So you guys haven't heard from me in a while... and that's because I'm trying to save every last cent I earn for a trip to America next year with my little family!
I've been reading a few different blogs on how to save money (and man am I bad at it) but the funny thing is, I can give pretty good advice but I just can't take it myself. I thought I'd give you guys a few little savings tips to follow. Coming up, I will still be posting about a few beauty subscription boxes because I've managed to narrow it down to only 3 a month out of 8 which sounds bad but I'ts actually pretty good!
1. Don't take your debit/credit card out with you. ANYWHERE! I noticed with myself that when I took cash, I was always checking how much was left and I was much less likely to use it because you can visually watch it deteriorate. When I was using my debit card I could purchase however much and it wasn't right in front of me so it wasn't as obvious - and when I went to check my account it's just a bunch of numbers, not something physically going away. Which brings me to my next point:
2. Take larger notes out with you. Ever notice how when you have a 5, 10 or 20 with you that you'll buy that necklace or something small, but when you have a $50 note, you're so much less inclined to break that note. Well that's me at least.
3. Save your coins at the end of every day. What I do at the beginning of the week, is take out all the money I will need for the week (excluding the bills that come from my account) and I transfer the rest into my savings account. Since I have all these notes on me, I'm going to end up with coins at the end of pretty much every day. When I get home, these coins all go into a tin (sealed tin). No matter if they're $2 coins or 5c coins. It can really add up. As well as this, at the end of the week you're probably going to have a note or two left over. Roll those notes up and throw them in the tin as well. You'll feel better for it.
4. Just don't go into stores or online shops. This past week that I've been saving, I will have to literally force myself not to go onto a site. Now unless you're a shopaholic like me, you won't understand the willpower this takes. Not shopping for what has been an entire week, literally makes me feel sick and gives me anxiety. Weird, I know. But some of you will understand. But just don't do it.
5. Spend your time surfing travel sites or travel booklets. I have quite a bit of free time most days, and this is where I end up shopping and feeling guilty. But, since I've seem to have caught the travel bug, I've been researching pretty much every site that I can find and looking at different hotels, flights, stop over places and activities in different countries. This has kept me extremely busy and it's hugely curbed my spending appetite. Plus, this will help in the long run with planning a trip, as since I've had hours and hours of research, I'm definitely going to end up with the best and cheapest option!
6. Don't buy the little things. Do you know how many times on the way to or from work, I've stopped in to grab McDonald's? At least one Iced Coffee and Hash Brown every morning at the minimum. Know how much that is? $6.10 a day. Give or take 250 days working a year = $1525 a year. Yeah, may not seem like a lot at the time but it really adds up. Can you imagine taking out the little things you buy every day, how much you would save? If I bought an Iced Coffee for every working day when I do grocery shopping (Which is $2.40) and skipped the hash brown, I would save $925 a year. When you put numbers in front of you it can really be an eye opener.
Last But Not Least - 7. Clothes. This is my huge downfall. When it comes to clothes I tend to only buy things in neutral colours (Black, White, Grey). I'm not saying this is what is right for everyone, but I've noticed a change in my spending habits. I used to buy things that were bright and in fashion, wear it out once (You know how it is) and it would never be worn again. I have noticed this doesn't really happen to me with neutral clothing. If you do like to buy brighter clothing, selling it towards the end of a fashion season, you can usually make quite a bit of money back (depending on how much you bought it for). Selling is a must for a shopaholic. Also, I tend to invest in higher quality clothing and shoes. Yeah I might spend $100 on a pair of shoes I could have found cheaper for $20, but I know they will last much much longer. Imagine going through 10 pairs of shoes that are cheaper - investing in a quality item is a much better thing to do. Especially when it comes to neutral items which practically never go out of style.
Hope I've helped you guys a little bit, even just writing this I've started to feel a little more confident with my finances. I need just a bit of self control! If any of you guys have great saving tips for me, please let me know! God knows I need all the help I can get!
Bec xx
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