I won’t lie. I’m the WORST saver. I hate saving. I especially hate budgeting. However, I started this money-saving journey prior to all of the craziness as of late because I got married last year and was forced to come to terms with some of my spending habits. Thanks Steven.
Let me tell you, if you haven’t talked heavy financial details before marriage, you certainly will after. Sharing my credit card habits and student loan debt was tougher than I thought. I suddenly felt far more AWARE of my current financial status as opposed to rolling through life as if everything was full of Starbucks iced coffees and Nordstrom packages. Some of it still is, just more in planned moderation. This means I have been on a journey to pay off credit cards, pay off my car loan, and knock out my student loan debt for a while now.
I’m lucky enough that my Husband is great with money, and I while I begrudgingly take his help and tips, I also wanted to take charge of this mission on my own. I started following Dave Ramsey and his method and advice, and in a weird way, it motivated me to stop and prioritize my finances and goals. Seeing all his readers and followers share their debt-free journey is SUPER motivating. I suggest you check him out if you haven’t yet. I also hear Susie Orman is pretty great too.
I am by no means an expert, but I wanted to share a few of the money-saving tips that I have implemented into my life to help me reach my goals, grow my business, save my bank account AND marriage (Kidding, slightly.)
Top 5 Money-Saving Tips
DIY Mani/Pedi
I’ve always been a huge advocate of doing my own nails. I’m OBSESSED with nail polish and seriously have nearly 100! Every now and then I splurge on a salon pedicure, and that $40 charge adds up when you do it weekly, or even bi-weekly. Then add a manicure too, and that turns into a serious expense every month when you can get the same results at home. Nail polish can be pricey, so if you’re going for a good brand like Essie or OPI, I would stick to buying neutral colors you can wear frequently. If you’re looking for volume and lots of fun colors, I love Sinful Colors. They’re under $3 at Walgreens and Target, and the quality is decent and holds with a good clear topcoat.
Make your own food
Not only does making your own food save you cash, but it also saves some serious lbs! Two birds with one stone. Planning out your favorite meals or perusing Pinterest for recipe ideas is a great start. Create your menu, then back into the ingredients. When you do this and buy in bulk, you often save your self multiple trips to the grocery or duplicates and excess ingredients. I like to buy a mix of healthy options to make for lunch, and easy cheat items I can make for dinner in a hurry. Trader Joes is the best for this in my personal opinion. You can throw together a bunch of meals in under twenty minutes, with minimal cleanup, which is always a win in my book. ( I HATE doing the dishes.) Check out some of my Pinterest recipes HERE.
At-home workouts
As if this has really been an option for any of us as at THIS time, but if you can get into a routine now, it would be super easy to continue saving this monthly expense in the future. I love Orange Theory, I really, really do. But its no secret it’s costly. The reason I love it is because of their structure and mandatory cancellation notice, I tend to go far more often. However seeing as I haven’t been able to go back for at least a month, I’ve had to create my own routines at home in the meantime. I love to run, it clears my head and eases my anxiety. Intervals are a great way to get your cardio in and go at your own pace. I usually do about a mile and pair it with a workout video to get some weights and core in. 21-day fix is a great video to follow or any of The Tone-it-up workouts.
Make your own coffee & cocktails
I love a good cocktail, and I love coffee even more. I’m telling you, Starbucks has been missing me for sure! This one is an EASY money saver. Starbucks can range $5-$10 bucks each visit, and we all know your local Happy Hour never stops at one drink. Its fun, (and cheaper) to learn a new cocktail recipe you can whip up at home, or experiment with our iced lattes. The best part? The extra pocket cash! If you’re anything like me, that’s going to add up REAL quick! My Grandma got me a great cocktail recipe book for Christmas, here are a few similar options with a ton of recipes!
DIY Home Improvement Projects
Now that we have had some extra time on our hands and we’re spending MUCH of that at home, its been a great time to knock out our home improvement projects we never make the time for. Home improvement is fun, but it can also get expensive. Home Depot and Home Goods love me and my wallet. The best way to maximize both your time and your savings is to do a lot of these projects on your own. For example, I have two lamps in my living room that I have been wanting to swap out for gold instead of black. I searched for new lamps on Home Goods, Target and numerous other home goods sites but they all come with a decent price tag. I found a can of gold spray paint I had from other projects I’ve worked on around the house and opted to do the work myself. Can I tell you, they turned out JUST as good! You would seriously never know. My total cost was $6 at Michaels, instead of $150 for two new lamps!
Saving money is a journey. Like dieting, its very much a lifestyle change. For someone like myself who LOVES to shop, and it’s really not an option to stop, you have to adjust your budget accordingly.
I’m not a guru, I’m most certainly a work in progress, but I encourage you to set your own budget and financial goals. Once you start, it’s addicting and feels GOOD to save! (Who am I, seriously.) There are many ways to save or knock out your debt you just have to take the first step!
So there you have it, my top 5 ways to save a little money and cut back on some of my excessive spending habits! These are great for everyday savings for a goal you set or good immediate money savers in times of need like we are in now.
How do you cut back and save? Any tips and tricks I can work on myself? Share your advice with me below!
