Penny Pincher

When you're a child you don't realize how many bills are going to exist when you become an adult. Adulting 101 isn't a class they teach you in high school. It's like you wake up one morning and BAM! there are all these bills you have to pay.

I do have a job, which means an income, but it's not the ideal salary. That's the territory that comes with a part time job. I am looking for a full time job but it takes time and a lot of effort.

Lately, I've been paying extra attention to the money I have, looking for the smartest way to spend it, and finding simple but effective ways to bring in more money without tacking on another job.

I figured I'd share some of the things I've been doing.

1. Write out a Budget

Writing out a budget has probably been the smartest thing I got in a habit of doing. For some people they can keep track of it all mentally but I've always been more of a visual learner. By writing it all down I'm able to see what I have, what I'll have coming in, and what will be going out. It shows you the kind of wiggle room you have once bills are paid off. It shows you what you have left to take a portion of and put away in savings.

2. Be a Smart Budget

I was raised to always be a frugal shopper.

- Wait for things to go on sale
- Use coupons
- Clearance sections should always be the first place you look
- Name brands really don't matter (they don't make you popular)
- Thrift stores, resale shops and yard sales are goldmines

These types of things were instilled in me from a very young age and I've noticed I have been applying them more to my life the older I get. I guess that's something that comes with age, an appreciation of a hard earned dollar.

Don't spend money on something you don't need. It's important to take care of your financial responsibilities first. If there's something you want, look at your budget (that's why it's tip #1!) and see how much you could start putting to the side to eventually purchase it. Sure saving up doesn't sound fun, but if you want that "something" bad enough, you'll take the time to get it the right way.

I can't begin to tell you how much coupons and thrift/resale stores keep money in your pockets. Coupons have always been a normal to me. Why spend more on an item when they put out coupons so you can spend less? The same goes for the thrift/resale stores. Yes, you will have to take a little extra time looking through them and possibly having to go to more than one to find what you're looking for. In the end it's usually worth it though. Here's an example...I was looking for extra cookie sheets and cooling racks. At a thrift store, I found a bundle of them (probably 10 altogether) and it cost me $6. I could have paid that for just one cookie tray at a regular store. WIN!

3. Poshmark

This is something I've been experimenting with.

Poshmark is a site where you can take pictures of clothing, shoes, and accessories you are looking to get rid of and list them for sale.

I've heard of a lot of people having success on here but so far it hasn't happened to me. It's something that does take time (which I keep reminding myself of). You have to photograph each item in an appealing way so that people will want to buy it. You then have to post each picture with a description of what it is you're selling and a price. In order to really have people see your items, you have to share your posts regularly on the site so that they stay relevant on follower's feeds.

I'm hoping that with the extra effort I'm putting in I'll see some results. This method intrigued me versus using Plato's Closet or thredUP because I get to choose the price to sell the item at.

4. InboxDollars

This is a site whose outcome has actually surprised me.

Most of my days at work are spent behind a desk and I will have dead times with little to no tasks to complete. I wanted to find something I could do online that wasn't difficult but would put my free time to good use. InboxDollars seems to be that answer.

It's the type of site where you take surveys, watch videos, listen to their radio programming (which usually just sits playing on a muted window) and receive a few emails a day. Sure each item doesn't pay much but over time it adds up.

I joined around the end of March/beginning of April. In order to cash out your earnings you have to make $30 (they automatically give you $5 to signup, it's free to join). A $40 check is on it's way to me currently and since my first cash out I've already earned about $19 of my next 30.

Clearly I'm doing something right because I didn't think I'd be making this much this quick. I do have more time than most in front of a computer and I'll continue to take advantage of it if it means an extra $30-40 a month

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 These are just a few things that have been working for me. Maybe give some of them a try and see How it affects your finances. If there are any other options or sites people have used to bring in a few extra bucks or save some money, feel free to share. I'd be happy to give them a try and possibly make them a part of the routine.

Till next week!