Time to Start Saving!

So I'm going to be blunt: saving money is such a challenge for me. 

I think most of this stems from my obsession with clothes, and shoes, and necklaces and scarves… you catch my drift? I'm not the person who completely splurges when shopping. I do a good job at saving money for true investments in my wardrobe such as such as a good pair of jeans, a nice button down or a trench. However, my problem is in the little things. I'm particularly talking about sales. They are both a blessing and a curse. If I see a $40 dress that was originally $200 I feel almost obligated to buy it! Sure, it's a great deal but would I have spent that $40 on the dress if it wasn't originally so expensive? I find that sales produce more impulse shopping than anything. Don't even get me talking about online sales! Impulse shopping is where my difficulty with saving comes from and I'm devoting the rest of March to stopping this problem in it's tracks. 

As a college girl on a budget saving money is becoming increasingly important to me as I start to think about moving to a house after graduation, paying off student loans and investing in my future. I've written a list of tips that I'm going to start focusing on in order to protect my piggy bank!

1. Hide the Card!

Put away that credit card! Using only cash puts a set limit on the amount that you can be spending and it also cuts off those impulsive online shopping purchases. Even better, when you set out to go to the grocery, taking only what you need prevents you from grabbing that unnecessary chapstick at the check out line!

2. Plan Your Outings

Plan what you're going to be doing for the week. Are you going to be eating out with your girlfriends on Friday night? If so, skip the Starbucks line today! Plan ahead for when you're going to be spending and you won't be pinching at your pocket when the waiter hands you the check!

4. Make a List!

Keep an ongoing list of lust items. Maybe it's that new NARS blush or those new espadrilles at J.Crew but keep these items written down and then begin to prioritize them. If you need a new phone charger, put this above a new pair of sunnies. Keeping everything written down on paper is a great way to see exactly what you're going to be spending and helps you to prioritize!

5. Want or Need?

This point is especially for the ever-enticing sale shopping. When you come across an item think to yourself "Do I want this or do I need this"? There's a difference between buying two-for-one shampoo on sale and a bright patterned scarf that's half off. Don't throw your saving skills out the window just because there's a good deal. If you weren't planning on buying the item in the first place, it's price really shouldn't matter!

6. Make Recycling Fun!

Get over the "I don't have anything to wear" thing because girl, you totally do. Look at those two closets staring back at you and try to convince me that there is absolutely nothing fabulous in there. Use these weeks of saving to challenge yourself! Mix and match things you've never worn together before. Play up pattern mixing and you might come to find some adorable options you had never even thought about!

7. Challenge Yourself to a Timeline!

I've decided that the rest of March I am going to spend absolutely nothing on unnecessary items. I'll go to the grocery and get my food, I'll pick up prescriptions and I'll buy gas but I won't go to Target and pick up that new blush that I wanted to test out and I am for sure not walking into J.Crew. I'm going to start with baby steps and then I'm going to tackle a whole month!

Time to start protecting my piggy!

Emily

Feeling Like a Grownup

Recently I've been applying for scholarships and internships for this coming summer. First off I think its semi sad that I'm so focused and determined to get internships over the summer instead of planning the days I'm going to the pool. I can honestly count the number of times I was at the pool this past summer on one hand. Easy to say I wasn't very tan. Then again, it does feel pretty good and honestly rewarding to have a "real-people" job in an office.

Due to this need for experience (and mainly money) this past week has been a little stressful with all of the March 1st-3rd deadlines. Anyways, in doing this I've come to the conclusion that I'm pretty impressed with my drive and willingness to work hard in order to get my dream job. I was designing business cards last night, I'm not sure if I should be ashamed of that or proud.

For one of my internship applications I had to provide a Curriculum Vitae. Firstly, I'm prefacing this with, I had to look up what that was… Secondly, most of the samples I looked at were in other languages. Twas a task looking for an English version. By the end of the day however I had successfully completed this document and I'm actually excited about it!

So long story short, I think I can deal with this growing up thing. Although I'm missing pool time, I'm currently feeling a little accomplished and definitely driven. I can handle this.

Now with a fancy resume,

Emily