Oh, money — sweet, beautiful money. How I love you so terribly much. It must be unrequited love, because as much as I adore those green bills, money just never wants to stick around. Don't get me wrong, I am trying to save, but it is unbelievably hard. If you're in the same boat as me, you totally understand the struggles of being broke when you want to save. We're just trying to get better — we really are — but the road to saving money is a long and hard one... especially when your favorite store is having a ridiculous sale that you really can't pass up.
Some people just don't understand that the struggle is all too real. We're not able to go out and party like we used to, because now we're broke AF. However, we're working on turning things around.
Believe me — I fully understand that it is hard saving money. You will get all of the sympathy from me on these nine struggles. We just want to finally have dollars in our bank accounts, even if it takes a little bit of time. Until we can find that genie in a lamp who will make us all millionaires, you have my free shoulder to cry on.
"No" has now become your most used word. You don't have the funds to go out every weekend like you used to, so you opt for a nice relaxing night at home instead. The guilt of rejecting your friends totally sucks, but if they're true gems, they'll definitely be understanding (or they'll be in the same boat as you).
Why is it that when you're on a budget, you're finally craving a large steak dinner with multiple glasses of champagne? All I can afford right now are sandwiches, but for some reason, I want them to be caviar sandwiches. Listen up, stomach — you better start craving cheap foods or you will never be satisfied during this trying time.
You won this round, high school math teacher. You were right, and I'm finally using all of that mathematics you taught me in the real world. We've become pros at crunching numbers. Seriously though, it's giving me a headache from having to think too much, and I need to lie down.
You used to toss those coupons to the side, but now you're actually wondering if two for one hand sanitzer is a good deal or not. I will admit that couponing is a skill I'm glad I have now. It truly is a joy to see that number go down when your cashier scans your coupon, and you get to pay less. I might even say it's better than a glass of wine — I just might!
This one hurts so much. You have been saving and budgeting for months, and the number in your bank account has barely moved at all. It sucks, but you have to remember that every dollar saved is a success and one step closer to the ultimate goal.
I guess it's another night of Ramen. When you're on a budget, it can really limit the amount of times you're able to order takeout or hit up your fave restaurant. Your menu spread for the next few weeks of saving could start to look repetitive. This just means that celebratory steak dinner when you reach your goal will taste even better.
You may tell yourself you want to treat yourself a bit. It's one day to buy whatever you want, but you know that one day of spending will ruin a week's worth of saving up. It better be worth it.
Your friends might have stopped inviting you to things. Sure, you're glad you don't have to say "no" anymore — but you really miss being invited. FOMO is extremely hard to deal with.
Don't get upset and jump to conclusions that your friends are doing this to be deliberately mean — just know they are trying to help you out. They're no longer tempting you to spend money. They want you to reach for money goals just as much as you do.
"Just Got Paid" by *NSYNC is literally the new anthem you blast every payday. It is truly the best day of the week, but after your brief celebration, you put all of the money you're not paying bills with into your savings and continue on.
Don't worry, you'll get to fully celebrate soon. *NYSYNC said it best: "This I promise you."
