Tips For Saving Money for Those “Adult” Purchases

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I’ve only had two jobs in my life where I made a steady income:

Babysitting – if you count it. And the year and a half that I spent teaching dance at a local gym.

During both of those times, I was young and naive, and I spent my money on sushi, Charming Charlie costume jewelry, and acrylic nails every three weeks. I can’t even tell you if any of that money landed in my savings account. In fact, I vividly remember blowing the entirety of my first paycheck from the gym on a pair of Steve Madden troopa boots. (Although I kinda don’t regret that one too much because I still love those boots.)

So now that I have a paying job again, I vowed to do better. My goal is to save money, but I also want to make some responsible “adult” purchases.

I’m going to share my tips on how to save up for those big “adult” purchases. (Read: the down-payment on your next apartment, a new desk chair for your at-home office, a new cell phone, etc.)

Ultimately, when you hit this early 20s portion of your life, there will be things you want/need that you will have to pay for. Mom and Dad may come in clutch around Christmastime or your birthday, but when you randomly decide to take a roadtrip with your girlfriends, you’re gonna need to pay your way for those Instagram-worthy brunches and the cute photogenic AirBnB you’ll stay in – you feel me?

So without any further chit chat….my tips!

Limit how much you buy coffee out

Replace the word “coffee” with whatever item you find yourself throwing money towards each week. Maybe it’s “Sonic mozzarella sticks” or “green smoothies” or even “those cute, dang sticky notes in the Target dollar spot”. Whatever it is, pinpoint it, and quit it. For me, it was coffee. I love a good latte, and I just can’t make them like my favorite Houston coffee shops do. So now, I’ve made a vow to only buy coffee out once during the week and once on the weekend. (It’s a treat!) Otherwise, you can find me in my kitchen with my Keurig and store-bought milk, ballin’ on a budget.

Reserve eating out for special occasions

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of meal-prepping. I spend about $30 at the grocery store each week and then turn that into yummy meals I can stretch over an entire week. So I reserve eating out for special occasions. Read: to celebrate someone’s new job/promotion, to meet up with a friend I haven’t seen in years, to celebrate Father’s Day, etc. So on a normal week day with no special celebrations, I’ll be on my couch, watching a cheesy Rom-Com, and noshing on whatever my meal-prepped dinner is for that week.

Try free workouts and take advantage of special offers

So – here’s the lamest thing ever: my school gym doesn’t let you in if you’re not actually enrolled in classes for the summer. Sad! So I’m gym-less right now. I’ve been doing a lot of free workouts, so that I don’t screw up my budget. I run a lot as well as I signed up for a 15-day free trial of Barre 3 Online. I’m also that girl who takes all the “first class free” classes for different boutique workout studios around time. I did 2 free classes at Defy Pilates, a free-intro class at Cycle Bar, and a free-intro class at Pure Barre. From there, I took advantage of new client specials. I just finished up 5 classes for $50 at Defy Pilates. (Total steal!)

Create a capsule wardrobe

If you’ve seen this post, than you know I’ve already done this for my summer internship and I’m loving it! I only bought one new top for my internship and a tote bag – everything else I already had and I just styled everything to be work-appropriate! Check out that linked post to see how to create your own.

Track your expenses

Find the method that’s best for you and then stick with it. I’ve always been a handwritten girl, and I don’t have many expenses, so it doesn’t take a while to do. However, I have been using Google Sheets this past month and I really like it!

Try mini spending-fasts

I mentioned when sharing about my un-plugged weekend that I totally goofed and left my wallet in Houston when staying in Cypress for the weekend. This forced me into a weekend spending fast, and I loved when it did to refresh my bank account and my soul. Try going a short period without spending ANYTHING. No meals out, no coffee, and no random purchases at Target.

Plan ahead for large purchases

When I know I have something I’m going to need to buy that’s a big ticket item, I plan for it. A couple big ticket items on my radar: new duvet cover, a bike (!!!), and plants to create my own herb garden at Bishjano downtown. I know the exact amount I’m going to spend (or what I’m willing to spend) and then I save a bit here and there for it. You can create additional savings account in a cinch by just calling your bank and asking to open another one. Or go old fashioned and just take cash out and put it into a piggy bank!