Browse links
US residents can opt out of "sales" of personal data.
Two apps, a money jar, and a new bullet journal addition actually saved me a whole lot of cash in just one month.
I moved to the US with two bags, so naturally need to buy a lot of shit: furniture, linens, and you know, actual winter clothes so I could survive January in New York City. And as someone with an eye for discounts, this meant I signed up to a lot of retail newsletters in my first few months of living here because so many brands offer that sweet 10% discount if you do. I also found myself following local stores and brands on Instagram.
For a few months, I loved the deals, newsletters, and sale alerts, until slowly my phone and inbox became spending triggers. But once my wardrobe and home were both comfortably full, the constant emails and shopping posts started to exhaust me and my bank account, so unfollowing them really helped.
Did it work? YEP. It's so much easier to avoid shopping when you're not being bombarded by sale alerts every few days.
When I downloaded this app I found out I had already spent $390 (!!!) on delivery food this year and almost $100 on Amazon. Granted, I'd had a group of friends visiting from Australia and I put a lot of group dinners on my Grub Hub account — especially since the weather this January was so awful — but still, I was SHAKEN.
Before downloading Clarity Money I truly thought I had a good idea of where my money went each month, so these figures really got to me. The following month I'm proud to say that I spend a total of $0 on delivery food. It turns out, all I needed was a painful little reminder that it really does all add up. Instead, during February my "food" tab was mainly grocery stores! A win for my bank account and my health.
Did it work? HELL YES. I needed a wake-up call and man, this app served me one.
I don't buy a lot of clothes or makeup, and I don't have a car that needs maintaining, nor a pet I have to feed. What I do spend a lot of money on however, is catching up with friends. But the thing is, there's a big difference in the cost of a coffee on a Saturday morning and the cost of a Friday night dinner at a nice place with a bottle of wine, followed by a cocktail somewhere. It doesn't sound like much of a hack, but this month I practiced saying "no" and "actually, can we do this instead" more.
I said "no" to going to a show I couldn't afford (and wasn't overly interested in) and caught up with a friend for a mid-week movie instead. I moved a drink that would have turned into dinner to a breakfast at an affordable spot by my apartment. For me, learning to live within a budget means working out ways to do the things I like (i.e. see my mates) in ways that won't leave me with the money guilts. I don't know how much money I saved thanks to speaking up this month, but I do know I wasn't as stressed as I can sometimes get, trying to keep up with with everyone else's social spending.
Did it work? I think so. I still spend a large chunk of money eating out and drinking with friends, but I'm trying to remember that I am allowed to speak up if something's not in my budget for the week.