So at some point in adulthood, and for most of us at more than one point, you will struggle with Money.  Unless you’re independently wealthy or have a trust fund to fall back on or something.  In that case, bully for you, this article probably isn’t going to do much for you.

So at some point in adulthood, and for most of us at more than one point, you will struggle with money.
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Getting used to adulthood is a transition that sometimes takes a bit of time.  For some, that takes longer than others. Entering your 20s and getting used to paying your own bills and taking care of yourself is sometimes not the most comfortable transition.  And sometimes that feeling doesn’t quite go away; it’s always lurking there in the back of your mind, waiting for you to stumble a little and miss a Credit card payment.

Entering your 20s and getting used to paying your own bills and taking care of yourself is sometimes not the most comfortable transition.
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For most, wealth and/or success don’t happen overnight.  For many, it takes years of hard work to achieve professional and even financial goals. And trust me, I’ve struggled.  I did have the fortunate situation of having parents who were willing to help me sometimes.  But I still had moments where I didn’t plan wisely and had my credit card declined at the grocery store (So. Embarrassing. I blush even now when I think about it.)

For most, wealth and/or success don’t happen overnight. For many, it takes years of hard work to achieve professional and even financial goals.
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However, I have learned a thing or two about money management in my years of adulthood.  These tips help me to pay my bills on time (even early sometimes.  I know.  Fancy.) and give me some semblance of financial stability.

This is what I’ve got for ya:

1. Plan for your future. Set financial goals and work towards achieving them. I know, I know, that dress is totally cute.  But it’s okay to pass on it sometimes.
2. Figure out where your money is going. This was a hard one for me, especially since everything is done on a card.  It’s easy to pull out your debit card, pay for stuff you may not need, and then let “future you” balance it out later.  “Future you” does not like you when you do this. Try out an app like Mint and connect it to your accounts; once you figure out where your money is going, you can figure out how to fix any problems that might arise.
3. Eat at home instead of out. I mean, not all the time.  Let’s not be crazy.  But stop eating all your meals out like you still have a plan at the college dining hall.  Cook at home! Learn to like it! I’m not the best cook, but I do enjoy prepping a meal with my husband.  And there are so many easy things you can make.  Also, if you work in an office or outside of the home? Pack a lunch.  Seriously.  It will save you so much money not eating lunch out every day.
4. Determine your needs versus your wants.  Yes, you may think you need that new dress.  But what you really need is to pay your rent.  You see?  And I’m not saying, “Don’t ever spend your money on things you want.” That’s insane, and it will make you really unhappy.  But stop binge buying on Amazon and focus on your budget.  Yes, that cat teapot is super cute, but do you even drink tea? Exactly.  Be discerning and spend money on things you want, but only after you have accounted for all of your needs.
5. Budget. Oh my god, seriously, I don’t know how I went so long without a budget.  It’s ridiculous.  I use a simple template from Microsoft Excel, and there are tons of them.  You can enter your expenses and the amount you make, then make sure you are living within your means. I also keep a calendar on Google Docs and make sure that I’m paying my bills on time by setting notifications.

