Hey guys,
So anyone who knows me knows I am a bad saver and that once I get a payslip I will blow most of it. I think its because when I worked in Subway I lived on £600-£700 a month max and I was a student too so I was out clubbing most nights as well as paying rent and phone bills and a travel pass. Since getting a full time job I have learnt that I was able to manage and still have fun on £700, so I now usually take the difference of what I get in my payslips to the £700. I then split the difference into 2 so one can go into my everyday savings and then the other half can go into my Help to Buy ISA.Everytime a parcel arrives for me my parents are quick to judge and say 'Thought you was saving' blah blah blah. But I always have an excuse to justify the spending; whether its somebody's birthday, occasion or even a really big discount. When they ask me how much I've spent I tend to knock a few off to make it sound a lot better than it actually is. But now that I'm reaching 23 soon I have realised there are more important things than really expensive makeup or a new outfit each time I go out. I want to save for my driving and holidays but also future things such as; wedding, children and a home.
Budget
As I have mentioned above I have just opened another 2 accounts as well as my general everyday use account. It is important to be able to budget in order to track and manage bills and expenses. Normally when I go shopping or on a night out my budget goes out the window and then the next day I will be full of regret. Not because I don't love the shopping I have brought back but I do think 'Do I necessarily need it?!'. Some girl in work lives on her month's payslip so say we get paid the 20th and on the 19th she has £300 left over, she will instantly move that £300 into her savings account. This is a good way to budget I think. Also, having a goal set can help give you the motivation and encouragement to save. Like I previously said, 2020 is the year where I am going to focus on my driving lessons.
Sales
I love a good sale. Who doesn't?! Also, I am so grateful that I only have small feet so can actually save so much just buying junior shoes instead of women's shoes. In the Boxing Day sale I wanted some Fila's and they were reduced from £85 to £45. I was well buzzing. I also love Primark. My younger brothers are always saying 'Guess how much this cost' and it will be a T-Shirt or Hoodie would be £80, their shoes would be like £150-£210. It's ridiculous. Then they'll judge me for wearing Primark clothes instead of designer but I say to them my whole shopping costs the same as one T-shirt so what would I rather have?...
Wait
On my phone I have album which has makeup and skincare products in then an album with outfits in. I tend to find quite a bit of things on social media, in my emails or online that I would like to buy. I then screenshot them and then put them into the albums. I then either wait for a sale before I purchase or sometimes when I'm looking through the albums I actually think 'Do I need this?' or 'Do I even like this anymore?' And often I just find that I actually delete the screenshot instead of actually purchasing the product. If I still like the product I tend to wait a few weeks/months until it becomes cheaper. I have found that although I love an item and wait for it to go a bit cheaper my size may be out of stock. Although I am gutted I am also a bit relieved that I have actually just saved. Anyone else?
Unsubscribe From Online Retail Newsletters
I need to follow this actually. I am signed up to too many websites. Rebellious, I Saw It First, Pretty Little Thing, Spectrum, Misguided, Boohoo, JD, ASOS, Boots, Superdrug, Cult Beauty. You name it, I'm subscribed. I can't help it. They offer really good discounts and deals. I am going to unsubscribe though because I believe if they don't send me the latest trends then I'm not likely to screenshot. Also, by unsubscribing my mind won't be thinking about the great deals and discounts they are offering.
Avoid Shopping Centres
I used to live 15 minutes on the bus to the Liverpool City Centre or it was a 10 minute walk to my local shopping centre. But now I have moved to where it takes me either 5 minutes in the car to the local shopping centre or 20 minute walk then 30 minutes on the bus to the Liverpool City Centre. Although this is a pain in the arse as most of friends live or work in the Liverpool City Centre, it means that if I decide to walk then I am getting exercise as well as having to take into consideration its essential or a necessity to go shopping.
I do love window shopping and not actually buying anything. It is hard to avoid the temptation to go inside and buy something but I actually feel proud knowing I can walk past admire something yet not desire it. My friends think its mad that I still like to get cash out instead of just using my card but I think right I have £100 in my purse then I'll end up budgeting it in the shops whereas if I didn't have cash and just used card then the price is limitless. The same for contactless cards and Apple pay. I haven't unlocked the contactless service because it is so much easier to just place the card on the machine so I am more likely to use. The amounts of nights out I have been on where I'm like I spent such and such and my mates are like 'Yeah contactless is awful because I have spent a fortune'. I do have Apple Pay set up but I don't use it. It is lucky it's set up as I lost my card a while ago and when I called to cancel the card they said I was able to use Apple pay straight away whilst I waited for my new card.
To conclude, saving is really difficult for many people, especially for me, but there are so many ways to budget and cut down on the spending so hopefully being focused and determined will help me to save a lot more. Let's see how I go for the first quarter of the year before I say let's see how I go until the end of the year ahah.
Nadine Alex x
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