Budgeting for Happiness

As most of you might already know I’ve been blogging about lifestyle, wellness, travel and style for couple years now. For me it has always been one of my top priorities to be able to dream big and achieve those dreams, “if you can dream it, you can achieve it” is my motto.

To make it possible to achieve all your dreams while you might still be studying, paying loans or just wanting to save or invest some money it’s were important to do budgeting and be wise with money. I’ve traveled the world, reached many of my personal goals, looked good and been happy irrespective of the fact that I’ve sometimes had very tight budgets.

Below you can read some tips for saving. These have worked for me and wish that they would facilitate you to reach your saving goals and budgets too!

 

Want to go eating out or hangout with friends but trying to save money?

Instead of paying tens of dollars for movies or food and wine invite your friends over!

Watch a movie and cook together (you might also ask to bring some ingredients with them if you really need to save – even if you do so the night will still be less expensive for all of you than eating out!) It’s crazy that one or two classes of wine may cost as much as whole bottle, and one dish might cost as much as homemade food for you and some friends. It’s of course good and easy to go out and relax sometimes but try staying at home sometimes – It’s fun and inexpensive!

 

 

Outlet shopping

Do you want to wear high-end brands but still save some money? Try outlet shopping! Outlets can offer you -10% to -90% discounts of clothes and accessories. And don’t let the name trick you, yes, they usually sell the last pieces or last season’s models but if you’re looking for a little black dress or leather shoes that go with a suit you can for sure find items that are still fashionable and which price tag won’t make your wallet cry.

What comes to shopping in general, invest in quality, not in quantity. Also, try to prioritize buying items that are timeless and easy to combine with other clothes. Go with classy items and not-too-wild colors in most of your clothes. Sure you can have some funny colored accessories but I wouldn’t go and buy bright green Gucci pants unless you’re working in fashion industry.

 

 

Find Group Deals and Coupons

Especially what comes to beauty care and wellness you can save a huge amount of money with those. For example I have found a superb hairdresser who offers a free haircare product after 10 services. May not sound a lot but it’s still saving some money in long run. If you want to go a bit further try group deals and seasonal sales, with those you can get high-quality services and products with very valuable price. One good tip is to search for brand openings, usually stores have really good discount during the opening day(s) or week(s).

 

Be Smart with Deals and Offers

You all know those buy 3 pay 2 deals; the deals that are kind of good can also be a money savers nightmare. Have you ever bought books, makeups, clothes or even food you won’t ever use because of those? I have, for too many times to be honest. Always think before you swipe your card. Will I actually use all those items I should buy to get the discount? If the answer is no, just buy the item you originally wanted and needed and forget the deal! A deal that costs you more than the item you need is wasting of money (and closet space). Of course if you can get 10 pairs of black basic socks in price of 5 and you use black socks everyday that’s a great deal. Just remember, think before you swipe!

 

Cooperate with Companies

Especially if you have a blog or own business, this can be a great way to save some of your own money when done wisely. Look for companies that have similar values with you and products or services that could benefit you and your customers / readers. Always keep in mind that the cooperation should offer something to both parties – the company and your business. If you blog about high-heels don’t post about new window cleaning supplies or you might lose some readers because of going too off topic, this kind of cooperation wouldn’t be very well targeted for the company your working with.

Be smart and only cooperate with parties related to yours and always think about the customers or readers first. The best case scenario is that you’ll get to try something amazing and get nice stuff or some money by doing it and you can also tell about your real excitement to your readers and create value for your readers / customers. In addition you’ll help the cooperation partner to find new customers and offer some PR.

 

 

Invest or Save a Bit Every Month

It’s easier (and more profitable) to save a bit every month than save a lot once in ten years. When I get my paycheck I always try to save or invest some money, when you get more you invest more and vice versa. It’s calming to know that you always have some extra on your account in case of emergency. However I don’t want to have too much money lying in my bank account because doing so is basically losing money because of inflation. Investing might sound boring but it is actually interesting hobby that can offer you some extra money. I could do a whole post about this topic but long story short, read a bit about investing before starting. It’s also a good idea to compare benefits and costs of different options, plus ask some help from a professional, relative or friend who has done investing successfully for at least couple years.

 

+ If you still need some extra try money try selling old stuff, buying recycled stuff or take some extra hours or tasks to earn more.

 

+ Take a look at your expenses, for example your student loans. There are companies out there now, like Earnest, that allow you to refinance those loans and customize your monthly payment to fit your life.

 

I hope you guys find these tips helpful! I’d love to hear your opinion and tips in the comment box!

 

XOXO Nora

 

Ps. You can find some more tips from this Earnest’s article