How The Hell to Save $ In A RIGGED System

We are living in dire financial times. No doubt about it.

I mean, come on; We have an entire genre of video entertainment dedicated to showing off what you bought at the grocery store.

People place a pack of avocados in their shopping cart, and the comment section is flooded with chide, saying, “In this economy?” (And, might I add, only half-joking.)

Not to mention our collective ‘swipe-now-regret-later’ mentality, apps like Klarna making it easier and easier to go into debt, and increasing pressure to fit in with the whiplash of style and aesthetic trends.

So… What do we do about it?

Against all odds, we do what humans do best: We try!

The Broken Mindset Behind Saving

Beyond the practical challenges of saving money, there’s a deeper psychological problem.

A scarcity mindset—where you constantly feel there’s never enough money—can make it hard to let go of even a tiny amount (or worse, make you say “screw it” the second you make a bad purchase and fall into a spiral.)

Saving for “future you” feels less urgent when “current you” just wants to enjoy life today.

Plus, it’s hard not to feel like saving money is something meant for people who already have money.

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How I Got Out of CC Debt & Actually Started Saving

Here is, step by step, exactly how I built my emergency fund to $2,500 this year despite supporting myself through college, building my freelance business, and paying off an equivalent amount in credit card debt:

1. I Started HEAVILY Pocket-Watching Myself

I use a budget template that I catalogue every single transaction into. Yes—even if I get a random Apple charge for $0.99, it goes into my spreadsheet.

Having a visual representation of exactly where your money is going will help you TREMENDOUSLY in figuring out where it needs to be allocated/where you need to cool it.

Since I’ve started budgeting, I don’t feel bad going out and having fun anymore. I know ahead of time that I have XYZ amount to spend without panicking, so I don’t need to check my bank app at the function.

2. I Changed My “Spend Less” Attitude to a “Work More” One

The truth is, you can only save so much money. There are plenty of corners you can (and perhaps should) cut, but there’s a finite amount of things you can give up without losing morale or your sense of comfort.

Instead, you need to figure out where you can make more money.

Side hustles are non-negotiable these days, dude. Aside from my main gig (freelance writing), I also create UGC videos for brands and work at a cafe twice a week.

3. I Took The Time to Prioritize My Financial Education

My parents are broke. Like, 15K in credit card debt broke. Living off of social security and under-the-table jobs at age 67 broke. I needed to take the initiative if I wanted my life to pan out differently.

I started learning everything I could about money, both practically and mentally.

I researched investing, budgeting, and the work it takes to un-learn bad financial habits.

(Like, for instance, the urge to buy things just because they were on sale. Thank you, Mom, for that habit!)

Budget-Friendly Find of The Week:

This YouTube channel, “The Financial Diet,” is one that I cannot recommend enough. Chelsea is such an articulate and informative person, and the guests she brings to the show always have very insightful takes.

They’ve covered pretty much every aspect of personal finance from a cultural perspective, but this recent video on The “Growing Up Poor” Tax was one that really resonated with my journey in particular.

I’d highly recommend checking out her channel!

This Week’s Money Wins & Fails:

Wins:

• I got an inbound for a new UGC video client, which is something I’ve been dipping my toes into and am VERY excited about.

• Guess who’s going to Scotland?! I scored tickets using CC points for a whopping $200 round-trip flight in April. I am so stoked. I’ve never been out of the country, and I have a passport that is ripe for packing!

Fails:

• There has been some insane weather here in Pittsburgh, and because of obligations I’ve had to attend to, I bought like four Ubers this week. 

• I got professional photos taken for my business. I am SO EXCITED for them, but I felt the “need” to get a haircut and new outfit for the occasion, which bumped the overall expense up by an extra $150 than it needed to be.