Reality check

Today was one of those days that makes you stop and do a double take of your life. I have realized just how reckless I have been with my money lately. How often do I stop to grab a coffee (2.50$) or a London Fog (skinny, sugar free syrup for the true cal counting girl at heart - 4.50$) on my way to school or as a study break treat? Far too often. It's crazy how fast it can add up but grabbing a coffee everyday can end up costing almost 20$ a week which translates into about 1000$ a year (ohhhh crap, now you see where I'm going with this). I have decided that I am going to start making a conscious decision when it comes to what I spend my money on. No more wasting money on quick Subway lunches (5$) or lazy night order in sushi (20$ - okay maybe I'll just cut back on that one and not cut it out all together).


Step 1 of the plan: stop spending money on things I can make at home!

One of my best friends, the smart girl that she is, concocted a recipe for a homemade London Fog which is just as yummy as Second Cup, so here it is!

Ingredients
1 Earl Grey tea bag (10 cents)
1/2 cup steamed skim milk (25 cents)
1/2 cup boiling water (free!)
1 shot sugar free vanilla syrup (you can buy a full bottle at Second Cup for about 13$ and I'm sure this thing could supply enough syrup for 100 lattes)

 Pour the boiling water over the tea bag in your all time favorite mug. Add the syrup and stir. Add the steamed milk and enjoy! (Note the double enjoyment from only spending 48 cents to make this latte; you saved 4$, and its delicious taste!)

Ok, so that should cut the annual budget down by a few thousand (perhaps a slight over estimate), now what else can I do to help save some cash? A friend of a friend of a friend of mine made a very interesting point the other day: why go out to dinner a few nights a week and spend 20$ on mediocre food when you can go out once every week and spend 40$ on an amazingly delicious meal? I don't know how many times I catch myself at restaurants that I wouldn't have chosen, simply because my friends were meeting up there or it was just a convenient place to eat. This I shall do no more!

Step 2 of the plan: choose restaurants wisely and go less often!

I have to admit that sometimes I suffer from severe FOMO (fear of missing out) and will join my friends at almost any bar/resto/pub/club they are at because I don't want to miss out on all the fun!  This can really add up. And I mean really really add up. Some weekends I spend 100$ just on cabs, drinks, post- St. Lo clubbing food which seems ridiculous when you think about it. There is no way I can cut out this activity all together but I have an alternate suggestion:


Step 3 of the plan: host pot luck drinking parties instead of going out!

Sangria at a pub can cost anywhere between 25-40$ depending on where you are in this city. Luckily, it costs about 15$ to make 2 full pitchers at home! Here's how you do it:

Ingredients
1 L bottle of depanneur wine (10$)
1 L bottle of diet 7-up
1 cup of orange or apple juice (apple is surprisingly delicious)
2 (personally I prefer 10) shots of white rum
1 shot peach schnapps
1 lemon
1 lime
Other assorted fruits (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, maraschino cherries etc.)
Ice

In a glass jug pour in half the bottle of wine, the orange juice and the shots of alcohol. Add the fruit. Slowly pour in the 7-up (about 1-2 cups). Add the ice and stir. Serve immediately! Repeat with the rest of the bottle of wine. Instead of spending 50$ on sangria you just spent 15$. And if you're not drinking alone (which I hope you are not) then whoever is joining you can bring some of the ingredients and help you cut some costs. And hey, who doesn't like sharing?

Hopefully if I can stick to these tricks I'll decrease my spending for the summer (and maybe you can too!). There is always my excessive shopping issue and nail polish addiction, but that may need some cognitive behavioral therapy...