Howdy friends,
I don’t know about you guys, but I LOVE saving money! Nursing school can get expensive and it’s nice to have a little extra cash flow when you need it. I am going to share with you some very practical ways to save money while you are in school…and if you aren’t. These are some things that I am currently practicing, and I have been floored by how much money I have saved…even more floored by how much I was spending!
My husband and I are going to Disney World and Universal Studios this summer (we are very big kids), and I really want a nice chunk of spending money. The way my shopping habits are set up though…that wasn’t going to happen. I quickly decided to implement my money saving skills that I put to good use when I was a brand new nurse with brand new adult responsibilities. This time, I have a new secret weapon in my arsenal to share with you! Below are 3 practical ways to save money WHENEVER!
- Limit eating out.
Now, notice I said LIMIT, not STOP. Eating out is FUN. It’s comforting and yummy! It’s a great way to fellowship with your family and friends. It can also, however, be very EXPENSIVE. A few months ago, I took a look at my bank statement. It shocked me to see that the majority of my funds weren’t going to paying bills, debts, or other needs. I should own stock in Chick-fil-a. In fact, that # 5, eight-count combo with a lemonade is calling my name right now! Eating out was eating away at my cash flow! The best way to learn how much money you actually save by limiting your eating out, is to know how much you actually spend when you do eat out. For one week, keep up with all your receipts from eating out and total the cost. Multiply your total by the total number of weeks in the month for a rough estimate, and prepare to be amazed! We started to limit our eating out to once or twice a week and on special occasions. That extra 4-500 dollars a month(yeah…don’t judge me) is going to buy a lot of butterbeer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
2. Necessity vs. Nicety
Yeah, this one can get a little sticky. A necessity is something that must be present to preserve life. All other things are niceties. Now, niceties are NICE. It is great to have some niceties. I believe niceties keep us sane! Too many niceties though, and we are broke! The practical way I limited my niceties was to evaluate my personal spending. This was on the spending that I did that did not affect my family. Example: I am the queen bee of subscription services. Makeup, samples, clothes, you name it! I had a box coming in the mail for everything. These were my own little boxes of happiness. My Christmas in July..and August…and, well, you get the picture. I had 4 boxes of “stuff” coming to my house EVERY month. I won’t even go into how expensive that was. I have a stockpile of samples that I wasn’t even using! So, I cancelled my makeup and sample subscriptions. The clothing subscriptions are another story. Instead of getting 2 boxes every month, I now only get 1 box on special occasions. My birthday, Christmas, when I get a promotion at work, are some examples. My Disney spending fund is growing, and my husband and son do not have to feel the sting of my sacrifice. Everybody wins! In fact, I think my husband may have danced a little the first time the FedEx truck didn’t stop at our house.
3. My favorite!!! Coupons, gift cards, and rebate apps.
Yall, before you get all bent out of shape about coupons, I am NOT an extreme coupon queen. I only coupon for things I need or would buy anyway without a coupon. How dope is it to save money on things you were going to buy anyway? You do not have to be an extreme couponer to save money! Just print or clip coupons you need or want! Coupons.com or clipping directly from the coupons out of the newspaper is great! If you go directly to the brand’s website, they may have coupons available too! Cha-ching! Gift cards are great too. When your aunt, twice-removed, asks you what you want for Christmas, ask for something practical! A gift card to the grocery store you shop at is a great idea! Or money (well, they shouldn’t have asked what you wanted, right?) These are practical gifts that help you get something you NEED! Now, my favorite is the rebate app. These are apps that you download to your smartphone and use while you shop. Have you ever noticed that there are hardly any coupons for the most practical items you buy? I am talking about milk, bread, eggs, etc. Sometimes, that is all you need. How awesome would it be to save a little on those items? Totally awesome! Now there are a lot of rebate apps out there, but my favorite is Ibotta. This rebate app gives you money back for tons of items, including the most practical of items. All you do is unlock the rebate, complete a simple task (watch a short video, answer a poll, etc.), purchase that item or items from a store of your choice (Ibotta has a LOT of store options), and submit your receipt. All that is left to do now is wait for the savings! Ibotta allows you to cash in your rebates for gift cards or straight cash! The money can be transferred to PayPal once you have accumulated at least $20. Ibotta is also my favorite rebate app because of the bonus dollars they offer. Referral bonuses, sign-up bonuses, rebate completions, and teamwork bonuses are just a few examples. My sister and I have been using Ibotta for almost 2 months now. Combined, we have saved almost $200 on our everyday purchases! If you are ready to start saving, sign up for Ibotta using my referral code: xycurai. Once you are signed up, share your personal referral code with your friends. Once they cash in their first rebate, you will get a referral bonus! This makes collecting your teamwork bonuses easier! If you would like more information about Ibotta, just check out their website or you can always email me at ag@nursingforall.com.
Happy savings,
A.G.
