The Guide to Budget-Hacking

sometimes the extra three seconds it takes to dig a credit card out of my wallet is what i need to realize i don’t actually want/need something. it’s so easy to tap my phone that’s probably already in my hand and not think about it. i’ve saved myself from some impulse purchases this way!

I always try to buy returned items which are heavily discounted, thrift, shop on Poshmark/eBay/TheRealReal (sort low to high…), or buy from Craigslist/Facebook Marketplace/Nextdoor etc!!!!

any time i see a cool product or cute/pretty thing i take a snapshot and archive the image to an album. oftentimes it’s not something i really need but i wish i had, but it catches my attention nonetheless, so i’ve kept a collection of pretty things that i never spent money on but i can still look at and appreciate. here are some of my favorites [on the rare occasion (maybe only 3-4 instances out of at least 200+ photos?) i actually go out and buy the thing, but not after thinking about it for a day or two]

14% is the magic number. Depending on your level of experience, this 14% can go into a high-yield savings account, or, you can put it into a brokerage account and invest in some kind of diversified fund that matches the market (VOO or VTI is solid but do not pick both) other bonus tips (I am not an advisor or finance professional, I just have a lot of passion for saving money as a former broke person that's trying to be financially independent) - opt in to your FSA/HSA if you have a healthcare plan at work w a high deductible ($1,500 or more). Great to use in an emergency or if you have expensive medication that isn't covered by insurance - pay off any high interest credit card debt (10%+) before any other debt if possible - 401k matching from your employer if they have it! if you don't have access to one, start a Roth IRA. the max contribution limit in the 2025 tax year for people under 50 is $7000. That's about 583 per month which is an insane amount. Not everyone can set aside that much money (I def can't) but try to contribute what is comfy for you!

Before I buy something, I ask myself these questions, because it is that serious!! - If it’s clothing: Can I imagine 3 outfits with this piece? In a year, will I still like this? Can I recreate it myself? - Non-essentials: Can I afford to buy this twice? Is this the kind of thing I would rather receive as a gift? - Larger items: If I moved, would I want to sell this or get rid of it? Could I imagine someone else using it when they’re over? Will this improve my quality of life? Two examples of these in motion: 1. I really wanted a dark wash denim skirt, but I certainly am not buying clothes right now. So, my old pair of work jeans is on the sewing table rn. 2. Clothes drying racks: feels like a frivolous purchase, but it was one I considered for 4 pay cycles, and has saved me room as I was hanging clothes to dry in my bathroom, and saved clothes as my good knits and denim are better preserved when air dried

if you really really want that thing do 50 push ups and if you fail you don’t get it you have to save your money for example if you really want that MacBook you have to do the pacer test and get to level 50 and if u don’t no MacBook 🤷

AMC does 50% off on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and I know some other theaters do similar deals. It’s a nice way to save some money on an outing, and it also makes for a really fun date that breaks up the monotony of the week

Honestly… it kinda works If brain thinks me have no money, then no money to spend

Uninstalling shopping apps is my go-to budget hack. It redirects my focus from consuming to creating, leading me to more fulfilling and inexpensive activities like making art, tackling personal projects, or having picnics with friends. Suggestions: painting, writing, photograph, crocheting, collage, journaling, gardening, spa day at home, hiking, picnic, walk in the park. Below one of my OCs 😊

Download all those CC transactions, sort on name and see how you spent $1000s on chai lattes 🥹 Its tragic, “I spent $40,000 on shoes?” aversion therapy. Be sure to calculate interest paid and fees.

I am absolute dog shit with budgeting. This is the only way that’s worked for me. 1. Open up a savings account in a separate bank 2. Create an automatic withdrawal every month whenever you get paid (some goes into the rainy day fund, some goes into the retirement fund). 3. What’s leftover in your primary spending account is a smaller amount. This keeps you accountable to budgeting 4. Pick an ideal spending amount each month and divide it by 30 days of the month. Roughly keep track of the days you spend over that amount and under that amount, trying to balance it each week.

I cannot survive without going to concerts, so I have a savings account just for that. 30-50 a paycheck goes towards it and it fills up quick, would recommend!

The more ads you get sent, the more you'll want to buy something on impulse. Reducing the amount of emails you get bombarded with on a daily basis can help minimize how much you buy. (Also thank you piffy for not blasting me with ads 🙂‍↕️)

before you purchase another lip gloss, another guitar, another top from depop, another item from an influencer's amazon storefront or tik tok shop, leave the item in your cart and think about the purchase. Do you have a lip gloss basically the same colour? Do you already own a black top that can serve a similar function? Do you really NEED it? Just reflect on it for 1 day or even a week or a month. Overconsumption is so easy when you don't even give yourself time to think. That is what businesses try to do with sales, limited releases, and especially black friday. So if something is running out or you've waited for months to own something, then get it! But the important thing here is to just, think.

make your coffee at home you do not need to spend that much on it

make multiple accounts to keep track or your money. split your funds between the accounts to make sure you’re saving for specific things (rent, utilities, groceries). don’t spend any money on gigglt shit until you have at least 300-400 in a ‘safehouse’ to spare… this doesn’t include savings or investments.

grab a big reusable bag instead and load up strategically; keeps you from grabbing extra junk you don’t need and probably counts as exercise under lax criteria note: this applies mostly if you live out here in flyover car world; i imagine the cosmopolitans among you are going like, “yeah, duh”

AMC does 50% off on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and I know some other theaters do similar deals. It’s a nice way to save some money on an outing, and it also makes for a really fun date that breaks up the monotony of the week

I travel a bunch for work and have started bringing a hydroflask. Really great at the airport/long drives to not buy a bunch of water or fun drinks.

Similar to making a list of things you want to buy I get the same shopping reward for placing the hold and then picking up my hold The la library will transfer the book to the branch of your choosing and also don’t have late fines anymore. I read at least 30 books a year and cannot imagine buying that many

I find that I always end up buying more veggies than I need for the recipes I plan throughout the week, so depending on the spread of veggies and whatever proteins I have lying around/are on sale nearby, every so often I completely empty my veggie drawer into a big pot with either a cube of hot pot base or a tin of tomatoes to make enough soup or pasta sauce to last another few meals. Majorly cuts down on my food waste and gets another few days out of my grocery budget.

pick a few random flavors, some spicy, some wonky some classics, get some veggies and stuff (maybe an egg) to fluff it up even more, stir fry it or soup it, have it for lunch, try all flavors, revisit your favourites, have it after a night out, be fancier and add a dollop of miso, it’s cheap and yummy