From fresh kicks to the latest hair trends to your 50 bottles of nail polish scattered in your room, they all have one thing in common. Umm yeah, they cost money, right? Right! And another truth about these items is that just because you have them doesn’t mean you actually have  extra money or should I dare and say ‘savings’? So even though you may look like you have it together that may be far from the truth. Alright, so scroll through to see if you want to FAKE it or actually MAKE it.

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Stay In Your Lane- Just like they taught you in Driver’s ED to stay in your lane, the same rules apply when it comes to your coins.  Just because your friend blows money without working doesn’t mean you can do the same. Remember, you put in hard work on your part-time gig after classes to get the extra cash flow. Spend wisely. And plus, you’re getting a jumpstart on adulthood that your spoiled home girl will have to catch up to. Again, spend wisely.

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STRUGGLE mode now or BOSS mode later- Ooh we all love shiny, new things to add to our collection. But let me ask you this, would you rather be able to splurge just for the moment or actually have a lifestyle where you can flourish for years? Sacrifices today pave the growth of tomorrow. So don’t feel bad for packing lunch or not getting every refreshment at the movies. You’re just in prep mode for the rest of your life!

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Savings are GHOST!- Okay, so this is tricky. In a world where we can’t get through 12 hours without sharing a ‘fun’ update about life, we have an itch to tell the world how much we’re saving especially if you’ve been cutting back. Well, this is a personal win that at the right time as you’re getting older will naturally slip out. When you’re the only one in your crew not stressing about hitting the college bookstore or even when spring break comes around you’re not scraping for that senior trip! Just know savings will come in handy in numerous ways + that’s always better than an Instagram debut.

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Ok, so I know all the preaching we do to you about savings your dollar bills, I know you wonder “well, can I even enjoy life??” And the answer to that difficult question is “of course!” Wait, Wait… before you bust out your debit card or bombard your parents for a ridiculous amount of money, take a breath and finish reading this full article missy! Ok, so yes life is about enjoying all your moments on this beautiful earth. The trick is finding the balance of having a ball in life without splurging every 2 seconds. Truthfully, if you are constantly in need to buy new things ALL the time, you may be in search for something much deeper that money can’t buy (that’s a whole different article though!). But back to the matter at hand how, what is and when you should create your wish list!

Hmm so you want to know what it is…Huh?- So what is a wish list?? A wish list is a list of all the items you want or all the things you want to do but just currently can’t chuck out the cash for it. You can either have a written list of everything you would want to do or visual pics of what you want. The key is to keep it in a place where you will see it pretty often. On your bulletin board, in your locker, on your ceiling …all awesome places for your list.

Why?? Why?? Why??-The next question that is sputtering from your lips is “Why do I need to create a list, am I getting graded for this??’ Well, since you asked I guess, I can spill the magic behind your wish list! A “wish list” is VERY useful because it helps you stay on your budget and allows you to focus on achieving one item at a time rather than trying to walk out with the entire mall. With any goal in life you focus, work hard, and bam! You achieve it! Well, it’s the same idea with savings! It will give you discipline. When you do get to cross out things off your list, you will appreciate so much more! It’s true, when you spend your own money, you’ll treat it like gold! Yes, GOLD!

But When??– Now…duh! Yes, at this very moment pick up a pen and a piece of paper and go at it! Create a list of 5 items you want or things you want to do and doodle away. Now the key is to save up from allowances and your part time gig to buy one of your wishes. Once YOU save for it (not your parents) you will get in a groove that you will have you saying “Hey, this is not sooo bad after all.” And will have you playing Fifth Harmony’s “Worth Harmony” on repeat! Go for it!