financial responsibility

Stupid Simple Saving Tips for your Wedding

The number one struggle couples have during wedding planning? Keeping the wedding budget in check. There are so many logistics involved and decisions to be made that it’s no wonder people get a bit stressed out while planning their big day. My best advice for avoiding a breakdown and going over budget? Get clear on your priorities and your numbers! Before you even start spending a penny, you have to ask yourself a few important questions first:

1. What type of wedding do you want? Intimate and casual? Large and lavish?

The size of your wedding will make a big impact on the overall price tag, so keep that in mind when making your decision. How you envision your big day will shape the amount of money it will cost to pull it off.

2. How much can you realistically afford to spend?

Sit down with your fiancé and your families to decide on your budget. How much is each party able to contribute from their savings? Tally up all the funds and that will give you a good starting place to work from.

3. Is that enough to cover your costs?

Keeping in mind that total number from all your contributing parties, get some estimates and look at the average pricing for weddings in your area. (You can visit CostofWedding.com to get some basic info for your wedding location.) Is your wedding fund going to be able to cover the total cost of what you’ve envisioned?

If your answer to the last question is no, you have a couple of options to consider. You could alter your vision for your day and make some sacrifices such as inviting fewer people or opting not to go for the expensive designer dress of your dreams to stay within your budget. Or, you could make a savings plan to put away money each month to cover the remaining expenses. If you want to rock the wedding savings plan, I’ve got some suggestions to make saving for your big day a piece of (wedding) cake!

1. Keep It Simple, Saver!

I love the KISS principle for creating a savings plan; the simpler you make it, the easier it is to stick to. Calculate how much you’ll need to save in total, and then divide that into the number of months you’ll be engaged to determine your monthly savings goal.

2. Examine Your Personal Budget

Do you have the extra cash in your monthly budget to put towards your wedding day? If not, see what areas you can choose to cut back on in order to free up some of your funds to go towards your wedding. You could also consider picking up a part time gig or starting a side hustle to bring in extra cash for your wedding fund.

3. Automate Your Savings

The easiest way to save is to automate! Many banks now offer automatic withdrawals where you can set how much money to move from your checking to your savings account each month. Just set it and forget it, and watch your wedding fund grow without having to feel the pain of removing the money from your account each month.

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Hopefully this plan will help you save, simply. Now when it comes to planning the details, booking vendors and making purchases for your big day, there are plenty of ways you can keep the costs down. Here are my top 5 tips for reducing your overall costs:

1. Trim the Guest List – Plain and simple, it will cost you more money to host more people. If you choose to host a large wedding and are working with a limited budget, you will have to make sacrifices in other areas to accommodate your guests.

2. When and Where – The date and time as well as the location all play a big role in determining wedding costs. Choosing an off-peak season to get married or opting for mid-week versus Saturday night could save you big money. Also, if you’re a city dweller in a major metropolitan area, it could serve you well to have a reverse-destination wedding in the suburbs to lower your costs.

3. Shop Savvy – Be sure to do your research and shop around for the best prices on items for your wedding. My motto? Never pay full price. Take advantage of rewards miles and online coupon codes, and don’t be afraid to hit up a thrift shop to save some moolah.

4. DIY if you Dare – There are likely some aspects of your day you could do yourselves for less, whether that’s creating décor or being your own DJ. Take on only what you can realistically handle or consider utilizing the talents of family and friends.

5. Buck Tradition – Don’t be afraid to say “no thanks” to wedding traditions that you don’t love or that add to your overall cost. Seek out inexpensive alternatives such as swapping expensive fresh floral arrangements for tissue paper flowers or opting to serve donuts instead of a luxe multi-tiered wedding cake.

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Overall, you should do what feels most comfortable and practical to you and your future spouse. Do what you can with what you have – I promise that no matter what the centerpieces look like it will still be one of the happiest days of your life!

Download TCM’s checklist for saving on a tight budget here

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Read the original article on Invibed. Copyright 2016. Invibed is an online community for successful millennials who are building wealth and creating their dream lives. Follow Invibed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Jessica Bishop is the editor and founder of TheBudgetSavvyBride.com, a site that provides realistic inspiration and practical advice for planning a beautiful wedding on a budget you can actually afford. Visit the site to get all sorts of wedding budget tips, doable DIY projects, free printables, fun giveaways and more! Connect with BSB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest for more budget savvy wedding goodness.

