Ever since I came back from Thailand, I’ve been looking for different ways to save money. Do you ever go on vacation and suddenly get this urge to buy everything in sight? That’s me. I can’t stop. Lucky for me, this is not the first time I’ve needed to live frugally. I used to think I needed to be making loads of money in order to save but that is definitely not the case. Here are my best tips that made saving money EASY.
Cancel Unused Subscriptions
If it’s been months since you went to the gym, just cancel that membership. Chances are you won’t go tomorrow or the next day. It is completely normal to forget about that free trial you signed up for, too. Once, I signed up for an HBO free trial and noticed the monthly recurring fee 4 months later. There was also the time I signed up for a Hulu free trial and ended up paying $144 for a whole year. Small amounts of money means they are easier to forget about.
Going through all your accounts trying to find those phantom subscriptions is a pain; lucky for us, there are apps that can do all that work so YOU won’t have to. Truebill is an app that literally cancels the subscriptions for you (for you my introvert friends) and Trim is another gem that helps you lower your bills by analyzing your spending habits!
Stop Buying Expensive Makeup
Sometimes our skin breaks out and we just want to do everything to hide it from the world, I get it. Took me years to realize but half the time my skin broke out, it was because of all that expensive makeup. I’m not saying cut makeup off completely but definitely give your skin a rest. If that’s really not an option, try using drugstore makeup or shop at Ulta. Half the time they give you amazing deals on amazing products AND if you sign up for their FREE rewards card, you get points every time you make a purchase. I’ll make a separate post for the products that saved my skin and they are all under $20! P.S. No one can really tell how expensive your makeup is. Stop spending your hard-earned money
Getting Your Hair Done Every Week
If there is a tip I believe you should take 10x more serious, it’s this one. We do not need to get our hair done that often, believe me. Why pay for a service you could easily do at home? Go every two months to cut the split ends and treat yourself. I have naturally curly hair and I swore my hairdresser was the only one who could tame it. That was before I began experimenting with so many products that promised the same thing. After lots of trial and error, I finally figured out what works. Once again, I’ll make a whole different post that will list the hacks I use to keep my hair in tip-top shape. I’ll give you one tip though. Applying a specific oil to your hair while damp SAVED MY LIFE.
Spending Money on Coffee
Are you really serious about living that frugal life?! Well then, here you go. STOP SPENDING YOUR PRECIOUS MONEY ON C O F F E E, SIS. After a careful analysis, I noticed I was spending $100 a month or $1,200 a year on JUST coffee. Do you know what $1,200 dollars can do for me right now? What I’m trying to say is that instead of paying $5 a day for that boost of energy, why not make it yourself at home? Invest in a good coffee maker such as a Mr. Coffee machine which costs less than $20!
Stop Eating Out As Much
I work at a daycare and there are days where I work 10-hour shifts. By hour 4, I need something in my stomach. Especially when it is lunchtime and I see all that delicious food on the table. It also does not help that there is a Panera within walking distance. I used to be so tempted to walk 3 minutes to get their creamy Mac and Cheese but now, I’m a pro. I realized that $20 a day adds up (just like those pesky subscriptions) and now I meal prep. Best decision I ever made. Not only is it super cheap but because it is homemade, I know what ingredients are in the food I am consuming. Two thumbs up!
Cut Cable Off
When I cut cable from my monthly bill list, I felt so liberated. Why? Apart from saving myself $200, I hadn’t watched TV in months! Everything I watch is on Netflix (hello $13/month). If I wanted to check out the news, my phone already has everything I need to know. If there was something REALLY important I wanted to watch, I would go over a friend’s house and we’d watch it together. At first you might feel weird but trust the process. You won’t regret it.
So there you have it, my top six money-saving tips. It’s not really that complicated, you just have to really want it, that’s all. As the days go by, you’ll look at your bank account and thank yourself for starting this. The more money you save on these unnecessary expenses, the more money you have to buy on things that actually mean more to you like vacations, etc. How do you save money? I’m always interested to know! Share a comment 🙂
XOXO Tatiana
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