Being a broke university student is hard. Despite having a job (thank you Chapman Learning Commons for employing me), there are still some moments where my spending catches up to me. However, over time, I’ve developed some creative ways to save money that I’ve shared with you here!
Postpone (impulse) purchases
It’s easy to fall into the pitfalls of impulse shopping, or retail therapy as some may call it. There’s a specific dopamine rush you get when your online purchase comes in the mail after a long, grueling week of studying and being an academic weapon. To quell my urges, whenever I get the itch to buy something, I window shop and then try to postpone it for a week. Oftentimes, I forget about it and end up not buying it altogether, which saves me some money.
Have a no-spend weekend
Whenever I go out with my friends, it feels like we’re burning holes in our wallets–especially when we go shopping or to eat at new restaurants. Recently, we’ve been making plans that involve free, no-spend activities, such as crafting, baking, and watching movies at home. Last week, we had a “board” night, where we made charcuterie boards and played board games, which was super fun. This way, we’re able to spend quality time with each other without breaking the bank every weekend!
Buy once, cry once
Buying the cheapest option sounds like it would save you money, but, in the long run, it could actually cost you more. They’re often made with worse-quality materials to cut costs. This means that they’re likely to break down sooner and not last you as long, forcing you to buy it again later down the line.
For example, when I was in middle school, I really wanted to buy a pair of Doc Martens, but I couldn’t justify spending that much money on a pair of shoes with my measly allowance. I settled with buying a pair of knock-offs that were a quarter of the price. These ended up breaking down within six months of use, so I saved up and bought a real pair of Docs. It’s been almost 7 years since I’ve purchased them, and I still wear them to this day! The same applies with most furniture, appliances, clothes, and so on. I’ve realized that it’s better to save up and buy a better quality item that can last a lifetime and that I can maintain, repair, and reuse.
Reuse and reduce!
This isn’t as creative, but switching to reusable whenever possible has made a huge difference in my budget. This includes using rags instead of paper towels, dryer balls instead of dryer sheets, handkerchiefs instead of Kleenex, a makeup remover instead of face wipes. Costco also has these amazing bulk packs of microfibre hand towels that my family and I use for everything–from wiping to dusting to scrubbing. We’ve had them since I was in elementary school and they’re still going strong!
Fix it before you nix it
Instead of immediately replacing an item or paying someone else to fix it when it’s broken, trying to fix it first is much better for your wallet! YouTube and WikiHow are quite educational and are great resources with lots of tutorials on repairing damaged goods. I’m often surprised at how easily I can repair things that I thought were unsalvageable once I have a good tutorial going.
Those are the tips and tricks that I’ve learned over the years that have helped me save money! What are some of the ways you like to save money creatively? Let us know in the comments below.