Inspiring Millennials with Stefanie O’Connell

Stefanie O’Connell is a millennial finance expert and published author of “The Broke and Beautiful Life”. Stefanie shares her advice for twenty somethings on finances and life. Before becoming a financial expert, Stefanie was an actress, and during the height of the recession circa 2009, Stefanie had a wake up call and decided her life had a new mission: #BreakingBroke. Since then she has been seen on countless publications and uses her experience and wisdom to inspire and educate others. – The Confused Millennial, Inspiring Millennials Series

Stefanie O’Connell is a financial expert, Gen Y advocate, speaker and author of the book, “The Broke and Beautiful Life.”

Stefanie started out as an actress turned blogger and now is dedicated to helping young adults achieve financial greatness, Stefanie has been nicknamed the Mindy Kaling of personal finance by The Greenwich Time. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, SUCCESS magazine, MONEY.com, The Dr. Oz Show, Fox News and ABC World News. She also works with universities, leading financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies, sharing her fresh and timely advice with their audiences.

… and if you can’t tell from that short bio of hers, she’s a beast! Plus an absolutely relatable and genuine person! Seriously, I dare you to not fall in love with her during this vlog!

This interview is PACKED with extremely valuable and actionable tips and advice for job seekers, entrepreneurs, and bloggers. If you are struggling with under earning and networking you must watch this!

During this episode we discuss:

Working for free (is it really worth it?)
The importance of having taboo money conversations with peers
How to build your brand equity and strategically network
How to overcome the “imposter syndrome”
Setting up multiple revenue streams as an entrepreneur, here is the link to the post she references during the interview.
Like last week’s interview, Kayla Buell, Stefanie also was approached by a publisher to turn her blog into a book and what that experience was like.

Make sure to grab her book “The Broke and Beautiful Life.”

Connect with Stefanie on her website, twitter, and Instagram or Snapchat:

Download #TCMillennial’s checklist for saving on a tight budget:

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When to Say “No” To Blog Marketing and Sponsorship Opportunities

How do you get marketing and sponsored opportunities for your blog? That’s what we normally want. But when should you say “no” to sponsorships and marketing relationships for your blog? It can be hard to turn down money, but it can be worse to accept the wrong money. Read the Broke Millennial’s take on when to say no to money making opportunities on The Confused Millennials blog.

It starts innocently enough. You decide to create a blog and begin weekly ramblings about your awesome thrift-store-shopping skills. Suddenly, you’re getting offers to write for other outlets and do an occasional styling session here and there. Moneymaking opportunities seem to keep landing in your inbox. It’s hard to decide how to prioritize them or if they’re even a good fit for your brand.

Sure, this is an idealist version of life as a freelancer. Instead, you’re probably pounding the pavement to earn extra money (or get a full-time job). No matter the situation, there will probably come a time when you should say NO to a moneymaking opportunity.

This is how you determine when that time has come:

Are you still working for free?

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It’s easy to find yourself working for free early on in a freelance career, especially if you’re trying to break into a new field. You need to build a portfolio in order to have proof of concept that you deserve to be hired. Offering to work for free is an almost guaranteed way to get some gigs under your belt. This might be doing some graphic design work for your friend’s Etsy store or writing articles for free on a few niche sites.

But once that portfolio has been developed, it’s time to demand you’re compensated. Working in exchange for exposure is rarely a good deal, unless you have it in writing the gig will eventually turn financially lucrative.

An astonishing number of companies (both big and small) will ask you to offer your services for free in the name of the greater good or brand building. You might get some line like, “Sorry, we’re cash poor #startupproblems.” To which you can retort, “Sorry, exposure doesn’t #paymyrent.”

Once you nixed the need to work for free, it’s time to graduate to step two.

Learn when to say no to money

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Graduating from no payment to even a meager check feels like a big deal. $50 in exchange for a 2-minute video about how to do a killer fishtail braid for your bridesmaids? Sold!

But three months later after your tenth tutorial video, that turns out takes about four hours each, $500 in exchange for 40 hours of your time starts to seem a little lackluster.

This brings us to the first important question when evaluating a potential gig.

Is it actually worth your time?

