The Best Way to Save Money For You

By Allison L. Johnson
Blog Content Contributor

It’s extremely hard to save money if you’re a college student. We seriously have the most inconvenient things happen to us when we’re actually not trying to spend money. For example, if you’re usually that person who goes home in between classes to throw a frozen pizza in the oven for lunch, there’s been those days when you’re so caught up in school work that there isn’t any time for you to go home, so you’re stuck eating on campus. There goes $7.

There’s things that are inevitable and that are going to make us spend money when we didn’t want to, but we could teach ourselves to have some self-control when it comes to spending when we definitely have a choice. You should make note of where you spend the most money and honestly try to stay away from it for a while. If you love the outlets, stay away from them until you really are just in dire need of something. If you’re going there because you need an outfit for an event, only buy for that.

There’s times when you’re shopping for one specific thing but you don’t find what you wanted at the mall so you decide to buy something else. Don’t do this! Stick to your list. This definitely can apply to grocery shopping as well, but this is definitely a struggle for us since the outlets always has amazing deals.

When you’re shopping keep in mind if it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no. I have a few things in my closet that I like but I don’t ever wear. Something that will help is actually trying on what you might buy. If you don’t look in the mirror and get excited about when you’re going to get to wear it out, don’t buy it. Just buy what you are absolutely in love with.

Another thing you can do if you spend a lot of money on fast food is to buy groceries that will last a while. A box of pancake mix can last a long time, but instead of just buying a box of pancake mix, buy some strawberries and whipped cream to spice it up. So next time you think about wanting to go have an expensive breakfast over the weekend just think, “I have IHOP in my kitchen.” Buying just that will save you money on those breakfast runs to Chick-fil-A and Starbucks all week.  If you are in a position where you just have to eat out, don’t pay full menu price for your food! Download the apps Hooked and RetailMeNot. There are great deals for many restaurants in town.  

Look through your posted transactions and see where all your money is going. Add it up, and next time you get paid save half of that. Try to cut your budget for whatever you spend all your money on in half. Start with half, because it would be way too difficult to completely just stop. So if you spend $20 a week on fast food, next time you get paid, get $10 cash back and stash it away somewhere in your closet. If you put it in your savings account, there’s a good chance you might transfer it to your checking account so you can spend it. Doing this will let you physically see how much you’re saving.

Treat yourself! Just not too much.

Featured image by Allison Johnson.