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People often describe saving money and living frugally as “making sacrifices” and “going without”. However, we tend to resent those depictions. It’s completely possible to save money without being bored out of your mind. Here are our tips for saving and living it up all at the same time. Get ready to save money and have a blast!
Don’t go chasing after every sale you see. Instead, make a resolve to never buy anything at full price. If you love sushi, see if there’s a nearby sushi place that does a half-off sushi night. Looking to go out for drinks with friends? Go during happy hour and set a limit on how much you’re willing to spend.
If you exclusively go out with the knowledge that you’ll only shop when things are on sale, then you’re o the right track. It’s possible to get nice things for less, while saving enough money to be responsible. It just takes a bit of research to make sure you’re always getting the best deal on luxury items.
When it comes time to buy something, ask yourself: does it have to be new? You can get perfectly good secondhand items all the time for a discount. Nice clothes? There’s a secondhand store that sells them. New car? Just buy a used car and save thousands. Video games? Wait for the sales and make sure you buy them second-hand.
Buying anything full-priced is likely a bad call. You can almost always find good deals on any items you’d buy. Waiting for sales, getting it used, and getting the best deal is always preferred. You may have to be a bit patient, but think of the money you’ll save on your favorite luxuries.
Discounts are plentiful, you just need to know where to look. When in doubt, just ask the shop or people selling if there are discounts available. You never know what could qualify you for a discount. Maybe your job offers lots of discounts for things like cellphone service or car rental. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
Often, you can save money by good, old-fashioned haggling. This approach isn’t for everyone, as it can be stressful trying to argue a price down. However, proper application of good haggling can save you a ton of money, in surprising places. You never know when you might catch a store manager or sales person on a good day and manage to get them to drop the price down for you.
