- Rule #1: Experiences, not tangible items!
- Set a budget. Always use cash so you see physically how much you're using. Take out the amount in cash every month, divvy it up by $1 bills into envelopes marked with what they're meant to be used for (groceries, eating out, movies, clothes, whatever), and that's all you get to use. Period.
- Don't get groceries every week. Shop around for the cheapest grocery store -- often family-owned markets, not chain supermarkets. Get fresh stuff in bulk, not pre-made or frozen, not even salad mix. Preferably stuff you can freeze for later, so you don't waste it. If it's going to go bad, plan meals accordingly, or just don't get it. If you have to throw something out, you're doing it wrong.
- Don't go out shopping either.
- Don't eat out. Pack all food. Even pack snacks.
- Go vegetarian or vegan. Meat and dairy are so expensive.
- If you must go shopping, make a list of stuff you need, then only get things on that list. Nothing else.
- Constantly check to see that things aren't being automatically drawn out of your account. Such as cable television.
- However, do get a certain percentage automatically put into your permanent savings account every time you deposit a paycheck, which is not to be touched. (Maybe some sent back to parents, too -- my dream is to make enough that, every three months, I could send back the quarterly Tritonlink payment that they've had to make, until all of my university was taken care of.)
- ...Get another job? Always look for jobs.
- Shopping is not as fun as the US says it is.
- The less you own, the freer you are.
- Only buy things you LOVE. That way, your closet is full of things you love.
- Buy fewer pieces overall, but buy better. That way, you'll always be able to find pieces you like wearing and that you feel confident in.
- Make sure you can create outfits when you buy things.
- "During the 6 years I (and my husband) spent on my PhD, I've gone 6 + mo without buying clothes. We just didn't have money, and they didn't seem like a high priority at the time. But we definitely had money for coffee with friends, and cooking them dinner, and gas money for camping trips - those things are what life is made of. To quote Suze Orman: people, then money, then things. Just a thought."
jun 2 2012 ∞
jan 13 2013 +