! Most people make fun of my “little old lady” coupon bag, but they never make fun of me at the register when I’m saving $10 to $30 every grocery trip. There are so many coupons out there waiting to be used; don’t be embarrassed to search for them and use them!
- Wait for the sales. It’s understandable if you need something right now, but if you can hold out for something, do it. You aren’t going to run out of bras, and you have enough leggings to get by for the next three months. If you hold out for those sales, in the long run, they really do make up for your waiting! Fun fact: Sometimes, if you leave something in your shopping cart online, the store will email you to remind you it is still there and will throw in a coupon! All about those coupons!
- Sign up for Penny Hoarder. Penny Hoarder is a great site that sends out tips once a day with ways that you can save and make money. Whether it’s job listings, tips on saving extra cash or ways that you could make a little extra without getting another job (like taking surveys for gift cards), it is an excellent tool to give you creative ideas for how to keep the green in your pocket.
- Ebates. If you’re a big online shopper, I highly suggest you sign up for Ebates (and use my name so I can get a little extra cash in my pocket. Wink Wink!). It is a website that will give you cash back just by asking you to go through the site before you make your purchase. The only information that they take from you is your shopping habits, which they report back to the store that you bought from. Every four months, you receive a check from Ebates with all of your cash back, and let me tell you, those small amounts add up! Also, when you go through their site they tell you about any coupon codes that are available for the website.
- Allow yourself a reward. Prevent yourself from splurging your entire paycheck by rewarding yourself every once in a while. The best way to do this is by setting aside a little bit of money (and by a little, I mean no more than $50 a paycheck) and buying something that you have been wanting to get. The more money you save, the more you realize how precious your money is and how you wouldn’t want to buy dumb things like a bow tie for your dog or the entire series of The Office when you know that you can just watch it online (Who am I kidding, I did that last week). Either way, rewarding yourself once in a while will prevent you from going overboard and blowing all of your savings in one place.
A little goes a long way when it comes to saving! Whether you save a large sum of money or just a little bit here and there, at the end of the day, your savings account will thank you! I know it might seem a little overwhelming now, but take a look at your spending and see all of the areas in which you’re able to cut back. As you can tell, I’m a major fan of saving money with coupons, but there are many other ways that you can learn to put some money aside. I promise you, saving money won’t be the easiest thing that you have ever done, but once you start to see that cash start to build up, you will be happy you finally took the steps to save. 
Previously published on Hunny, Learn From Me.
Featured image via Frankie Cordoba on Unsplash
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