How To Save Money Easily
Saving money 101.
I
hear a lot of people around me saying that they spend too much and that they don't manage to save up money. As someone who used to spend all
my pocket money on random stuff when I was a teenager, I totally get
it. Now that I'm an adult who has to pay bills and feed myself, not
so much. Over the years I've found many tips and tricks to save money
without feeling at all deprived in my day-to-day life. No need to cut down on your social life or stop online shopping - my approach is to
rethink the way we consume anything that can be bought, and find
some alternatives around you. I've divided my tips into three
categories: beauty, fashion and lifestyle. Here we go... How to effortlessly save money!
THE BEAUTY TIPS
-
Only buy a beauty product when you run out of something. No one
really needs five foundations, three black eyeliners and
three palettes of neutral eyeshadows. Yes, new releases are exciting,
but if saving money is your current goal, then keep your trustworthy
staples and ditch the news-in.
-
Cut up old t-shirts to make makeup remover cloths, or get a couple
reusable cloths to stop buying cotton pads. I give this tip to
everyone because of its ecological value, but it also is a savvy
habit that will save you money.
- If you want good quality products for less, look into stores like TK Maxx, where they will sell brands for very good prices. I'm thinking shampoo, skincare, soap... It's a gold mine!
- Don't buy shaving cream, and instead just rub some shower gel on your skin and the razor will glide just as well.
- Take short showers, and cut on baths - I know a bath feels great, but you will save the money you spent on those Lush bathbombs (which are unreasonably priced these days) and on the water bill.
THE FASHION TIPS
-
Learn to sew so that you can sew back buttons on your tops and little
holes on socks - or any other clothes that have holes in them. It may
seem a little 1800's, but isn't it silly to throw away a pair of socks
because one of them has a hole in it? This will avoid you having togo buy, buy, buy again.
-
Don't buy something because you need it there and then. We've all
been in this scenario: you're out in the cold and you didn't think of
wearing a jumper, so you just run into the first shop you see and get
one. Or maybe you're out for the day, it's raining and you forgot
your umbrella, so you buy one from a random cheap shop. You will end
up with multiples of the same accessory (that you only need one of)
and spend your money unecessarily. Instead, just live through it and
maybe next time, you'll remember to bring that damn umbrella!
-
If you need an outfit, costume or accessory for a party, ask a friend
if they have something you can borrow instead of buying it
to wear it only once. Need a witch's hat for a Halloween party? I'm
pretty sure at least one of your friends, or family, or colleagues
will have one in their house somewhere. Never buy anything you plan
on wearing for a specific occasion. Make do with what you have, and
what you can borrow from others.
THE LIFESTYLE TIPS
-
When you leave the house, make sure you have a reusable bottle ofwater so you don't end up spending a few coins to buy one. Also, don't
be scared to ask for refills in cafés and restaurants: if you run
out of water during the day, someone will happily fill your reusable
bottle for you.
-
Make your own lunch boxes for work instead of buying food on the go.
You don't have to make it complicated; even sandwiches are cheaper if
you make them at home. Bring your own tea bags or coffee to work
instead of stopping at Starbucks at the beginning of the day.
-
Reuse whatever you can at home to avoid buying some specifc things:
old jam jars can be turned into those fancy mason jars everyone
loves, you can use biscuit boxes as storage, etc.
- Stop buying magazines and read articles online instead. (Though I think most people do this already nowadays!)
- In the same idea, stop buying books and get yourself a membership at the library. Buying books at the bookshop is expensive, and even though it is great to support them, if you are looking into saving money for now, borrow the books instead. Especially great if you end up don't liking the book so much - you'll be glad you haven't bought it.
- For your food shopping, don't be scared to buy from lower store brands (for products like pasta, cereal, yogurt etc.) - their food probably comes from the same producer, but one gets double the price because of the brand name.
What are your tips to save money easily?
Lots of love,
Julia x
Lots of love,
Julia x
20 commentaires
Joining the library and making my own lunch are the two that made a huge difference for me as well.
ReplyDeleteIt really does add up! xx
DeleteGreat advice, as always! After having a huge beauty advent calendar, I don't have to buy a lot of cosmetics, so I will only get the ones that run out. I agree with you, nobody needs 5 foundations. I'm going to cut some old sheets and sew them together as make-up pads.
ReplyDeleteAlso, food on the go is so expensive. After spending £5.50 on a sandwich in the train station, I made sure I had some sandwiches with me when I'm commuting. I didn't even like that very expensive sandwich. I also agree with joining the library. Most of the books I read are from the library, as buying all of them would be so expensive.
Thank you Anca! Food on the go is definitely expensive - and if anything, especially in train stations! And airports. It's kind of crazy actually, because as you said it's not even good. Tupperware homemade foods are the best (and healthiest!) xx
DeleteAw amazing tips Julia! Ahhh I agree with you, Lush bath bombs are too expensive for me! Which is probably a good thing, because I think I save a lot of money by not letting myself go in the Lush store haha xD I love how so many of these will help the environment too :D and encourage us to focus on treasuring our belongings and caring for them and mending them instead of seeing them as throwaway things. Amazing post! xx
ReplyDeleteelizabeth ♡ ”Ice Cream” whispers Clara
Thank you Elizabeth, I'm happy you enjoyed the post! I really do think Lush could reduce their prices somehow. Other brands similar to them offer cheaper prices already! xx
DeleteIt depends on the circumstances.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.alyinwanderland.com/2020/01/versatile-leopard-and-floral-clothes.html
What does? I am not sure what you are referring to. :)
DeleteI definitely agree with only having one thing of each - I currently have about a million moisterisers open but obviously can only use one at a time. I'm not buying any more until I run out, and I'm doing that the same with skin care and make up. My main expense will always be food and travel however!
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend! :)
Amy x Wandering Everywhere
You took a great decision there! I agree with you about food and travel - that's also where I am okay to invest! xx
DeleteLoving the tips here, Julia! I totally need to bookmark this for the future. I make a lot of my own clothes and adore TK Maxx, but never thought of some of the reusing tips like using old t-shirts! Love that :)
ReplyDeleteAnika | chaptersofmay.com
I'm glad this is helpful Anika! Making your own clothes is literally the best, you can make exactly what you want! It takes some skill, but it's a great hobby to pick up! xx
DeleteThese are great tips indeed. I stopped buying unnecessary makeup items and realized, how much money I had been spending on them before.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ninakobi.com
Once you actually count up how much you've spent, you realise all the uneccessary purchases. We should all check on that every so often! xx
DeleteI adore this! Even though I am doing so many of your tips, it always feel like I am not saving enough. Unexpected bills are the worst! Anyway I will try to be more kind with myself and let me treat myself from time to time(:
ReplyDeleteCate ☾ 35mm in Style | Photography + Blogging
Well done for already doing a lot Cate! It's definitely not easy, and also it's not a straight line - some times, you will spend more money than others. But of course you should always treat yourself: life's meant to be enjoyed! xx
DeleteOnly buying a beauty product once you've run out of something is very good advice; or else we can end up stashing up tons of products that end up expiring! This was a great read Julia, thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteaglassofice.com x
Exactly, products just expire in your cupboards and can end up being a big waste of money. Thank you for reading Gabrielle! xx
DeleteI like to bulk buy meat from a local store (cheaper than the supermarket) and freeze it for future meals. I also like to meal plan so I don't end up going nuts at the supermarket grabbing everything that looks good!
ReplyDeletehttp://itsadulllife.com
Buying in bulk and freezing is a great way of saving money, definitely! Food shopping can eat up a lot of budget. Thank you for sharing your tip, Marnie! xx
Delete