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Freelancer in all types of jobs have issues learning how to price their worth and doing the math behind whether or not a job actually pays well.

Before taking on any new job, you need to do some simple math:

Evaluate how much you’re being paid an hour: Just divide the fixed sum by the number of hours it will take to complete the job.
Now subtract 30% and do the calculation again: Remember that freelance gigs mean you’re responsible for paying your own taxes. You need to tuck away 30% of each paycheck in a savings account so you can cut a check to the IRS when it comes calling.

It’s easy to slip into the position of accepting minimum wage for a job because the headliner number sounds big. $1,000 to work a 7-day shoot as a location scout?! That’s a month’s rent.

But what if that week turns out to be 13-hour days? Then you’re earning $10.99 an hour, before taxes. Subtract 30% and suddenly you’re actually only pocketing $7.69 an hour.

Know your worth before you accept any job, especially if you’re employed full-time and are freelancing on the side.

Do you even have the time?

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Speaking of time, do you even have room to accept this new moneymaking venture? The rise of the freelance economy also means lots of millennials are working a full-time job and moonlighting (that’s a fun, old-school expression). Be wary of over-extending yourself and having both that insurance-providing day job and your extra-income-earning side hustle suffer.

Don’t be taking every opportunity that comes your way just because you get cartoon-style dollar signs in your eyes. Be tactful about the work you take on in order to both build your brand and maximize your time.

In the words of my fictional hero Ron Swanson, “Don’t half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.”

You should also be judicious about the type of work you’re willing to do.

Will this move compromise business or personal values?

Obviously there are certain lines of work that will result in a tarnishing of your reputation, like working on Wall Street. (Just kidding. Sort of.)

When you’re building a side business or a full-time business as an entrepreneur, you are ultimately building a brand. You should have certain goals for this brand. As you become more successful, some unsavory characters will want to do business with you, or just companies that don’t align with your brand.

For example, I write about personal finance and I’ve had multiple payday loan companies ask to advertise on my site or be the feature of sponsored posts. Even with significant price tags attached and little-to-no work done on my end, I always say no. I could not, in good conscience, advocate for a payday lender when my mission is to educate people about healthy money habits.

Be wary of getting tempted into doing business with someone just because the price tag is high. It could ultimately do major damage to your brand that will result in lost income much higher than the flashy one-time payment.

Finally, do you still have a life?

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In many cases, the typical capitalist will agree with Gordon Gekko that greed is indeed good. It isn’t bad if money is a motivating factor in your life, especially if you’re working to pay down debt, achieve financial independence or just take an amazing vacation.

However, it’s easy to start sacrificing actually living with working harder and longer just to earn more. This is when it’s important to embrace the tired, but true, cliché of working smarter not harder.

Understanding your worth and demanding (or rather skillfully negotiating) the proper payment is the first step in balancing both your personal life and achieving financial goals.

Do you have financial goals? Grab our checklist for saving on a tight budget!

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Erin Lowry is the founder of BrokeMillennial.com, where she uses sarcasm and humor to explain basic financial concepts to her fellow millennials. Erin lives and works in New York City.

Inspiring millennials with Dani Pascarella

Are you thinking about launch your business? Watch the “Inspiring Millennials” Interview with Invibed.com co-founder Dani Pascarella. Dani shares about her journey as an entrepreneur, her strategy for launching and growing a business, as well as how she helps millennials tackle their student debt and finances. – The Confused Millennial TCM Tv

Happy #MotivationalMonday

Today’s episode of “Inspiring Millennials” is with Invibed co-founder Dani Pascarella.

Dani talks all about how she transitioned from her corporate 9-5 to building her business.

Dani talks about her strategy for easing into building your business while still supporting yourself and having a safety net.

During the interview we cover so much, including:

Lifestyle inflation,
Her journey as an entrepreneur,
How to validate your idea for a business,
Lessons she’s learned while growing a company, and
A sneak peek into some exciting things going on with Invibed to help millennials get out of student debt and reach financial goals that actually make sense for our age group.

Connect with Dani on Twitter or check out Invibed.com.

Ready to take control of your finances? Download our checklist for saving on a tight budget!

