If you’re like me, you’re an over spender. You choose to get coffee or drinks instead of saving. I get it. Believe me.
I was never raised to save. Therefore, I'm not the best at it. People have tried to teach me different ways to save or budget, but I can never get it to stick.
I’ve realized, lately, that you need to find a balance for yourself. Not everyone’s strategy for saving money is going to work with your specific lifestyle.
Here are some tips to help you figure out a budget that works for you.
Find Balance and Control
It can be so easy to feel like you “need” everything you buy. You can justify most purchases and make yourself feel better about buying things. The truth is, you have to live within your means. And it might suck for a minute.
Figure out what you think is necessary for you to spend your money on and what you should cut back on.
Stop Emotional Spending
Another thing you have to think about is why you’re impulse buying. If you have no control over your spending, you need to get that control back. You control your money, it does not control you. Do you spend more when you’re stressed or upset? (I do) Find something else to relieve that anxiety. Like, a show or an activity. (for me it’s my blog or the gym) Are you to addicted to the feeling of spending money? I know I love the feeling of going to a cafe with a friend and talking. Find a way to get that same feeling without spending the money. Make coffee or a meal at home and eat on the porch or balcony.
Plan Out Everything
It’s so much easier to keep track of how much you spend when you plan out every detail.
Track when you work, how much you make, and what you spend. Keep a list of needs going forward. What you need to restock and a list of things you want. It’ll help keep you focused on what you need vs what you want and how to prioritize it.
Write out everything. Any money left over needs to either go to savings, towards debt, towards a goal, or towards a treat (like coffee).
Instead of Whole Foods, shop at Trader Joe’s for a little while. Instead of expensive food, try making your meals and planning out your week of meals. Meal prep. Buy matcha or coffee that you can make at home. Pre plan how you can cut back.
Set a Goal
For the first month or 2, you need to be really cautious with your spending and track everything you spend. Really try to cut back and you’ll start to feel a rhythm of what works for you and how easy it can become. It’s all about making a habit. Train your brain to see what you need vs want and how much you spend. Try to spend as little as possible and then reward yourself with a treat when you’ve accomplished your goal. Setting a goal can be as simple as saying you’re going to buy 2 coffees per week vs 5. Baby steps.
Download my budget tracker and write out all of your goals and things. It always helps me to write down and see everything I spend money on. What are you going to cut back on? You CAN do it! I believe in you :)
