Ways My Worried Friend Could Save Money

Photo: Forbes

I have a Manhattan friend who is always worried about not having enough money to maintain her present lifestyle. I try to sympathize, and yet, we’re two different types of people in outlook and approach. I may write about value and bargains, but I’m not preoccupied with not having enough money to live on. Justified or not, I have confidence I’ll always manage. I don’t sound like the broken record that my friend does. As it happens, she inherited money 3 times, and IMHO, is better off than the average American who lives from paycheck to paycheck. This makes it tiring listening to her, but I find it’s best to just let her talk. She knocks down any logic I offer, and it doesn’t stop her from talking about the subject again and again since her anxiety is real.

A glass-half-empty attitude is draining. If you really need to tighten your belt, do it! Instead of rehashing your fears, take action! 

Sometimes I fall into the trap of wanting to fix problems when someone else just likes to vent. So here goes.

Photo: HuffPost

Ways I think my friend could save if she had to, but I don’t believe she really has to:

1) She could cut her cable tv subscriptions.

2) She could lower her cell phone with a better plan. Last year, she was paying per minute. This year, she changed her plan to one without unlimited texts ... a huge mistake. It limits her ability to share information and keep in communication with her contacts, which is never a wise decision. Out of habit, people will continue texting her, and, like last year’s per-minute rate, her inflexible plan will significantly raise her bill. The world is not going to stop texting anytime soon.

3) She could stay in her neighborhood to buy food. Taking buses and trains to shop outside of her neighborhood adds up! Also, where she shops tempts her to buy more prepared food (cheese boards, salads, and desserts), which she wouldn’t buy if she shopped locally. Furthermore, she could use her transportation costs to buy some gourmet food in her own neighborhood, and still come out ahead. Again, we take different approaches. I like to simplify repetitive tasks, saving time, whereas my friend may love leaving her neighborhood to spend half the day food shopping. In the suburbs, the question becomes whether driving to multiple stores (it takes gas) saves you any money.

Photo: Dreamtime

4) She spends a lot of money on airfare for family events, which may be unavoidable since she wants to see and maintain relationships with her family. Her family's short notice often requires her to book expensive airfares. If she can afford it, fine. If not, she’s got to tell them she can’t attend every function.

5) She spends too much on her hair to the tune of $200 - $450, which she realizes. Her remedy is to teach me how to color her hair. Aye yi yi! I’ll try.😳

6) The more self-sufficient we can be, the better. We don’t have to pay for services once we can do certain tasks for ourselves. We may get a sense of accomplishment, also.

In summary: (1) Be realistic about what we can and cannot afford. (2) Trade worry for a positive frame of mind. (3) Take action when needed! (4) Embrace independence and simplicity in life to worry less about finances ... and hopefully enjoy more leisure time!

Friends make their own budgeting decisions. We may not know all the details, so only give advice if asked. Write blogs instead.🤭

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