I'm not Broke, I'm a Money Ninja

I'm a college student, and that means exactly what you think. I'm becoming well-educated and (hopefully) establishing my future. I'm learning new things and solidifying skills I already possess. I'm also short on money quite often.

I'm not usually that low anymore, but it's scary when it is!

Part-time work allows me to attend classes and complete homework, but that same arrangement doesn't lend itself to a copious amounts of money. The logical step is to seek secondary gainful employment, which I'm in the process of doing. Until it comes to fruition, I've got to do with what I have.
In order to stretch the dollars and pinch the pennies, I've got to be creative and resourceful. If there's a way I can save money, I'm all for it. Between my own experiences and what I've heard from others, here are some of the ways we're able to make ends meet:

Collaborate: We live downstairs from some of our long-time friends. Not only can we be social, but we can also share. Instead of each cooking a meal on our own, we will have nights where we make food to share.

Use your resources:  There are local food pantries in larger cities. Green Bay has a couple! Also, if your situation is extremely tight, you might consider applying for state food benefits.

Coupon: Whether you go all in and buy a bunch of stuff or you just buy what you need, these lovely little scraps of paper can really help out.

Search engine+"coupon" = winning

Watch Your Community Calendar: You never know, there might be free food. If the right opportunity arises at the right time, it could mean the difference between eating well or being hungry.

Sell Things: I'm only 23, but I've got some things I could stand to get rid of: clothes, books, purses, knick-knacks, etc. I find that yard sales are good for the little and older things, while it's faster and easier to sell the more valuable items online. You'll find a system that works for you
NOTE: AVOID THE PAWN SHOPS. Sure, what they offer might seem like a good deal, but its not. The interest on those short-term loans is ridiculous and they tend to low-ball you when you sell. They are not looking out for you, they are looking out for their bottom line.

Odd Jobs: Ask your friends and family if they have any odd jobs they need help with. Perhaps you'll get a few bucks, or maybe they'll "pay" in a meal. It certainly depends, but it's always worth a try.

Get Creative: Instead of giving into the urge to drain your money with fast food, get creative with what's in your kitchen. Take a gander through your cabinets and see what you can combine!

These are what I've seen and/or used most often, but do you have a better idea? What have you done to pinch those pennies? Tweet me at @Violet_Lyte or comment below!

Twitter is not for Twits

I used to believe that Twitter was for twits. Once I became more involved in social media management, I realized I was the twit.

I created a Twitter profile not long after it debuted. I was in high school, so it's not like I had anything to tweet about! I didn't understand how it worked, and I followed some ridiculous people. Since that beginning, I came and left Twitter a few times. I got easily annoyed by the Tweets on my feed and bored by the content. Most new phones come loaded with Twitter, and that drove me nuts! For a while, I used my Twitter as the place for an angry status I didn't want to put on Facebook. 

It was useless to me. Totally useless. 

I took over social media duties at the credit union, and realized I would have to come to terms with my feelings about Twitter. I had to suck it up, learn how it worked, and why people even gave two rats about it. I cleaned up my personal feed and started following some of the same people that the credit union follows. I figured I'd use my profile as practice, leaving less mistakes to occur with the CU's Twitter. 

What happened next amazed me: I started learning.

Whaaaaaaat?! Learning? From Twitter?!

No joke. Twitter has become my best resource for current news, credit union events, social media management tips, and marketing advice. I still have a ways to go, but what I've been able to attain thus far in any social media management or marketing has a lot to do with the information I've found scrolling through my feed. The list of people I'd like to mention is too long, so I invite you to look through my "following" list on Twitter.

It's also shaped my financial choices. With no shame, I plug @DebtFreeGuys , @moneyaftergrad , and @HalfPennyBlog --because it's the honest and straightforward content from these Tweeters that has helped me improve my financial situation. 

As you can see, Twitter is a lot about who you follow. Finding the right people or business that offer the right kind of information is the initial challenge you face as you enter the Twitter-verse. If you're struggling with who you'd like to follow, I offer you these two pieces of  advice: 

Think about what you want to read about, and then find people who give you that content. I follow local places, like financial institutions, cities, and some community resources and hot-spots. Local and national news outlets, as well as your local weather station, are nice to have too. 

Follow your passions. Consider your hobbies and/or favorite bands, and search to see if they have a Twitter account. Perhaps you are particularly passionate about an issue--I'm sure there are many people on Twitter who feel the same!

