6 simple ways to not feel cheap, whilst actually saving money

After getting back from our amazing Honeymoon to the USA & Mexico, i really began to thing about the things i need to do this year to stay financially fit & inevitably be able to afford another amazing holiday like that ! 

We could all just start fashioning underwear from our old worn out tshirts or washing paper towels for a second use, but i kinda want to enjoy my life at the same time. So instead you'll find below 6 life-friendly tips on saving money (by way of stopping you from spending it in the first place)...



1. Start using something you've been saving 

A perfect Case Study of this would be my Glasshouse 'White Christmas' candle (actually candles) i adore this scent, i love it, i dream about it, i countdown to use it, i admire the jar it's in...i have alot of feelings about this particular candle ! Last year i got about 4 from a friend & so far i haven't cracked open any of them because, well they're 'Christmas' scents and therefore must be stashed away and saved for that very small 'festive' window of time before being used and then promptly put back away! 
It's just occurred to me, the smell is so synonymous with Autumn /Winter that i should be using it in the coming months ! It's a small victory. Once the weather cools down & everyone stops socialising outside, we always seem to have people over for drinks and dinner. Pride of place on my coffee table will be this little beauty, burning away filling our house with it's enviable season-appropriate scent & there i'll be happy & smug about not spending a (s)cent.


2. Eat with your eyes first 

Even if you're suffering through leftovers at your desk for lunch, dress it up a bit ! It may sound a bit simple, but it really helps me to feel more enthused about the 'brown bagged' lunch I'm eating ! It can be as simple as putting white AND black sesame seeds on my noodle salad.


3. Track your Spending


Sometimes i think i'm having a pretty good week and nothing confirms that more so than when i leaf through my budget planner, which i mainly use to track my receipts, and see that i have spent next to nothing ! Of course sometimes the scenario is opposite, and i realise it's time to reign in my spending, having it written down helps nonetheless. Along with tracking receipts, i also track habits and goals.






4. Make yourself the things you want to buy 

This is quite subjective, but it can definitely be done. I'd love a Celine bag, but i'm crap at leather work. I'd also love a soy hazelnut latte each morning & a satisfying breakfast, one that stops me lusting after ever possible snack choice ! So my plan is to go to bed at a reasonable hour, followed by getting up earlier than usual ! This should give me a chance to pack the food i want to eat, make the coffee i want to drink & create the breakfast I ultimately need ! Food isn't the only realm where this works, i've started doing my own manicure and shellac at home too.


5. Spend you're savings on something you really want 

Alot of people save to have a safety net or towards a bigger, longer term goal. At the moment, i'm trying to be 'cheap' in order to curb my habits of frivalous spending ! In the next few months we're going to the snow and if you've read my blog for a while you would probably know that the snow is up there as far as hobbies of mine go ! I love the stuff, so does M & we love going together. I've progressed enough now that i can actually keep up with him & so each year is more fun than the last. Having an end goal in sight means that time i'm cheap about something, i can't help but match that feeling of missing out with one of excitement ! The money i'm not spending on whatever it may be will get spent on the snow & it's always nice to have something to look forward to ! 


6. Shop once 

You know how it goes, walking to the coffee shop cause you're bored at work, going into woollies to get some carrots and an onion, then all of a sudden you're coming out with half the store as everything looked 'new or exciting'. THIS is probably the worst way that i sabotage my financial goals. Small, seemingly insignificant purchases that really add up when you're making them 2 or 3 times a week, every week ! 
In order to curb this habit and eventually stop the spending, i meal plan and do one big shop on Sunday, prepare all my lunches and snacks for the week and aim to stay away from the shops during the week. Life happens, and sometimes i'll need to do a small mid-week shop, but overall, this is the best thing i've done, financially ! 

So there you go, do you have any fool proof ways to save money whilst staying positive ? 

2 comments

  1. Love all the tips! I suck at waking up early enough to make a good breakfast, but the days I do it's amazing!
    xx
    Ana
    Indie Suns | Bloglovin' | Instagram

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