As a Mum, University student and Chief toilet scrubber extraodinaire, sunning myself in the Maldives and shopping at designer stores are just distant dreams of me in an alternate reality. Can’t say I’m that bothered, though. Don’t get me wrong, most girls dream of having a few extra pennies to treat themselves, but most are happy to work for it.
I have illustrated a few tips that will make every broke girl’s life a bit easier, here are some obvious and surprising tips I have picked up over the years of how to enjoy being skint:
Visit your local pound/ 99p store- Trust me it’s not all just own brand toilet roll and ketchup- there are some surprises in those fluorescent lit aisles. Many of these local stores will stock brands such as Pantene and Rimmel for their cut prices, so before you head to Boots for make up and toiletries, check out these bargain stores to help pinch the pennies. It also means you won’t suffer from any buyers guilt!
If you don’t want to buy clothes- Visit www.swapstyle.com where you can upgrade your wardrobe and style by simply swapping your garments online. Also look at your local Facebook groups where locals will often be looking to get rid of old items they no longer have a use for.
If you want to buy clothes- Visit www.everything5pounds.com for a quick and easy update to your wardrobe costing you a tidy five pounds and the clothes are of a good quality. Also keep an eye out in your local charity stores for cut price clothes, with celebrities such as Madonna dropping off their only-once-worn glad rags at their local Oxfam, you would be surprised what you might find.
Hair Cuts/ Styling- Before you fork out extortionate rates at a swanky salon, check out local colleges. Colleges rarely charge more than a tenner for cuts, colours or styles so you will make a huge saving on this one. Training students may take longer than a usual stylist but they are likely to be cautious as they are often assessed or observed on what they are doing.
Also you can look for mobile hairdressers as they often charge less than a salon also.
Selling Items- If you have things at home that you don’t need, you could be sitting on free money. Check out local selling websites and get rid of bits you no longer have a use for. You will be de- cluttering your house and earning money for it.
Your Workout Doesn’t Need To Cost- Don’t join a cash draining gym. If you enjoy exercising then get outdoors, a run is free and more interesting than staring at a screen in the gym. If the weather is too awful for a run, then invest in a couple of good quality work out DVD’s- I recommend the 10 Minute Solution DVD’s on sale at www.amazon.co.uk for a mere few pounds.
Have A Girl’s Night In- Nights out are costly and should be viewed as a treat rather than a necessity. You can enjoy nights in drinking supermarket wine with your friends every now and again and will save loads. You will also be able to hold better conversation without all the noise!
And lastly and most importantly, don’t despair, being low on cash isn’t the end of the world. Being happy, healthy and enjoying life is better than a Mulberry bag.