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6 Money Lessons to Learn Before You’re 30

Learning financial responsibility in your twenties is so important. We share the six money lessons to learn before you turn 30 to set yourself up for financial freedom and financial peace. - The Confused Millennial. Millennial Money. Gen Y. — Learning financial responsibility in your twenties is so important. We share the six money lessons to learn before you turn 30 to set yourself up for financial freedom and financial peace. – The Confused Millennial. Millennial Money. Gen Y.

Learning financial responsibility in your twenties can be a total game changer for your future. By getting the following six lessons before you turn thirty, you can set yourself up for more financial freedom and peace later in life.

1. Get a side hustle now. Seriously, while you still have the energy and time, get a side hustle. Not only will you save some coin by not spending every evening at happy hour after work, but you will also be earning some cash during that time.

2. Every dollar has a place. In other words, get a budget! Create a budget and assign every dollar to a category. If you have money left over you will spend it on dumb stuff, instead allocate it towards financial goals so you aren’t tempted to waste in on yet another one of Kylie’s lip packs.

3. Set financial goals. Whether they are paying off debt by a certain deadline, saving for a retirement or a home, start thinking about your financial future.

4. Make saving for retirement a necessity. To the previous point, if you are debt free, then saving for retirement via an IRA or 401k should be a fixed cost in your budget. The younger you start saving the more of the compounding interest you can rack in. Plus did you know it’s nearly impossible for someone who started saving for retirement at age 30 to catch up to someone who started saving for retirement at age 20?

5. Building credit takes time, destroying credit takes minutes. Seriously, every time you open a retail card for 20% off hurts your credit. Then factor in the fact that most Americans are living in financial chaos, (for example: forgetting to pay the bill on that retail card), and it has the potential to hurt you even more!

A good rule of thumb if:

– your new to credit (as in just started using it in the last 6 years) or

-if you don’t have an emergency fund with six to nine months of income in it, or

-if you have had a checkered past with credit

is to only charge what you can pay off in 24 hours.

6. Live below your means. In your twenties you will probably make some nice jumps in your career, which come with nice salary boosts. You should use that as an opportunity to live below your means, rather than fall into the trap of lifestyle inflation to match your new paycheck. Remember, just because your co-worker come in with new designer shoes every week, does not mean they don’t have a buttload of debt they are paying off. Dave Ramsey says you have to “live like no one else today, so you can live like no one else tomorrow”… meaning that most Americans are in debt, and if we live below our means when we are young, we don’t have to be tied by debt in our future.

Want to start saving for your future? Get our checklist for saving on a tight budget!

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6 Creative Ways for College Students to Make Money

Earning some money as a college student can feel impossible. Check out these creative ways for college students to make money and start a side hustle so you can graduate with less student debt and more financial freedom.

If we at the Casual Capitalist had to pick a synonym for the sharing economy, it would be the college economy. The sharing economy is one of the best jobs for college students these days.

Why do we say this? In a fantastic article by Neil Hare, he outlines how the sharing economy lifestyle is like that of a college student. Bumming a ride from a friend (Uber), crashing in your buddy’s apartment (Airbnb), putting together cheap IKEA furniture (TaskRabbit), and the list goes on.

This got us thinking. Yes, the lifestyle aspect of the sharing economy can be like that of a college student. But more importantly, how can college students profit in the sharing economy? By definition college students already live a flexible life compared to their traditionally employed counterparts. So why not embrace this and give college students a crash course in the sharing economy?

Meet Jordan from Florida who earns $1,700/month in the sharing economy and only works two hours per day.

Jordan goes to Florida State University and is in his second year of Accounting. Jordan has fully embraced the sharing economy as a part-time job when he isn’t studying or drinking beer at Potbelly’s Bar.

The purpose of this post is to teach you how to make money like Jordan by sharing some of the best jobs for college students in the sharing economy. While there are dozens out there, here are six of the most popular:

1. The Killer Combo: Ride-Sharing + Car-Sharing

Consider driving with Uber and Lyft. You can make a large amount of income if you chose to drive during peak hours in your particular city. On average, drivers earn $19 an hour with these platforms.

Don’t have a car? No problem, check out our formula for earning money with Uber or Lyft even if you don’t own a car.

Since you are ride-sharing on Uber or Lyft, why not car-share as well? Platforms such as Getaround or Turo let you rent out your vehicle when you’re not using it. Your car essentially becomes a rental.

