Most of my life, I’ve relied on my parents for money, but once I moved out on my own, I was responsible for doing that myself. Now, I’m not saying that they wouldn’t help me if I needed it… of course they would. I’ve just learned to take care of it myself and here’s how.

Wants vs Needs

Going shopping when you’re responsible for budgeting for yourself is hard to get used to. You really have to know what you need and what you just want. An important step in this journey for me was to learn that if it wasn’t necessary, it could wait. If I didn’t have the money to buy it right off the bat and it wasn’t something that I absolutely needed, it could wait. Most of the time, if you wait just a little bit, you forget about it anyways.

Learn to Say No

As with most things, it is important to get into the habit of saying no. Say no to things that you can’t afford to do. You don’t have to go out and spend money to have a good time.

Learn to Host

If you want to have fun with friends, do it on your own terms. Buy cheap wine or cheap beer and have a good time doing whatever you want to do at your own house. It’s way cheaper than going out, and it might even be more fun.

Write it Down

An important thing that has helped me is that I write my budget down on paper and track every cent that I spend.

All in all, focus on what is truly necessary but remember to treat yourself every now and then.

Stay Golden,

Emily