The Non-Planner Perspective

I began paying rent when I was about 21 years old while living with a roommate. I was making pretty good money for my age and a couple of years later, decided it was time for my own space. Of course, with that, came more financial responsibility.

Between decorating my new place and paying full rent and utilities, I ended up with a terrible habit of pulling money from my savings account to cover costs. Initially, I shrugged it off as a “new renter’s problem.” I mean, I had to furnish my apartment and eat, right?

Well, after the third month of this, I had enough. I sat down and looked at my monthly income versus my expenses. My apartment was well within my means and I was utterly confused as to how I wound up spending more than I earned.

Finally, it hit me. I hadn’t made ANY adjustments to my lifestyle since assuming sole financial dependability. I didn’t curtail my shopping. I ate out every day at lunch during the work week AND on the weekends, and made several trips a day to grab coffee with coworkers at $5 a beverage!

At that point, I knew things had to change. I had to decide what I wanted to keep and what I could do without. Dining out is important to me, but I couldn’t afford to do it every day so I began making my lunch during the week so that I could have a little fun with friends and family on the weekends. I also opted for cheaper coffee, once a day. Later on, I switched to purchasing coffee from the grocery store, along with tasty creamers, to brew at home.

I learned how to bargain shop and started to balance my checkbook to keep track of my expenses. The more receipts I had to log, the bigger the sign became that it was time to cut back on spending. In order to see what I truly took home each pay period, I transferred half of my rent (plus a percentage of my paycheck for an emergency fund) to my savings to prioritize how I’d pay my bills according to their due date.

When I first moved out, my goal was to never have to move back in with my parents due to a lack of responsibility. My struggle to manage money really birthed the fear in me that I would have to go back and admit that I couldn’t do it and that I had gotten in over my head. Once I took charge of my finances, that anxiety began to subside because I knew what I was capable of. If I needed to tighten my belt, I could. Independence costs money and I always knew I wanted to keep it.

Now, every time I think about overspending, I remind myself that financially, I can’t do everything all the time. I have to be choosey. Minor changes like these can make major impacts on your bank account and even your quality of life. Sometimes, skipping the small, unnecessary things will allow you to enjoy your version of bigger, better things.

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