The Easiest Ways to Save Money That Will Feel Impossible at First

Not having a job is hard ya'll. Actually, scratch that. Waking up late every morning and not having to style my hair is easy. Not having money to spend aimlessly is the hard part.

If you caught my last post you might know that I recently quit my job in an effort to better focus on the reason I moved across the country. Adjusting to my new lifestyle has been a lot harder than I thought it would be though. As someone who values having a reason to wake up every morning, it's a little unmotivating when I don't have a clue of what I'm going to spend my day doing. Apart from class twice a week and the reoocuring assignments, my life is one long weekend now.

I've started writing more and sitting in bed less, but there's just one problem, money isn't coming in like it used to. Sure, I saved enough to keep me afloat for a while, but I can't help but feel guilty every time I spend money on something I don't absolutely need.

Here's the thing though, it's getting easier. Just like training yourself to wake up for work on time, you can train yourself to save money in ways you would have never even considered.

Buy groceries only at the grocery store.
Raise your hand if you've ever ran to the store for milk and come back with a new cardigan instead? *raises hand* That's because you're shopping in stores that are full of temptation! Quit going to places like Target for groceries and help yourself save money by bypassing all the distractions. Plus, they aren't really known for having the lowest prices anyways.

Uninstall Uber and Lyft.
This one is such a pain in the butt, or should I say feet(?), but can save you money right away. If you spent less time comparing pool prices and instead comparing your city's public transit apps, you'll see a notice in your bank balance immediately. Plus, without it conveniently being on your phone, you'll be less tempted to catch an Uber instead of the bus or subway.

Rent instead of buying.
Have you visited your local library lately? Cause they have seriously stepped up their game! You can find entire seasons of shows available to rent, plus all those books that you can finally take off your Amazon wish list. Libraries are free you guys, free! Why did we ever stop going?

Unsubscribe from everything. 
Okay, this one is hard. Especially since most of us probably don't even have cable. If you can't live without it, opt for one only! That means you shouldn't have Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Choose the one you use the most, and if possible, find a friend or family member to split the cost with. If you're amazing and can take the plunge of cancelling your plan, YouTube and network websites often play the same shows for free the day after they air.

Say goodbye to delivery.
Remember when I said all your food should come from the grocery store? Well someitmes boys are assholes and deadlines come faster than we anticipated. In these cases, if you're gonna order food it better be coming from a place you're gonna pick it up from. Save yourself the money of delivery and tips and walk to pick it up yourself.

Become best friends with generic items.
Say goodbye to name brands, for certain things! Your hands don't know the difference between hand soaps, and there's no way you even take out your trash often enough to need those fancy trashbags. Skimp on the everyday necessities that cost way more than they should.

Purchase a Sunday paper every once in a while.
Spending three dollars once a month can save you a ton of money for the rest of the month. You'd be surprised how many amazing coupons are included in the Sunday paper. I buy shampoo and conditioner every six months, and I don't think my total is ever over ten dollars. Seriously guys, buy the paper this weekend.

Just keep walking.
It can be so tempting to browse Target just because it's on my walk home, but unless I absolutely need something necessary like toilet paper or cat food, I just keep walking. You can't miss what you never even saw, so make it easier on yourself and don't go inside. The first few times will feel like torture, but the less you browse, the lower the likelihood you'll make impulse purchases. 


What's one way you help yourself save money ever month? Share your secrets in the comments below!