Budgeting + organizing are vital to a broke girl`s survival.
In between being a responsible adult with our finances, we like to spend our money on things that make us happy: make-up, traveling, clothes, etc. It is our personal right to find happiness within the struggle. I am able to splurge on certain things thanks to a budget I created for myself, keeping track of my finances and let`s not forget... good credit. Never let your salary limit you; it is truly about how you manage your finances and build your credit. There are various ways to save, based upon personal preferences.
Organization plays a significant role in budgeting. Manage your due dates and the amounts due by documenting them on a calendar. I use a blank weekly/monthly agenda purchased at Wal-Mart for about $2, which is extremely convenient. There`s a few pages of empty monthly calendars, spaces for notes and unmarked weeks/months (which is what 'blank' means) so that you can start at the date of your preference. It`s compact, so it fits in most small spaces. I carry mine everyday and you can tell by how faded it is in the photo above, lol! I document everything from what I did that day, to my last checked credit score and even jobs I have applied to. It really helps you keep track of everything you`ve done and the goals you set for yourself.
Marking your due dates & amounts due allow you to visualize & calculate your monthly total money spent, in addition to helping you decide how to breakdown your payments. For instance, I pay the bills due between the 1st & 15th with my first check and then decide if I want to save 30% of my remaining check or a particular amount based upon what is left. I repeat this process for the bills due the next two weeks. It doesn`t matter how much you`re saving. Just make sure you`re saving something because it adds up!
Set budget goals. If you want to buy something, make sure you`ve saved up enough for that item in addition to money to save or pay a bill. You always want to have extra, not less. As broke girls, we HAVE to make smarter financial decisions.
For my broke girls who are retail addicts, here are some budget tips for being a better shopper:
/ Subscribe to the shopping outlets you frequent often to receive information regarding sales & promotional events. Just signing up gets you a percentage off for most sites!
/ Subscribe to shopping sites that update you on sample sales. If you are not familiar with samples sales, you have been missing out!
/ Everything does not have to be designer in order for you to be stylish. Fast fashion retailers (Forever 21, H&M, Zara) have plenty of quality pieces that, when styled right, can look pretty damn high fashion.
/ Do not buy all at once. Pace yourself. Set a goal of how many items you`d like to buy in a certain amount of time. For example, 1 designer/quality garment every month.
/ Work in retail! Somewhere you like to shop, so you can enjoy the discount. Lol.
Organization plays a significant role in budgeting. Manage your due dates and the amounts due by documenting them on a calendar. I use a blank weekly/monthly agenda purchased at Wal-Mart for about $2, which is extremely convenient. There`s a few pages of empty monthly calendars, spaces for notes and unmarked weeks/months (which is what 'blank' means) so that you can start at the date of your preference. It`s compact, so it fits in most small spaces. I carry mine everyday and you can tell by how faded it is in the photo above, lol! I document everything from what I did that day, to my last checked credit score and even jobs I have applied to. It really helps you keep track of everything you`ve done and the goals you set for yourself.
Marking your due dates & amounts due allow you to visualize & calculate your monthly total money spent, in addition to helping you decide how to breakdown your payments. For instance, I pay the bills due between the 1st & 15th with my first check and then decide if I want to save 30% of my remaining check or a particular amount based upon what is left. I repeat this process for the bills due the next two weeks. It doesn`t matter how much you`re saving. Just make sure you`re saving something because it adds up!
Set budget goals. If you want to buy something, make sure you`ve saved up enough for that item in addition to money to save or pay a bill. You always want to have extra, not less. As broke girls, we HAVE to make smarter financial decisions.
For my broke girls who are retail addicts, here are some budget tips for being a better shopper:
/ Subscribe to the shopping outlets you frequent often to receive information regarding sales & promotional events. Just signing up gets you a percentage off for most sites!
/ Subscribe to shopping sites that update you on sample sales. If you are not familiar with samples sales, you have been missing out!
/ Everything does not have to be designer in order for you to be stylish. Fast fashion retailers (Forever 21, H&M, Zara) have plenty of quality pieces that, when styled right, can look pretty damn high fashion.
/ Do not buy all at once. Pace yourself. Set a goal of how many items you`d like to buy in a certain amount of time. For example, 1 designer/quality garment every month.
/ Work in retail! Somewhere you like to shop, so you can enjoy the discount. Lol.
- the broke girl
