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4 Ways to Save More Money This Month

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This June, I decided that I was officially over the roommate life. And while I’m absolutely obsessed with my new studio, I’m also paying twice as much in rent – not to mention utilities.

To top it all off, I live in the DC area – where the cost of living isn’t exactly the most reasonable thing in the world.

Before we get into a few strategies that have helped me adjust, I want to make something very clear.

I am horrible at saving money.

Since I’m noticeably organized and disciplined in other areas, this often takes people by surprise.

However, not to worry. I’m slowly but surely learning how to be just as annoyingly structured when it comes to money management. And I'm ready to share some wisdom with you.

Here are four tactics that have helped me successfully pay my rent, and still have money to spare for some weekend White Claws.

1. Be strategic with your groceries.

While I’m definitely not a takeout kind of girl, I’m also extremely impatient.

Therefore, my hangry ass would rather buy an overpriced salad on my way home from work than spend time cooking for myself.

Now that I have less money to blow, I’m taking smarter grocery trips. That means getting groceries in bulk, and being more cognizant of what I need.

One grocery haul now lasts me at least 3 weeks. And cutting the consistent food purchases makes a huge difference.

I’m also more careful about making sure that my fruit and vegetables don’t go bad, because that ends up being money down the drain.

I now regularly make dishes incorporating multiple veggies, which prevents me from forgetting about them. Here are a few easy recipes I like:

    I also keep my fruit top-of-mind by making smoothies. Here are some of my favorites:

    Hearing “we have food at home” as a kid may have been disheartening, but saying it to yourself might save you.

    2. Reassess your regular beauty treatments.

    Beauty treatments are easily my biggest weakness when it comes to spending money.

    That means regular manicures, eyebrow waxes, eyelash extensions, and the occasional luxury haircut.

    Luckily, I’ve found a way to continue being as extra as possible – for less.

    First, I switched from gel manicures to dip – and holy game changer.

    While many of my friends had been recommending dip manicures for a while, it took me a while to give it a shot.

    As a creature of habit, I was comfortable with gel and saw no reason to try something new. Well, let’s just say that I’m glad that I finally did.

    While dip is typically $10 more than gel, it lasts way longer with little to no chipping. So I’m now spending $50 once a month, rather than $40 two or three times a month.

    I’ve also switched from full set lash extensions to half set – saving a whopping $100 in the process. My lashes are a little less Ariana Grande-esque, but they’re still pretty damn luscious.

    Cutting corners doesn’t always require giving things up – some small swaps can be more significant than you may think.

    3. Take your savings account seriously.

    My mom is basically the queen of budgeting. While she tried her hardest to pass down these habits to me through the years, I didn’t exactly welcome her advice with open arms.

    Now, I’ve finally begun to see the light – especially when it comes to my saving account.

    The old me (aka 3 months ago) would go a little overboard after every paycheck. I considered payments as opportunities to treat myself, and would spend an inordinate amount at Sephora or South Moon Under.

    Now, I track all of my paydays on my iPhone calendar. As soon as the payment comes in, I immediately transfer a decent portion to my savings account – no exceptions.

    Keeping a lower amount in my checking account helps me effectively live below my means. I’ve adopted the mindset of having less available funds, which then helps me make smarter spending choices.

    After all, it’s easier to save money when it’s not in your face begging to be spent. 

    4. Walk it out.

    Some of you may not know this, but I haven’t driven since 2015. Driving gives me serious anxiety, and I have no depth perception. (This may or may not be a short person thing.)

    So when I moved out of my parents’ house, I left my car and never looked back. I take a short train ride to and from work, and the train stop is only about a 7-minute walk from my apartment.

    While I’ve always walked many places such as the pharmacy or a nearby bar, I’ve also taken a shitload of Ubers.

    And while each ride is relatively cheap, they definitely add up over time. Therefore, I now try to walk as much as humanly possible.

