If there is one thing in this world that is pretty hard for college students to come by, it's money.
One problem is that when I get it, I spend it somewhat quick. Money management is definitely a skill I need to learn in every aspect of my life, not just one. Instead of living my life with a "treat yourself" attitude, I think it's time for a switch to a "save yourself" attitude.
However, there are things that I refuse to spend a large amount of money (or hardly any money) on. Sometimes I know how to save my money. The funny thing is, the things I save money are on the things that most people spend the most money on.
1. Perfume
I have noticed that many people, women in particular, spend a large amount of money on perfume. I am not a part of this group of women. In fact, I just recently bought myself a new perfume and it was $3. But you know, Dollar General based it off of Michael Kors, so I guess I am still classy, right?
2. Clothes
I wear jeans almost every day of my life. I wear through them like it is a game. Because of this reason, I refuse to pay a large amount of money for them. Target is typically my go to, but Walmart has amazing clothes for even better prices. If you are a Michigan local, check out Meijer as well. They have some super cute clothing for both men and women. Both Walmart and Meijer are also super inclusive with their size range. I know, right?
3. Phone cases
To me, it all does the same thing. I do not need to take my phone underwater. I do not need to have my phone on protection against a ridiculous amount of damage. My phone cases from Amazon and if I spend more than $15 on case, it is not me. Someone send help. Thanks!
4. Sunglasses
Before I get to this, I do not wear glasses so it makes sense for me to not wear glasses. I understand that people who wear glasses probably have to spend a little bit more money on sunglasses. But for me, I do not need that kind of thing and I do not understand why there are such expensive sunglasses! They all do the same thing. $15 is pretty much my cap and I refuse to pay much more than that. Besides, I lose them in about 2 days anyways... But for those two days, I am looking cute on a budget.
5. Food
My mother is to thank for this, but I refuse to buy brand name things for food. It is all literally the same thing with a different label on it. Plus, the food seems to just disappear so quickly and you just have to go back again. Walmart is where I do my grocery shopping and I am able to feed 2-3 people for around $250-$300 a month!!
6. Music
In today's day and age, even though I am sad to see CD's disappearing, I will not purchase music. Spotify is great and it is free. It has nearly all the new music on it and you don't have to pay unless you want to! For me, I put my college student discount to use and get Hulu and Spotify Premium bundled for a whopping $4.99 a month! I know, big spender right?
7. Shoes
The pair of shoes on my feet at this point in time literally cost me $5. I only own one pair of shoes that cost me over $30, and those were my tennis shoes. Similarly to clothes, I wear the same pair of shoes almost every day. If I find a pair of shoes that works very well and doesn't cost me a lot of money, I'd rather get my dollar out of them until the very end.
8. Jewelry
I love earrings, do not get me wrong. But I am also the first person to lose a single earring. Therefore, I cannot spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of earrings that I will lose on the second time wearing them. I am fancy on a budget, duh.
9. Makeup
As much as I love looking at the beautiful high end makeup products, I keep to the drugstore side of things. You can find just as good makeup for half of the price. You are simply paying for the brand name and not the product.
10. Cable/entertainment
I currently do not pay for cable nor will I. Even if you are not paying for Netflix, Hulu or anything along those lines, there are people that do and I am sure are willing to share! Suppose that you do pay for it but you can definitely hook up with some of your friends and spilt the already cheap payment a month in half, thirds, or quarters! It's all about working the system my friends. Money is valuable and TV is everywhere. I'd pick money over watching today's TV. Let's be honest, I only watch The Office anyway.
Hopefully you have read this article and found ways to save money for yourself. If not and you like spending money on these things, I am sure there are other places you don't spend money! Enjoy yourself and definitely continue to treat yourself. It's more important than you think!