I am getting ready to graduate in February, but for the rest of you who just started a new semester, this is for you!
Tips for Saving Money:
Do not I repeat DO NOT be afraid to say no to friends. Get over your FOMO and start being content with where you are now and realize that friends will come and go but your grades and career will last forever. This was a tough pill for me to swallow because I thrive off being with people (and spending money) but I have learned to balance my schedule and pencil dates in my planner far in advance.
In my first term of school, I went out with friends every weekend and went to the trendiest cafes or drove an hour to meet for brunch only to realize that my pockets have holes and I ended up with $0.31 in my bank account (proof below). AWESOME. Now I’ve come to the conclusion that my time is valuable and if I want to hang out with you, I will. Otherwise, I will be studying, blogging, sleeping and we can hang out once I graduate and have more time. And I am not afraid to ask someone to hangout at their house or have a self care night in and watch a movie together! Yes, Instagram is about pictures and proof of leaving the house, but honestly, is it worth the price? To some people yes! To me who only works 1 day a week, sometimes yes, sometimes no. Be wise with your money!
Are you a shopaholic like me? I have one word for you. Ebates! (called Rakuten now). I think I downloaded this onto my laptop last year and since then have earned over $50 cashback! This is no hoax. I actually get cheques in the mail and deposit them into my bank account, hence why shopping online is superior than in store. I’m almost NEVER buy anything without a promo code or free shipping at the very least. Always check Groupon, Ebates, and honestly I listen to podcasts and use their promo codes! Maybe one day I’ll have some of my own 😉
Tips for studying:
For me, I study and work WAY better when I get outside the house and sit at a cafe or even have someone to work with keeping me accountable. For some reason when I stay home, I end up sitting on my bed or watching Netflix on my laptop but when I’m out, I’m not about to blast Friends obnoxiously while people take business meetings over lunch.
When I am working on my laptop, where 99% of my homework is, I open the TomatoTimer website and set up the Pomodoro method which is 25 minutes working, 5 minute break and it will beep when done. I’m glad I found this website (shoutout to Her Healthful Plate) because when using the timer on my phone, I start scrolling and after an hour realize what I’ve done and the time I can’t get back, leading to anxiety and even more time wasted.
I hope you took notes and let me know if you like life hack posts!
xx Marley