    While I know this strategy isn’t always feasible depending on where you live, I encourage you to consider it if it’s an option.

    Not only will you save money, but you’ll also get some exercise. As a strictly indoor workout kind of girl, that breath of fresh air isn’t so bad either.

    I’ll also take more advantage of public transportation when I can. Grabbing a quick Uber may seem much easier than formulating a new train route, but it’s also more expensive.

    For instance, I aim to do my errands and shopping on my way home from work. I stay on the train home for one more stop to get to my go-to shopping center, and then walk back to my apartment.

    This also eliminates any chance of dealing with a chatty Uber driver – which we all know is a 50-50 shot.

    I used to think that I was always destined to be “bad at money.” The truth is, I was just too stubborn to get better at it.

    At the end of the day, saving money comes down to getting real with yourself.

    Once you identify your problem areas and re-strategize, you’ll begin to see that it’s not an ongoing struggle – it’s simply a process. And you have the freedom to continuously improve.

    10 Comments Add a Comment?

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    Kimberly Leatherwood

    Posted on Aug. 16, 2019, 3:52 p.m.

    Excellent tips! I am not a good saver either but have recently been forced to become one. Very useful!! Thanks for sharing!

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    Britt K

    Posted on Aug. 16, 2019, 4:01 p.m.

    While I do really well at some things - walking everywhere for example and limiting any beauty treatments (I even cut/dye my own hair) - I am TOTALLY guilty of buying an overpriced salad on the way home rather than taking the time to make one myself far too often hahaha

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    Zara

    Posted on Aug. 16, 2019, 6:35 p.m.

    I definitely think groceries are an area that is so easy to save money in, when I was a student if I really needed to I could make the bare minimum work for me by making sure I seasoned everything and added herbs and spices I already had in the cupboard!

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    Anda

    Posted on Aug. 19, 2019, 2:19 p.m.

    Okay, let me know your secret!! How do you keep fruits and veggies from going bad? I struggle so hard with this one... They always seem to go bad before I get to eat them.
    Also, are you my sister? My mom is also fantastic at saving and budgeting but I am a complete mess. I try, I swear I try but I just can't. I'm getting my first payment this week and I also planned on having a savings account. I don't trust saving money in the house, if they are in the bank and I can't just take them out whenever - pretty much how it works in my country- I can be assured I won't spend them xD


    Great tips and great post!

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    Kelly

    Posted on Aug. 19, 2019, 8:42 p.m.

    These are some really great tips! I've always thought I was bad at money too but now, thanks to you, I have some tips to help me out! Thanks for posting these

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    Ana

    Posted on Aug. 22, 2019, 3:49 p.m.

    I learned how to budget and save after struggling for a while with frivolous spending. I think saving is a habit that you develop and then can't shake. A growing savings account is a great incentive to keep going! Thanks for sharing.

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    Shari J

    Posted on Aug. 22, 2019, 5:39 p.m.

    I love this post. I recently cut all those special treatments like eyebrows, hair, nails because essentially I can do them all my self and literally save $100 bucks.

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    Aleksandra Eifler

    Posted on Aug. 23, 2019, 2:37 a.m.

    These are some great tips! Loved all of them. Thank you so much for the motivation to save some money.

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    CherishingFlo

    Posted on Aug. 23, 2019, 4:16 p.m.

    I relate to this SO HARD in so many ways and feel like this advice will definitely help me. I need to be more strategic about my groceries especially since I’m such a picky eater and I resort to quick food entirely too often. I also have major anxiety driving and sometimes I don’t walk places I can walk to because ... we’ll just because. I also switched to S&S recently instead of gel and it’s saved my ENTIRE life! Lasts soooo much longer. Luckily, I don’t get my lashes done but I am glad I can cut corners with my pampering without cutting my pampering all together lol

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    Elizabeth Mayberry

    Posted on Aug. 24, 2019, 3 a.m.

    Great tips! Getting our food budget in order was key to helping us save money!

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