20 Things to Save Money on!

There are a couple things that I can say work for me, to consume less and save more. 
My Journey to saving money and being financially secure begins with this:

1. Save on hair expenses, $960 savings annually
2. Save on manicure expenses, $850 savings annually
3. Cancel DirecTV, $1440 savings annually
4. Personally doing regular car maintenance, $900 savings annually
5. Cooking in instead of eating out, $3,650 annual savings for a $10/day budget
6. Not upgrading to a brand new phone, $400 annual savings

Buy what you consume, consume what you buy.

7. Cash back on purchases with select cards
8. Finding the lowest priced gas stations (ie. Maverik, King Soopers) Using GasBuddy App
9. Collecting and using coupons during shopping/shopping for deals
7. Use up all items before buying new ones (ex. buying lotion when you already have lotion)
8. Pregame before going out (safely)
9. Make homemade cleaning supplies instead of buying them
10. Growing your own herbs and vegetables
11. Eating more greens
12. Refill a water bottle and don't buy plastic water bottles
13. Forget the gym membership, invest in work out bands. Utilize the space around you.

Take a risk, and try new things.

14. 401K Plan, with a match from work
15. Have a side hustle, create an investment portfolio for equities trading/long term stocks
16. Utilize opportunities and resources your employer has to offer
17. Budget your lifestyle, incomes and expenses
18. Utilize household items instead of buying them, Ex. wash rag instead of paper towels
19. Limit spending and purchasing items that will not add everyday value to your life.
20. INVEST IN YOURSELF & PRACTICE SELF LOVE

x x x x x

Practicing self control and a minimalist lifestyle is a long road, however making even the smallest change with this list will go a long way. Some of these things correlate with each other, and may even lead you to a healthy lifestyle if properly executed.

Personally, my budgeting journey began in 2008, I've kept an excel spreadsheet tracking all of my expenses in (currently) 7 categories. This has allowed me to visualize my incoming and outgoing expenses and get an idea for what I can or cannot afford. The spreadsheets also help keep track of when payments are due so all payments are made in a timely manner. It's very interesting to see how spending differs at certain periods of the year, and it is helpful to budget properly and allocate funds toward each category accordingly.

The newest item on my list that I am currently working on is saving money on hair and nail expenses. The hair expenses I have began to limit spending money on, it went from appointments every 6 weeks to taking Biotin for hair growth and small touch up appointments every 3-4 months. Manicures I thought would be the most difficult for me to stop, I would get dip every 3 weeks(-ish); Now, I just rock the natural nails, with the occasional self nail polish or a good friend that is willing to share some girl time. And I'm extremely happy with my dedication to these things! 

A little over 3 years ago I cancelled my cable subscription, and it was one of the easiest steps for me personally. This has not only allowed me to save a large amount of money on that expense, but also allowed for personal time for self betterment. Reading a book, writing, cleaning my house, getting errands taken care of, time not spent pointlessly watching TV and getting shit done. However, I don't go through the days without watching anything at all. I do own a subscription to YouTube - which for me covers all bases! Endless stream of music, podcasts, educational videos, shows, workouts, and motivational information, and all for $10.41 monthly. Yes a yearly expense, but worth it for me to cover bases of savings in other areas.

Coming from a Ukrainian culture, my family prepared full course meals, different everyday, meal prepping for the week, and utilizing healthy and filling ingredients. And I am so grateful to have that instilled in me to follow in their nurturing and nourishing nature! 
Saving money by having the self control to say no to fast food and going to buy fresh ingredients and preparing meals at home for the week. So rewarding! Now days even growing herbs and vegetables to collect fresh daily and make delicious meals that I love! 
Saving money on growing your own greens also gives you the advantage of eating more greens which are actually much more affordable during shopping trips.
Cooking in at home and preparing meals, breakfasts and lunches to bring to work throughout the week instead of spending $10 per meal and a sugary Starbucks drink which costs ~$5 for those who like to indulge every morning. 
That's not to say that I don't like the occasional day to go out and eat.. I have a whole list of restaurants I like to visit and dine at!! Which I do treat myself to often. But that is what I value in my life and to me my money is well spent in that regard!

That brings me to my next topic- put your spending and purchasing into things that bring value to your life, things that give you the best experience. Limit spending on material things that will only bring you joy in the moment, but ultimately clutter your life.