Whether you’re gaining independence from your family or attempting to budget and reevaluate your spending, living by your means is essential for financial fitness.
There are a few different ways to achieve this and still be satisfied with your life until you start making the big bucks.
It may be hard, but you certainly can do it.Bargain Shopping
You can put together an amazing wardrobe that will make you look like a million bucks but won’t clear out your bank account. Always check clearance sections in stores before looking at full-price items. You can also visit TJ Maxx and Marshalls for brand names at low prices. The key to this is actually putting time into shopping. To bargain shop, you have to be patient because you’ll be waiting for things to go on sale and putting a lot more man-hours into your shopping trips.
Shop at low-price stores for furniture and food too. Ikea is way cheap and your local Wal-Mart will have deals you can’t pass up. Plus, you can eat healthy and save a lot of money shopping at Aldi.
Don’t Worry About What Other People Have
Don’t compare yourself to others. Someone may have a bigger house than you or a fancier apartment. Your co-worker may walk in with a Louis Vuitton while you have a Forever 21 tote bag. Who cares? Buy what you can afford and look good doing it! Don’t max out a credit card trying to keep up with the Joneses. What you have is amazing and things are just…things.
Stay In More
We live in an era where staying in all weekend binge watching Gossip Girl and eating snacks has become completely acceptable. Skip the partying and expensive meals and relax at home. You can invite your friends over or your boyfriend and have just as much fun inside. Even if you don’t like being cooped up in the house, do something free! Ride bikes, go for a walk, have a picnic in the park with the new food you just scored from Aldi. Your wallet will thank you.
Clip Coupons
Everyone gets coupons in the mail or in the weekly newspaper. Don’t pitch these, go through them and clip away. You will be surprised at how much you save. Don’t forget about virtual coupons. Target has an app with tons of savings called Cartwheel. You simply scan each product and the app tells you if there’s a deal for it and the cashier scans your phone to redeem the savings. It’s basically a virtual coupon. Cool, huh?
Cancel Your Cable
Stream everything! Hulu and Netflix are about $7 per month each. You’ll have access to movies and shows and Hulu offers episodes for shows the day after they air. Amazon Prime is another option for streaming media. It costs $99 per year and even includes free shipping on Amazon orders so you’ll save money there as well.
Now that you know what to do, stop living paycheck to paycheck and start saving!
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