Bank balance getting you down? Cash concerns causing a headache? Nobody enjoys worrying about money, but some find it easier than others to put financial anxiety to the back of their minds. If you find yourself fretting over the state of your finances, make sure you are following these 4 tips. Making small changes to your financial habits can result in big rewards.
Have a spare cash stash
When you’re earning we’ll call it an emergency fund, but for now we’re talking about £20. Even £20 or £50 tucked away can give you a feeling of control. If you can’t save, it may be you can sell some things you’re not using. Alternatively, you can tutor, babysit, walk dogs, or freelance to get the dosh together. And how big should this pot be? That’s up to you: the more things your emergency fund needs to cover, the bigger it needs to be.
Be tech-smart
Disconnect your PayPal from your shopping apps. As purchasing items gets easier, impulse shopping is getting worse. The trick is to put a few moments between the stimulus – the impulse to buy – and your response – your decision to buy. Buying yourself just 1 minute of delay could save you hundreds in spending you later regret.
Stop celeb swooning
Stop rating Gigi, Kendall, Justin and Jay-Z and take stock of your own life and what you want. We might call them influencers but really they are just a way for brands to apply peer pressure under the guise of celebrity love. Chiara gets up to £60k for an insta endorsement which is a steal compared to Kim K who gets up to $500k. There you have it guys – turns out that face-cream which “changed her life” might just be an advert by another name!
Because you’re worth it
Figure out what you’re worth and make it count; Jennifer Lawrence has to work 3 seconds to afford a cup of coffee, someone on minimum wage needs to work 27 minutes to afford the same drink!
Stop buying useless stuff you didn’t want anyway just because you always have – that coffee, those fags, the pint after class. If you want to spend the future earning more, not spending less, your time needs to become more valuable. The more in demand you are the more your time is worth.
Invest in your future: get learning, get skilled, get experience and stop trying to live rich while you’re uni poor. Your time will come but it’s not now!