Image Credit: Traffic Sign
STOP spending unnecessary amounts of money! STOP buying food and
drinks from the vending machine! STOP buying coffee from Starbucks or the gas
station before class!
The first step in saving money is to START planning your
spending.
I feel like I used to be the worst at doing this. If I was
thirsty, I would get a drink from the vending machine. If I was tired before
class, I would stop and get a five dollar coffee. If I wanted a snack, I would
stop at a convenience store. Let me know in the comments if you do this as well
so I do not feel alone!
I felt like I was spending so much money on food and drinks, but I
never had anything at home. The solution to my problem was just taking the time
to plan my spending and budget my money.
It is a lot cheaper to buy coffee and drinks from the grocery store
and bring them to class than it is to stop at Starbucks or the gas station each
day. In the long run, it will save you so much money.
The key is to create a budget. Creating a budget may
sound boring or difficult, but it is not as hard as it seems. Having a budget
can help you feel like you have yourself together and can be an adult.
The first thing you need to do is list out all of the income that
you make in a month. If you have multiple jobs, you need to list out how much
money you are bringing home each month. The next thing is to list all expenses
that you have that are mandatory. These include things you must pay for like
rent, utilities, a car payment, an insurance payment, a loan payment, or
anything else that you have to use your money to pay for each month.
Listing income and expenses is the start
of creating a budget, but it can go a long way to see where and how you are
spending your money. It will help you plan what you spend so you do not find
yourself spending money for unnecessary things.
Let me know in the comments, or email me, if creating a
budget has helped you save money.