Yup, I was completely starstruck.
Power of Twitter #1: Talk to rock stars :D

People have written books on how to properly operate Twitter, so don't feel bad if you're not getting it right away. Use your resources and observe others, and you'll figure it out over time. I'm still learning too! The best advice I have is RESPOND. If you're mentioned or something of yours is re-tweeted, react with a favorite or re-tweet. I've had the most success with Twitter interactions when I reciprocate. Also: for the love of all that is holy, I ask that you shorten your urls and keep it under 140 characters. Your tweets will be easier to read and understand, and you'll have more room for commentary with shorter urls.

I wholeheartedly advise you to set up a Twitter profile and start tweeting, re-tweeting, and following what inspires you. If you're already on Twitter, do you have any advice? Reply to @Violet_Lyte or in the comment section! I look forward to hearing your thoughts and opinions!

A Dollar Short: The Real Reason

That's totally me on payday...

I hear that from all of my family, I read it on all the financial information sites, and I’ve even told other people to do it. I always had excuses why I couldn’t: “I live paycheck to paycheck,” “I can’t afford it,” “I’m afraid not to have that money readily available,” and just “I don’t want to.” The excuses range from slightly reasonable to completely ridiculous. I was locked in the here and now, convinced the future will take care of itself.

“The future will take care of itself.” What kind of broken logic is that? How will I just *poof* have savings, when I never save? Ridiculous! I know that I’m not the only person to adopt that mentality. Thankfully, I had something happen in my life that changed that perspective.

Rent, utilities, and my credit card payment were due. This all happened to land in the same week that I needed to renew my pole classes. I got a courtesy call from someone at the studio, reminding me that registration closed very soon. I took a quick look at my finances after we got off the phone, and proceeded to panic. I still had to pay these bills, and my credit card (my first, $500 limit) was maxed. I had NO money in savings. I didn’t have the money, nor would I have the money, to continue taking my beloved pole classes. I broke down, crying, and came to the realization that a change needed to happen. Now.

I struggled at first. I paid off my credit card with some of my tax return, but quickly ran that back up. I didn’t save any of my tax return. I blew through a large sum of money that I later had to pay back, and my savings barely budged.

I’m not quite sure when it clicked for me. After struggling for many months with my bad habits, I finally established a plan for fixing them. It’s grown into these steps:

1. Determine my pay at next payday and the bills that need to be paid that pay period, and subtract bill amount from net pay.

2. Estimate amount needed for living needs, such as gas, food, TP, etc., and subtract that amount from that net pay

3. Evaluate and determine amount to be saved and amount to pay on current credit card debt

4. On payday, make savings transfers and credit card payment first, then pay bills. Withdraw some of the leftover money as cash

Today, I’m down to $209 on my credit card, and have built up $250 from absolutely nothing. That’s not a lot to many, but for me, is WINNING. There are a few different things I pine for, so I haven’t quite decided what my next savings goal is. Perhaps a security deposit for a new apartment, concert tickets, or a day of shopping and pampering myself, I don’t know!

How I felt when I realized my dreams were attainable....

I do have other goals for my financial future that I intend to start once my credit card is paid off.

Invest: My grandpa invests, and has been teaching all of his older grandchildren to do so with some of their college funds. I feel very grateful to have this kind of opportunity in my life, because it’s shown me quite a bit about the financial world and the interconnectedness of our society. Sappiness aside, I’d like to invest with some of my own money someday. Trading isn’t easy if you really want to make a good buck at it, but it’d be nice if my money worked as hard as I do!

In the short-term, I intend to open a 12 month add-on CD at the credit union. Add-ons require a monthly deposit, which works well with my current plan. Besides, an Add-On CD gets a better interest rate than my savings does! This money would be a little easier to get at in case of an emergency, and is a very dependable investment. Boring, but dependable.

Save for Retirement: Dear gods above, I just cannot believe how many people my age do not see the value in saving for retirement! It kills me! I’ve always known I need to, but I kept convincing myself I had plenty of time. At 23, I do have time, but it keeps getting shorter! My employer has two options, which I haven’t gotten any information on yet. You can bet that once I’m eligible, I’m selecting one (after careful consideration) and taking any match I can get!


How about you? Are you spending and saving consciously? Are you paying down debt? Do you have savings goals? Or do you have suggestions? I’d love to hear from you! Tweet me at @Violet_Lyte or comment here!