At some point in my life I transitioned from being a saver to a spender, and while I do enjoy the rush of swiping my card, I don’t like looking at the account balance after. As someone who goes to school full time, I obviously am not swimming in a pool of cash, able to travel whenever I please (but that’s the goal!), so when it comes to saving money, my strategies to do so are key!
I’m guilty of being super good at persuading myself into buying another new pair of shoes, so it’s taken me a while to nail down the best savings skills for myself, but I think I’ve got an okay handle on them now, so here I am, sharing them with you!
- save any “extra” income. For me, this would be cash that I earn housesitting on random occasions. Since it’s not part of my regular income, it’s excessive to my regular budget, allowing me to earn it without needing to spend it.
- skim the top of your paycheck. Paycheck says $432? I’ll deposit an even $400 to my checking and the remaining $32 to my savings!
- turn a routine into a guilty pleasure. Instead of coffee in the morning, I make myself a Tazo chai tea latte. Not only is this possibly not the healthiest choice, but it’s also a costly one as well. Now I wake up 5 mins earlier, put the kettle on and make chai tea from a tea bag (you can get like 20 tea bags for $3) and save the latte for a special occasion!
- give yourself a max amount of spending money. I am the queen of buying food when I’m out and about, but by giving myself a budget of, let’s say $20, a week for concessions on campus, I have better control over what I spending.
- save what you don’t spend. Each time I decide against a $5 Starbucks drink, I get to put that money I would have spent into my savings account! It’s almost like a game; competition, party of one.
- sales? deals?? It can never hurt to go in search of a promo code or check Groupon before purchasing something online!
- ask for practical things for holidays. Want to go on a trip? Ask for the airfare! Need to pay for the renewal of your passport? Ask for that cash amount! Other ideas are luggage, external or solar powered batteries or Airbnb and airline gift cards!
There are so many good ways to save your money in this materialistic world, you just have to set your mind to it and keep your eye on the prize (or in a travelers case, the destination).
World Watching 
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