It’s been a year since I graduated college but I’ve done a pretty good job at keeping with a college lifestyle. Living the frugal life!!
It’s pretty ironic actually how I lived better in college than I do now. Every college kid jokes about keeping up with their allowance (if they’re lucky enough to get one) from their ‘rents, still working campus jobs that paid $6.00/hr to keep up with other expenses (like going to concerts & boozing!!). But honestly, in college I had a roof over my head and a meal in my belly all compliments of my college scholarship/grants. I have $10,000 in loans but that is nothing to pay considering my college cost $40,000 a year for tuition alone. Being an out-of-state student did NOT help. I worked 2 campus jobs and one off-campus job to help subsidize my travel costs. On weekends I’d take off to Chicago or Nashville. College was when I followed Ben Kweller around! I’d fly to Nashville and take the bus to Atlanta and then fly back to school..all in a weekend. College was when I bought my most expensive splurges- my dSLR, my lenses, and my video camera…me and my friend’s BIG trip to London, Ireland, Bruxelles & Amsterdam!! I was NOT frugal then! I was the one buying rounds of drinks for people (and yet I was also the one to get drunk haha).
Anyways, fast forward to NOW. Still working 3 jobs (one on hiatus) but take out the weekend trips and fancy splurges. The biggest splurge these days is spending $2 on a sno cone with cream from Sno Beach. I have fancier digs than most people but that means I leave my home less! haha. I eat home every meal unless I go to an event where free food is provided or if I go to dinner with friends for special occassions. I’ve been saving up so when my friends come visit me starting next week, I can actually take them places!
Anyways, I really have been watching my pennies. Here’s how I’ve done it.
- Free watery coffee in the apartment’s lobby instead of Starbucks.
- Making dinner instead of walking down to Blue Dahlia for take-out (soo tempting it’s only a 3 minute walk)
- Going to the library instead of going to Book People
- I love renting movies…(cuz I stay in a lot now..duh) but those $3.99 fees add up..library here I come
- No more $200 bootcamps
Working out hard in my gym instead (for now) - Avoiding Barton Springs on weekends (when it’s busier AND when you have to pay for parking)
- Stopped buying bottles of water a year ago!! Bought a refillable water jug with filter. I carry my Klean Kanteen EVERYWHERE I go, even on errand runs. Haven’t bought any bottle of water in a year.
- I don’t illegally download music but I also don’t buy new cds unless I absolutely LOOVEE the band, using Hypemachine, last.fm & myspace. Or just rediscover the music I have on my itunes currently.
- The only magazine I buy is Austin Monthly. I used to buy 3 or 4 magazines a month. I have a $10 subscription to Paste Magazine though, because they rule.
- Refurbish EVERYTHING. Nothing is off limits. Turned a dining table into a coffee table…
- I buy fresh fruits & veggies but ones that are on sale (my deal of the day is 8 fuji apples for $2!!!)
- My biggest thing was buying groceries I didn’t need…I really stick to my list now and make meal plans..sometimes I go off my list (like buying pears on sale today! 4/$1)
- Instead of going to bars for fun I go to free events Austin has for free alcohol/food/snacks/fun. This helps me be social while NOT spending money
- To get ‘new’ clothes I re-sell my old ones to consignment stores. If I like something there I’ll use the credit, if I don’t, I’ll take the cash.
- Keep a snack in my purse so I am not tempted by fast food.
- When I do go out I try to hit up the restaurant’s happy hour!! There are TONS in austin..pheww
- I only have one credit card.
- When I DO go out, I bring CASH only. It helps me put a figure of how much I can spend MAX..it really limits me but that’s a good thing!
The other thing helping me not to (easily) blow $100 bucks at Anthropologie is my upcoming (fast approaching) trip to:
Money would not be such a burden if I were a freelancer…I have all these invoices that should have been collected and in my bank account but I just haven’t gotten paid yet!! Sometimes I wish I could give up my life and have something more financially secure…but..nahhh life is about learning isn’t it? I’m definitely learning.
I’m interested in knowing how you save money. Any other tips/advice you have?