2. Complete Todo Lists On TaskRabbit For $40 An Hour

TaskRabbit is a fantastic tasking service that pays you to complete the to-do lists of others. This includes assembling furniture, fixing anything, yard work, cleaning, painting, groceries, professional services, virtual tasks, and much much more.

There are over 30,000 taskers on this site making money. Is TaskRabbit not in your area? No problem, they have online tasks that can be completed remotely.

3. Become Your Local Deliverer

There are many sharing economy platforms out there in the delivery space. Postmates, Sidecar, Instacart, DoorDash, and UberRUSH are all income producing possibilities.

Most of these services allow you to complete deliveries with a vehicle, scooter, bicycle, or by foot. When you have spare time, you simply turn on your app to accept a delivery. It’s as simple as that.

If you are already driving with Lyft or Uber, delivering goods as well is a great platform stacking strategy.

Click here for more details on delivering goods in the sharing economy.

4. Tutoring

As a college student there is likely something that you can teach. This is especially true if you are a 3rd or 4th year student.

What about math, sciences, humanities, business, languages, or any other topics? Check out the following sites to see if your expertise is needed: WyzAnt, Takelessons.com, Chegg, or Skillshare.

It is easy to sign up on any of these sites to start accepting students. Most of these platforms allow for online teaching, so you don’t even need to put pants on (but please stay seated).

Another option is Udemy. This platform is different than the above ones in that you create prerecorded courses instead of teaching live. This way you get recurring income for one recorded lesson, instead of having to continually teach.

5. Go Look at Stuff

Are you out and about on a regular basis? There are a few platforms that can make you money just by going to look at stuff.

First up we have WeGoLook. Simply put, the ‘Lookers’ on this site go in-person to ensure something is as advertised. For instance, if someone is going to buy a car or property they hire a Looker on WeGoLook to ensure everything is as advertised.

Field Agent and Gigwalk are other options to consider. Both are mobile platforms for quick in-person retail tasks. This is a type of location market research. Tasks can include going to a local grocery store and taking a picture of a product display. Or, going to a local chain restaurant and ordering a particular item on the menu. You will be asked to fill out a questionnaire about the state of a product.

6. Rent Your House, Room, or Bed

Go check out the Airbnb listings in your area. You will see that people are renting out not only entire homes or apartments, but rooms and beds as well. Can you rent a room or bed out on an ongoing basis? This would be ideal for income generation. If not, maybe you can rent your place out when you are home for holidays or on vacation.

Final Thoughts

Let’s go back to Jordan, who earns around $1,700 a month working part-time in the sharing economy. That’s $20,400 a year. How does this offset his college costs?

According to the College Board, a moderate budget for a public college in 2015 averaged $24,061. This includes housing, food, tuition, and fees. Pretty good, no? Jordan is almost entirely offsetting his college costs through the sharing economy. Jordan still has his weekends free and can chose to work more or less depending on his school schedule.

Now it’s your turn to cash in on the sharing economy without giving up the luxuries of the college life.

Author: Glenn Carter from Invibed.com. Glenn is a family man, investor, and full-time employee based in Montreal, Canada. Glenn has started a number of part-time businesses that bring in supplementary income that affords him flexibility in life. Now, Glenn is sharing his experience with other budding casual capitalists through his website www.TheCasualCapitalist.com and books.

5 Secrets to FINALLY Stick With Your Budget

Trouble sticking with your budget? Wishing you could save more money each month? Follow these budgeting tips to head towards financial freedom and financial peace. Millennial money talk for the win with The Confused Millennial.

Last night my “professional self” was facilitating a workshop on financial responsibility as a millennial. We talked about everything from financing a car, repairing your credit, retirement accounts, and the dirty word… budgeting. So many of the people in the workshop felt so lost when it came to financial responsibility, that I decided there must be other confused millennials out there looking for this info too (is that a right assumption? Would you be interested in a mini course on financial responsibility? Let me know in the comments or here.)

Learning how to manage your money is one of the most important things you can do for yourself at any age, but especially in your twenties. It may be hard to imagine not living paycheck to paycheck but it’s totally possible and in your reach!

The key to a successful budget is to stay in control of your financial plan and not let your budget run you!

