Lets face it, I’m 19, a college student, and with that comes the fact that money burns holes in my pockets. I start the day with twenty bucks and in the evening come home with a less than necessary hat from the Country Fair. It’s almost like the money isn’t even mine, but rather a mere figment of my my consumerist mind. Perhaps this is not a fault, but more of an aspiration. Perhaps I am aspiring to be a pack rat, to see how many unnecessary things I can cram into one solidified area for a period of time. However I have been cleaning my childhood room for the past couple of weeks and have decided that I am already a pack rat king and shall now end my era of decadent success. Therefore, I have come up with three personal financial tips for the summer to conserve and focus my spending, to enjoy the spending I do perform and to save a few bucks along the way.
1) Think long term! I always seem to get super excited about summer and forget that when the summer ends, I’m still going to need money and a budget to make it through the school year. That’s right, just because Alice Cooper says, “school’s out forever,” doesn’t mean that it really is. I decided to pull out a schedule and map out some big events that I want to have happen this summer and to make sure that I can actually afford them and still have money for books in the fall.
2) Decide what makes you happy. In past summers I’ve always spent relatively too much on souvenirs, and have realized that as I look back, the souvenirs aren’t even the components of the vacations that I value most. The memories and the experiences are what truly grasp a sense of fulfillment within me, so that’s what I’m focusing on this summer. I would rather go on two road trips and only buy 1 souvenir, then to go on one road trip and buy something from every stop along the way. As I planned out my summer, I’ve focused my spending on camping, road trips, baseball games, concerts, hikes and biking to hopefully fulfill my personal decision on happiness. For other’s, a trip to Seattle for some shopping mayhem will make them happy. Your pockets are only so deep and if your money is going to burn a hole through them then at least decide what makes you happy and focus your monetary disbursement on that.
3) Think of ways to save a few bucks. I thought it was important to come up with ways to save more money for the “I’m going to have an awesome summer and not be broke at the end of it” fund. Here are a few I’ve come up with.
-Bike. The weather is good, so if you have the time, bike to dinner or the grocery store.
-Carpool. Gas is getting pricy again, so anyway to decrease the gas budget is a plus.
-Gardening. I enjoy a little yard work when the weather is nice and with that comes some fruits and vegetable that I won’t have to purchase at the store.
I hope you enjoyed my financial tips and they are of some use! I know the sun is out, my reggae tunes are bumping and the summer isn’t going to end with holes in my pockets.
Suscribe To This Blog
