Jake Regal: Expert 3/28/17
Welcome back to the internet’s most popular advice blog. Did you know that dictionaries used to, but no longer, consider “internet” a proper noun? Today’s question comes from Edgar from California. He asks:
“I'm really bad [with] my finances. Any tips on how to be more efficient with my money that [aren’t] cheesy as fuck?”
Excellent question! This is an issue I’ve dealt with routinely in my adult life. I haven’t had a 9-5 day job since college. While this sounds awesome, in reality it has led to some pretty lean times. Particularly, before I started generating reliable income coaching improv, I lived day-to-day hoping I would book a national commercial every six months. I was very, very broke. Here are some things I learned then:
1) Stop going out to eat so goddamn often. This is the big one. I genuinely love fast food garbage, but taste aside, dollar menus helped me stay alive. For years, I would routinely limit myself to spending three dollars or less on meals. This meant innumerable (delicious, delicious) trips to Taco Bell and McDonald’s. Cook more if you like to cook. My mentality in my poorest times was that it was okay to spend money on food for someone else (read: a date), but that I shouldn’t spend money on food for myself. You can save a truly shocking amount of money thinking that way.
2) Don’t drink at bars. Same deal. By all means, go to your friends’ parties, but become comfortable with hanging out while sober. This also saves you money on Ubers. This method also makes house parties feel that much more special, because you can get smashed for cheap if you want to.
3) Reward yourself periodically. When I was spending no money, I found myself occasionally building up an irresistible urge to buy something substantial. I actually felt this urge most strongly when I was most broke. Something to do with fear and desire, I’m sure. Rather than always deny myself that pleasure, I would periodically let myself make a purchase (usually a video game). By rationing out these transactions, either as a reward for an accomplishment or because it had been months since my last purchase, I was able to take control of my shopping habits. I feel like if I completely denied myself the ability to buy anything, my id would take over and I’d find myself being completely irresponsible. With a reward system, I gave myself the power to buy or not buy.
Hope these ideas are helpful! I apologize if they were cheesy as fuck. Remember, if you want to submit your own question to be answered in a future entry, fill out this form!
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