Don’t Waste Money on Fads

For my final post (to achieve the minimum requirements for class), I wanted to try and write something inspirational. I wanted to share something with my readers that they can remember for years to come. Sadly, I don’t have anything super amazing- like the key to success or the directions to the fountain of youth…but, I do have a pretty important tip on how you can pinch some pennies. 

As a young adult who is actively involved on social media, who reads magazines, and watches television, I am pretty aware of what is going on around me.  I would say that I have been aware of these surroundings since middle school.  Over the years though, things have obviously changed. In middle school, everyone pictured in magazines that I was reading (Teen Vogue & Seventeen) were wearing puka shell necklaces and ripped up jeans. So, what did I ask my parents for when I went to the mall? You guessed it- a puka shell necklace and ripped jeans. *Hopefully you guys didn’t waste too much money on those. 

 Hint- You can buy $3.75 jeans at Goodwill and rip them yourself.

 

I don’t think that you have to be “out of fashion” in order to save money, but I do think it is important to not waste money on fads. Fads become lame just as quickly as they became cool. Some examples of fads that I remember growing up are jelly bracelets, wind suit jackets, and anything Lisa Frank. As a kid, my instinct to give in and go with the flow is going to be more understandable. But, because I am an adult now- I need to realize when something that is being advertised is a fad and not spend a lot of money on it. I need to spend my money on items that I will like and be okay with wearing in 6 months to a year from now. 

I think I spent nearly $60 on a pair of  (hideous) shoes like this in middle school.

If you see an advertisement for something and your first instinct is that what you just saw seems silly, chances are, it probably is. Be comfortable with who you are and what you like. Don’t go buy $100 snake skin leggings just because Beyonce wore some at the VMA’s. Spend your money on items that you like, and will continue to like for months to come.

To Try & DIY or Just To Buy?

The ever popular social media site (geared for ladies) Pinterest has got a lot of its users feeling crafty. Unfortunately, not everyone’s Pinterest projects turn out so well. For lots of hilarious examples check out these web pages: 

 http://www.boredpanda.com/funny-pinterest-fails/

http://www.pinterestfail.com/

http://epicpinterestfail.com/

Recently, I thought that maybe I should give a Pinterest project the good ol’ college try. I was running out of shaving cream and I had been seeing a lot of pins with images of homemade shaving cream. Spoiler alert…not my best idea.

I did a lot of research, looked at several pins and even Google searched “how to” directions for making shaving cream. Even though I found many different recipes, I came up with a shopping list with the most common ingredients. I headed to one of my favorite stores, The Dollar Tree and ending up spending around six dollars.  A generic eight ounce can of shaving cream costs $1.29.  So far, not so good.

The common ingredients in a DIY Shaving Cream Recipe

I followed the instructions step-by-step and after I let the mixture sit for about an hour my final project was created. Shaving juice! That’s, right…juice.  Not cream.

My shaving cream juice.

My intentions were to save money, not waste money. So here’s the moral of the story- sometimes it’s not only easier, but smarter and cheaper just to buy the product you need instead of trying to make it yourself.

Be Smart When Buying Big Ticket Items

Try saving cash/change in a jug- it adds up fast

As a college student at the age of 21, I really haven’t had to buy too many “big ticket items.” When I was in high school, I babysat and saved up $100 for my first iPod and in college I bought a $100 GPS. Other than those two items, I really haven’t made too many huge investments. Looking ahead to the future though (44 days until graduation), I know that I will soon have to start saving up for things like furniture, electronics, and of course bills.

Who doesn't love an old school iPod?

Luckily, throughout my childhood and teenage years my parents have taught me the correct way to save up and prepare for a big investment. My mom has always told me to ask myself before I buy something expensive: “Will you still want this item in six months? How about in a year?” If the answer is yes, then you should probably go for it.

The other important factor to remember when investing in pricy merchandise is that the item you want to buy may be sold at many different stores. If this is the case, it is definitely wise to shop around and find the best deal. A big ticket item should never be purchased on impulse. It is completely fine to take some time think things through and look around.

Another pointer for those who are looking to buy something expensive is to try to find out when the best time of year is to buy that item. For instance, the best time to buy a big screen television would be in February (before the Super Bowl)…not in July, when mostly everyone is spending time on vacation (outdoors). If you’re still in school, don’t forget about tax free weekend! The dates are different depending on the state you live in, but they are typically in August.

At some point in our lives, we will all have to make some investments. As long as we keep these pointers in mind though, they shouldn’t break the bank.

There's an App For That

It’s pretty much common knowledge that sales papers and coupons can be found in the newspaper. A lot of people fail to remember though, that there is a place to find the sales papers and some coupons without even getting off of the couch. Obviously, there are ways to find sales on the internet, but if you do not have a particular store in mind; it may be more difficult to find something relevant. I suggest using your phone.

We’ve all heard the saying “There’s an app for that” and it definitely is true. I just went to my app store and searched “sales” and “discounts.” I downloaded around five apps but ended up only finding three of them helpful. The apps that I downloaded are called Weekly, RetailMeNot, and Groupon. All of the apps were free and had location services to show what stores near me offered sales and/or coupons.

The first app, Weekly, started by asking for my zip code. After entering that, the app showed every store in the area that offered any kind of discount. I could go through the entire list and check off which stores I was interested in seeing the sales for. I chose Aldi, Kmart, Kohl’s, and Old Navy. When I clicked on a store name, such as Kohl’s, the app revealed the recent weekly sales papers for the store. The app allows for the user to go through the entire ad. Although the app didn’t offer any kind of discount at nearby stores, it is nice to not have to go buy a newspaper for the circulars.

The next app that I downloaded was called RetailMeNot. This app was much more aesthetically pleasing than the first. It also had a little more to offer than just sales ads. The app has a search bar to look for ads and discounts for particular stores, but if you are like me and you only want to shop where you know there is a good deal- you can click on the “top coupons” button. The RetailMeNot app offers both online and in-store discounts, which I found extremely helpful.

The last app that I downloaded is much more popular. Groupon started out as a website and is just as convenient and helpful as an app. Similarly to the app Weekly, the first step in using Groupon was to enter your zip code. Then all of the discount deals are separated into categories: nearby, featured, goods, pet deals, getaways, and rewards. The majority of all the deals presented were all within an hour of my location. Also, many of the discounts were for at least 50% off of retail price.

I feel that it’s pretty safe to say that most people don’t leave the house without their phone on them, so next time you’re out on a shopping spree- remember to look for some apps on your phone to help you pinch some pennies.