Sometimes you don’t need a discount to save money. Have you ever looked at your bank account balance and cried a little because it’s so low? Walked out of the mall and realized how much money you’ve spent? Gotten to the grocery checkout and been shocked by the total? As students, we are always looking for ways to save money and make sure that we aren’t broke before we return to the full fridge at home. There are lots of apps and discounts out there that can help you save money; but sometimes, you don’t need them! Curious? Check out the tips below!
Make a List
This is especially important for clothes shopping. If you need a skirt, a shirt or just a pair of shoes, write it down! If you have a list, you will go into a store in search of that item first. This can help you from wandering into random stores, seeing something cute and buying it unnecessarily. You also won’t forget what you came for, either!
Eat Before You Grocery Shop
This is one of the oldest (and most effective) tips in the money-saving book. Going to the grocery store hungry will definitely increase your grocery bill because you’ll see the tub of ice cream or bag of chips and be so hungry that you want to devour them. By eating before going to the store, you will be less likely to make impulse purchases, which will help you save money at checkout!
Plan Your Meals
Planning your meals will help you spend less impulse money on eating out! Look at your week ahead and plan which days you’ll eat at home (and what) and what meals you’ll eat out. This will help you not only budget how much you spend eating out but also prevent you from letting food you bought at the grocery store spoil.
Use the 24 hour rule
The 24 hour rules states that for big purchases, wait 24 hours before buying to give you time to think about whether you really need it. For university students, this can apply towards many things, big purchase or not. For example, did you see a lipstick from Sephora that you liked? Take a picture, put it back and give it 24 hours. If after 24 hours you still feel you really need it, go back to buy it.
What money hacks do you use to save money? Tweet us at @HCuOttawa!