1. Track Your Expenses

Knowing where you’re spending your money is the easiest way to determine where you need to cut back, but for many this is also the hardest step. The key is to track ALL your expenses, not just the big ones. Five dollar coffees or $20 manicures will slowly add up and really hurt your budget if you’re not tracking them. Just think about it: $5.00 on coffee per day during a 5-day workweek equals $25 per week, that’s $100 per month! No matter how small, or how infrequent the purchase, make sure you track it! I suggest using a receipt app to keep track of this, my favorite is Receipt Hog so I can earn cash while tracking my expenses! Many accounting softwares also have a receipt app (I’m looking at your Wave), which can also streamline things for your CPA during tax time!

2. Keeping Up With the Kardashians

Can you guess where I am going with this? STOP looking at what other people have or are purchasing! Comparing your finances to your friends is not a healthy habit to be in (because seriously, Facebook/Instagram inflation is a real thing). You have no idea what is happening behind closed doors, and whether or not your friend who seems to have killer new shoes each week is really swimming in debt his or herself. If you do not stop comparing yourself to others you will likely end up overspending and getting into more debt.

“The average American doesn’t know what healthy spending looks like. They see how people living around them are spending, and emulate that. But if we’re all in the dark, that’s a dangerous cycle.” – Manisha Thakor, CEO of MoneyZen Wealth Management

3. Financial Goals

From the day you create your budget you should also be planning for your financial goals. This includes planning for the unexpected, a.k.a Setting up an Emergency Fund. Nothing will derail all the hard work and organization you are putting into your budgeting than an unexpected car repair or a trip to the hospital. Develop a contingency plan for the unexpected, this can be a savings account for emergencies, or it may just be a buffer you do not touch in your checking account.

This list should also include some fun things; like saving for a car or vacation. This list can act as a motivator of what you are working towards.

4. Understand Where You Are At

Having self-awareness for your unique situation is so important. If you struggle with credit card debt or impulsivity then perhaps go old school with the “envelope system“, where you put the budgeted dollar amount (in cash) in an envelope and label the envelopes accordingly. Then, for example, when you go grocery shopping only take the exact amount of cash you want to spend from your “grocery” envelope.

If you are someone with good impulse control and trying to establish credit, then using a credit card might be best. Remember to always pay your bill on time and keep your credit utilization ratio down!

5. Comparison Shop

Living on a budget should not feel like you are a pauper. We both know if your budget has you feeling destitute or miserable, you will not stick to it. A nice way to save money, while still living comfortably is to comparison shop. Before you purchase anything, be mindful of its price. For me, this looks like sitting in the toilet paper aisle with my calculator and figuring at the cost per roll (which changes frequently because of sales). I also know which grocery stores offer the cheapest cost per ounce of spinach (something we consume by the pound in my house). There are TONS of life hacks out there to help you find the cheapest option on many household items, spending a little time to do your research will pay off greatly for you in the long run.

What are some of your favorite budgeting tips or financial questions? Would you be interested in a mini course of financial responsibility in your twenties? Let me know in the comments or here.

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Overspending? Avoid these DAILY pitfalls.

Are you overspending? A Shopaholic? Keeping up with the Kardashians? Make sure to keep your budget in check by avoiding these daily money traps. Take control of your finances and move towards financial freedom as a millennial.

While working with clients struggling to get their finances in order, I began to hear similar stories over and over again.

Today I wanted to share a story, a story that may sound all too familiar, a day in the life of an overspender:

7:00 AM The alarm goes off. You promised yourself you would take full advantage of your unlimited class pass at that swanky spin studio; but your bed feels so warm and cozy, you’ll just skip it this morning…. and again the next morning… and again the next morning. Before you know it your only going once a week, which is averaging out to be about $45 a class!

What to do: You have 2 options here:

1. Start waking up or making the time after work to start using this class pass. Enlist an accountability buddy if you need. You bought that pass in the first place because you clearly had a goal in mind (whether it was to feel better, lose weight, etc.), so start working to achieve that goal and stop throwing money down the drain!

