Eating Out
I can't tell you how tempting it is to just forgo making lunch in the morning and just buy something in uni but let me just say, uni food is pretty dang expensive! I've tried to limit myself to one meal out a week (if that) whether that be lunch or dinner. Not only is it saving me money from spending a fiver on lunch every day but it's also making me more proactive in making sure I have food in the house and also that I'm leaving myself enough time in the morning to prep everything. Solid lunch staples include, but are not limited to, wraps, salads and my personal favourite, last night's pasta! I also try to limit my spending on food I know I'm not going to use and try to limit myself to around £15 a week.
Avoiding sales (to an extent)
I'm a simple girl, I see sales, I will purchase but that is a TERRIBLE habit to be in. This is why TK Maxx is so dangerous for me because I'll see something that I really don't need but see that it's such good value that I just HAVE to purchase it. This is a particular issue whenever I miss my train because I then have an hour I can spend just browsing the local shops doing my best not to spend money that I don't have. I exceeded my own expectations though and didn't purchase a single thing in the Black Friday/ Cyber Monday sales and I think that may be a first! Not that sales are bad, they can be great for getting those things that you've been saving up for or planning to get for a long time, but don't use sales as an excuse to just purchase something because it's a bargain.
Staying in
It's a truth universally acknowledged that going out costs money. Find ways to keep yourself entertained at home, get involved in free activities, or if you're a uni student join some societies which will have ways to keep you entertained on a budget. Invite friends round and watch a movie, play some board games, or even just have a chat.
Rethink your subscriptions
Truly the saddest part of the month is when your subscription fees all get taken out of your bank account and suddenly you're a little less well off than you were before! If you're paying a subscription fee that you don't use regularly, cancel it! I pay my phone bill, my Adobe creative cloud subscription and my Spotify premium subscription (luckily for me my dad pays for netflix) all of which I use regularly and don't mind paying because I get the use out of them.
Don't be afraid to treat yo self...
But do it in moderation. As a student sometimes you just really need to treat yourself after a test or a long day of studying and that's totally okay, buy that chocolate or order that take out, you've deserved it! But if it becomes a regular thing it's not so much a treat anymore, rather a staple and it's just not as satisfying and ultimately just costs you more money!
What things have you cut out or cut back to help you save?
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