If you're unemployed, a student or just want to save some €€€, I hope this blog will be of some help to you. I know as well as anyone else how hard it is to save when you don't have a job. I'm currently waiting on a CAO offer to (hopefully!) come so I'm twiddling my thumbs until it does. Then I'll be hurled into the student world, which, who knows why, will actually give me more of an income than I have at the moment. Strange, but I'm not complaining.
For the moment, I'm finding ways to save up as much cash as I can just in case. Rest assured, you don't have to babysit or sell an organ - but you can if you want to. I wouldn't highly recommend the second option though.
Tip 1: Jar It
Get a jar. Any jar. Put ANY spare change you have in there. Seriously, anything. I hate copper coins but I just chuck them into my jar so they're not taking up space in my purse. Even better if you just keep notes in your purse/wallet and put all the coins in the jar. Managed to not buy a takeaway coffee or meal deal today? Put the money you would've spent into the jar. Found 20c on the floor? Into the jar. It may seem petty but it really does add up! I chucked just a few coppers in my jar and ended up with €10, which doesn't sound like much but I only added to mine sporadically. If you saved just €10 a month in your coin jar that's €120 a year! Every little helps.
Tip 2: Don't Want It? Sell It
I am a huge CEX fan for this reason. They don't pay top dollar, sure, but if you can't be bothered with timewasters trying to knock you down for your games/electronics/DVDs, bring a bag of stuff into CEX and see what you can get out of it. I brought a few games and DVDs to them the other day and made €35, just like that! Alternatively, do a car boot sale. Unfortunately they're not as big here as they are in the UK but they're still a good bet if you don't mind early mornings, have a bit to sell and luck out on the weather/crowds. If you can't get to a car boot sale spot, try the online ones. I like the buy/sell groups on Facebook, I've sold a few bits on them. Just be aware there are quite a lot of timewasters on the Internet and people who try and rip you off! For selling clothes, Depop is a great app, and it's worldwide. Visit my Depop store here.
Tip 3: Sell Your Talents
Now, don't take that the wrong way, but say you've always had a knack for photography, or painting, or cooking. If you have a skill for it, people will most likely buy it. I recommend setting up an Etsy online shop and selling anything unique you've made or designed. Etsy is also worldwide, so you never know who could see your stuff!
Tip 4: Account For It
Get a nice notebook and write down your monthly income and however much you usually spend in a month. Write down everything you buy, from phone credit to food shopping to cinema tickets to those few shnakey pints on a Saturday night. If you can see places where you can save (for example, I definitely do not need any more clothes no matter how many times I tell myself 'oh but I have nothing like this!'), try to cut them out the next month and see how much you save. I know it's a bit of a bore but in my case I don't have the money to be frivolous so why am I? I'd also recommend opening a Credit Union account. It's definitely one of the biggest things that's helped me save. I can see my account balance go up every time I put a little bit in, and that really encourages me. I use it for big purchases or emergencies, and every time I take some out, I try and put it back in whenever I can.
Tip 5: Don't Discount Charity Shops
As I've previously mentioned, I buy nearly all my clothes from charity shops. Occasionally I'll branch out and buy a thing or two in Penneys but generally I prefer charity shops. Some people don't get them because at the end of the day you are buying pre-loved clothes - but as long as you give them a good wash they're fine. Not only are you helping a charity you can also revamp your wardrobe for a fraction of the cost, and you might find some unique or designer pieces. It's a win-win.
So that's about it, I do hope this was helpful in some way. I've used all these techniques and have actually saved quite a nice amount at this point! Hopefully I won't be living on baked beans any time soon. Eurgh, baked beans...
Thanks for reading and as usual feel free to share your own blogs, I'd love to read them!
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