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   Set financial goals and work towards achieving them. I know, I know, that dress is totally cute. But it's okay to pass on it sometimes.
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6. Pay your debt off. Build your credit. Credit is such a weird and delicate thing.  You need it in order to establish good credit, but if you get out of control, it drives your credit down.  Credit needs to be used with extreme caution, and as someone who has gotten into trouble, please trust me on this.  It always seems like a good idea to use a credit card when you can’t afford something immediately, and there are lots of justifications we tell ourselves.  “Oh, it’s 0% for 18 months, I’ll have it paid off by then.” “I’ll only use it this one time.” Et cetera, et cetera.  And yes, sometimes this works, but only if you’re careful and discerning. If you know you can’t use your credit card wisely, make sure you only use it if you can pay it off every month. You’ll ensure you don’t send yourself into crazy debt, and build your credit at the same time so you can establish a good score.  And for real, don’t pay your cards late.  The interest and fees adds up very quickly.
7. Keep a change jar. This is an easy one! Just keep a change jar in a prominent place and put your change in it.  That sh*t adds up.  When your jar is full, either cash it in or start a new one.  Most banks will take the change and send it away to be counted for you, then deposited into your account.  You can visit a good ol’ Coinstar if necessary, but keep in mind that they usually charge a premium to process your change.  Husband and I usually cash in our change before we take vacations and use it for our cash to play around with.
8. Save 10%. Or any amount you can afford, even if it’s only $5.  You’ll be surprised how fast it adds up.  Make sure this is money that you don’t touch, so either put it in a savings account, or hide it somewhere until you have enough to put into a savings without fees for low balances (those are such a racket, right?).   10% of each paycheck may not sound like a lot, but you’d be surprised how quickly it adds up.  And if you can afford to save more, do.
9. Have a no spend day. Or week. Or month, if you can swing it.  Usually go for coffee in the morning? Make your own.  Happy hour after work? Skip it.  Love online shopping?  Take a break.  Your money saved will add up quickly.  Obviously, there are things you have to spend money on, like gas for getting to work, et cetera, but cut corners wherever you can.
10. Don’t. Impulse. Shop. I can totally relate to how a good shopping trip can pull you out of a bad mood.  But really, this just gets you into trouble.  Feeling crappy?  Go for a run.  Watch your favorite TV show.  Write in a journal.  Then, if you see something you really want to buy, sleep on it and make yourself wait at least 24 hours.  Still desperate for it?  Then think about buying it.  But give yourself some time to digest and get over the initial impulse high.
11. Cut back on your salon treatments. Do I love getting my nails done?   Do I go every week? Hell, no.  That stuff gets expensive.  There are certain things that I make sure I keep in my budget, like a good facial every month or two.  My skin is really bad and that’s something that I’m willing to fork money over for.  But to compensate, I usually do my own manicures.  And I have long hair, so I can get away with going 8 to 12 weeks without a haircut.  Or 16.  Or 20.  My hairdresser is really mad at me.  But think about what luxuries you really need in your life, and eliminate what you can.
12. Caffeinate. . . at home. Yes, I’m a coffeeholic. And yes, I would love to have a Starbucks Caramel Macchiato with coconut milk every morning.  But that is super expensive.  Even if you’re only spending $2 on a regular coffee every morning, that’s $10 a week, $40 a month, $480 a year.  You see?  It adds up.  Make your coffee at home or get it at work.
13. Cut the cord. On cable. I personally haven’t been able to do this yet, but I think about it constantly.  My cable bill is $200 a month! Split between the two of us, but still.  Cutting back and just having Hulu and Netflix brings that bill down to $25 a month (approximately).  You could even buy a bunch of shows on iTunes and still come out on top.
14. Make cash on the side. Ah, the Internet. It has given us a million and one ways to make money and sell sh*t online.  Do you have old textbooks laying around from college? Sell them.  Amazon is great for that.  What about junk cluttering up your house that you don’t use?  Sell it (as long as it’s in good shape). Sites like Offer Up and eBay are perfect for this. Have clothes that you’ve only used once or twice?  Sell that stuff, too. Letgo and Poshmark are the apps for that.  Do you write? Do some freelancing on Fiverr or Guru.  Have some extra time?  Take online surveys with Swagbucks or Opinion Outpost.  And my personal favorites, make money while shopping for stuff you already buy with Ibotta and Ebates.  Those two are my favorites.  I use Ibotta for grocery shopping and Ebates for just about everything else.
15. Clip coupons. Personally, I’m not great with this one.  I used to be, but I run out of time in the day.  This can be a boring process, but if you’ve got some extra time in front of the TV it can be worth your while!
16. Do free stuff.  Or you know, stuff that costs less.  Want to plan a date? Go for a hike.  Night out to the movies? How about a night in and get a movie on Netflix (and no, I’m not saying Netflix and chill.  Get your mind out of the gutter.)  Plan a nice dinner at home for you and your person rather than an expensive night out on a date night.  Get creative.
17. Give yourself a break every once in a while.  Look, it’s okay to splurge sometimes.  You can always make more money.  Sometimes the key to feeling rich is to give yourself a little leeway to spend every now and then.

These are some of the ways that I’ve found I can feel rich when I’m struggling financially.  What are some of your secrets?

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