GOOD INTENTIONS

How should I save?

I must say that I have been feeling more and more grown-up lately. “We're getting old, guys,” was often said during the annual friends' Christmas dinner.

I no longer lie drunk in a gutter every weekend and I don't kiss three strangers in one night anymore (remember those school parties?). In fact; I have an incredibly steady relationship, my bedroom is never a pigsty anymore (I mean it), I cook dutifully every evening, I'm never broke anymore, I have a nice rental house, in fact; I'M MOVING IN TOGETHER (man, that's quite a level of adulthood), I have an agenda that I keep neatly, I try to stay as updated as possible on how my friends are doing and I find long dinners much more enjoyable than a bit swinging in the disco. Of course, there are still a thousand things I definitely need to work on and one of those is saving. While I'm never really broke anymore, it's absolutely not the case that I have anything left at the end of the month. My salary is always just in time (namely when my credit card expenses are deducted). This is really a serious matter because I'm moving in together and if the washing machine breaks down later, it's quite sad if I can't contribute. Just to name a few.

So, to start the new year off right, I'm going to start with the saving resolution again. Are you joining me? I'll give you tips.

– Write down what comes in monthly and the fixed expenses that go out. Then you'll see exactly what you can and may spend. And you have to stick to that.

– This one is simple and I make this resolution every month. Somewhere something goes wrong, but that's beside the point. Keep track of what you spend, then you'll spend money more consciously.

– Pay a little attention in the supermarket. Buy the bonus deals. Seriously, we spend a lot of money on groceries, but it's also very easy to save on that.

– What I did for a long time is empty my wallet every day and save the coins in a big jar. Believe me: after six months I could buy a couple of Isabel Marants.

– Are you saving for something very specific? Write that on a very large sheet and hang it up somewhere in your house. Then you'll always be reminded of it and that might help you not to surf to Net-A-Porter.

– Check what subscriptions you have running and whether they are really necessary. I once paid monthly for three gyms, well, that's super unnecessary. And magazine and flower subscriptions can also be canceled for a while. We're going to save, remember?

– You could also find out if the fixed expenses you are currently paying could be cheaper. Think of insurances, gas and electricity, and internet.

– Stop being in the red on your account. Once you're below zero, it's hard to get back out.

– Put your credit card somewhere very far away. Unless you're traveling, of course, but in your own country, you really don't need it.