2. Sometimes life really does get hectic, in which case you need to be honest and realistic with yourself. Do you have the time to use this membership? Do their classes work with times in your schedule? If the answer is no, it is time to cancel the membership. Look into either joining a cheaper gym altogether or seeing if you can buy a class package (i.e. 10 classes for $120) with no time limit for usage on it. This way you have the freedom to go when it fits with your schedule. I personally try to pay $10 per class. So what that means, is if I do buy an unlimited membership, my goal is to go as many times that month, that it whittles the cost of each class down to $10. This is beneficial to me in two big ways: 1. I am feeling like I am getting my money’s worth and feeling good, 2. I am getting those endorphins going usually a 3-4 times a week, which again, leaves me feeling good.

8:30 AM You stop by the coffee shop on your way into work to kick start your morning. If you are like the average American, you are probably spending about $20 a week on coffee, for a yearly average of almost $1,100!

What to do: Make coffee at home! Putting forth a small investment in a killer coffee maker will save you hundreds of dollars in the long run. I personally drink iced coffee, so I got this great cold brew coffee maker:

Hario Water Brew Coffee Pot, 1000ml, Brown

for about $20 on Amazon* (note, the above are affiliate links, but I used this everyday and am obssessed!) Since the coffee never heats up, it does not have that icky bitter burnt taste. I spend (on the higher end) 8.99 on a pound of coffee, which usually lasts about 3 weeks at a rate of 4 cups a day; that’s about 11 cents a cup!!

12:00 PM Lunch Time! You call your favorite lunch spot for a carry out salad. Then you head over to pick it up and decide you want to grab a water bottle why you are there. There goes another $12 bucks, oh wait, you throw in a $2 tip for good measure… make that $14.00.

What to do: Brown Bag! I know, I know, how uncool does that sound? BUT you have to ask yourself, would you rather spend thousands each year on running out for a quick bite OR going on a great vacation? Saving for your future retirement or home? Getting out of debt? Lunch money can probably be spent better else where. Plus, why are you buying bottled water during the workday? Most offices these days have a filtered water system in the office; so USE it! This move alone can save you hundreds of dollars. Need more motivation to brown bag your lunch? Check out this amazing article by TIME on How to Save $2,500 a Year on Lunch.

2:00 PM Flash Sale! You know the feeling, it’s late in the work day, you are getting tired and restless… you check you inbox and yelp! There’s a flash sale at your favorite store! Only 2 hours remaining?? Hmm, let’s buy some stuff! Now you feel alert and ready to close the day on a high note!

What to do: Do NOT open that email. Consider using unroll.me, which will bundle your subscription, e-mails and send them as one mass e-mail daily (way less tempting and it’ll help get your inbox under control!). You are probably checking your personal email at work because you are in need of a few minute break/refresher to clear your head… not go shopping. Go for a brisk walk around the building to get some fresh area and your blood flowing again. This will have the same revitalizing effect as a new pair of shoes (that you really didn’t need anyway), without hurting your budget. Plus, ask yourself, do you really want to be that person that falls for the gimmicky “flash sale”? Let’s be realistic, if it happens every week, it’s not really a “flash sale”…. Just sayin’.

6:00 PM One of two things usually happens here:

1. Your friend texts you to grab a bite to eat or

2. You are exhausted from your day and you decide to just order take out for dinner. Regardless, the damage is usually the same: you wallet is another $20-$40 lighter.

What to do: Meal prep and Meal plan. Spending money on food is one of the fastest ways to sink you budget or increase your flex spending; it all depends on what you decide to do. When you take the time to sit down and plan your meals for the week, create a grocery list, then stick to that grocery list while shopping, it will save you money. End of story. Don’t let all those groceries go to waste either! Create a meal plan to make sure you’ll use all those veggies throughout the week and then take the time on Sunday to cook some dishes for the week ahead, and then all you need to do is reheat them when you tired during the week. No excuses for take out.

10:00 PM It’s late, and you are mindlessly scrolling through television channels or Instagram feeds. When you find yourself struck by a new workout program or gadget being advertised. One thing leads to another, and before you know it you just spent $160 you really don’t have to spend.

What to do instead: Stop the late night scrolling. My dad was a big culprit of this one. He would watch QVC and workout infomercials till odd hours of the night. We would randomly get a shipment of the latest fad diet or a kitchen appliance in the mail far too often (my dad struggled with over spending in case you were wondering). Instead try reading at night, meditating, journaling, try doing anything to unburden the mind before bed. You will sleep more peacefully and your bank account will thank you later.

Ready to step your budget up? Grab the checklist for saving on a tight budget!

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