In my last article, I gave you an introduction to how to take care of your finances. Today I would like to delve into controlling your expenses. In other words, saving money. What should you start?
As a student you know what it means to have little money, also finding a job may be difficult, so in order to survive you have to find ways how to save some money. Frankly speaking, how not to waste your money on shit. Let me show you how to start.
- The first point may not sound like anything special, but start by writing down all your expenses to see what you spend money on. Even small amounts like 2 zlotych for the coffee count. For three months, take every receipt you get and once a week write everything down in categories so later you can check if there are no unnecessary expenses. You don’t have to create your file, there are already many prepared sheets on the Internet that you just need to download and fill in.
- After these months, look at your sheet and see what you spend money on. Maybe it’s clothes or books, going out on the town, or your daily coffee. After the analysis, you should try to reduce the amount of money you spend on unnecessary things or fancy influencer-recommended snacks or products. Maybe buying 3 T-shirts in 3 months is a bit too much? Maybe instead of buying an already-made sandwich for yourself, you can buy the ingredients and make it at home for a fraction of the price.
- Check your bank account. There may be a lot of expenses hidden that you may not be aware of, such as subscriptions you don’t use.
- Make a budget. Decide how much money you can spend on different categories and stick to it. If you decide that you can spend 100 zlotych for entertainment, and you already have Netflix for 29 zlotych, then you have only 71 zlotych left. Try not to go beyond your budget. Maybe there are some free events in your area that you can attend, such as a picnic covered by the city. Possibilities are countless.
- Remember that times are tough and there is no indication that this will change anytime soon in order to survive you have to sacrifice some areas of your life J but try not to sacrifice everything, cause then life has no meaning.
Magdalena Pałega, fot. pixabay.com
