7 Savvy Budget Moves I'm implementing
because in this economy a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do
On The Sunny Side #25 is a weekly round-up where I share a few sunny things that have brightened my days, what I’m reading, watching, and obsessing over too.
Happy Sunday Friends!
Last week weather wise was glorious. It was exactly what my mind and body needed. I picked up Emily Henry’s newest novel, Great Big Beautiful Life, and I’ve gotten to enjoy reading it on my patio basking in the sunshine. I know this book is polarizing EmHen fans but I’m eating it up!
We spent yesterday roaming around the Lincoln Park Farmer’s market. Grabbing scones from our favorite stall and then moseying over to the Zoo with our niece and nephew. It was a perfect spring day in Chicago that I can safely say wore both kiddos and adults out.
Also, in case you missed last weeks announcement, don’t worry you’re in the right place! Short Story Long is now officially Mostly Sunny.
This Sunday I wanted to chat budgets—I know sexy. But, frankly in this economy where everyday prices are outpacing paychecks it’s become hard to ignore. And I believe there is power in being financially savvy without being restrictive. With the second-most expensive season upon us it’s a great time to check-in and safe guard so you can live your best hot girl summer without sweating the finances.
So grab your favorite bevvy and let’s crunch some numbers.
Ways I’m cutting back in an economy where prices keep rising
Take inventory of current finances. Before getting into budget mode it’s important to take full stalk of your financial landscape. Check-in on your savings, investments, debts, and everyday spending. You can do this for your personal finances or together with your partner if you’re looking to reduce household spends. Maybe you identify 2-3 areas that you could cut down on spending to save more/pay off debt faster. Take baby steps! I like to see what I’m working with first and grump about the cost of eggs like a true millennial for a solid hour.
Easy lifestyle changes. Once I looked at everything I was paying for I identified one big area I wanted to cut back on: Subscriptions. According to a Deloitte Survey, Americans, are now spending ~$69 a month on streaming services which… damn! Here is a list of the services I whittled down and my monthly savings:
ClassPass: saving $89 a month
Nuuly (paused): saving $99 a month
CanvaPro: saving $15 a month
MAX: saving $9.99 a month
Total monthly saving: $213!
Also, after a recent trip to Barnes & Noble where I ended up spending $90 on four books (four!!) I decided to double-down on my library holds. This year I’ve been working to shift my book spending habits and am happy to say I’ve only bought three books for myself this year (trust me this is a huge success). With eBooks and audiobook holds available through Libby, there are so many ways to utilize your local library. I’ve noticed that physical holds come in faster than eBooks or audiobooks so definitely don’t sleep on those.
Implement a No-Buy Day every week. Exactly what it sounds like a no-buy day is a day where you don’t spend any money at all. No takeout coffee, no groceries, no bills being deducted. I like to think of it as part of my weekly reset. Give the credit card some TLC and maybe see how long you can keep the streak going. I find a no-buy day works better for me than those no-spend fasts that are popular on TikTok which can result in boomerang spending.
Ensure I’m taking advantage of all my work benefits and programs. This will vary depending on your job and the company you work for, regardless benefits are there for you to use them. So why not maximize the output? Maybe you already are! Maybe this is a good reminder to double check your HSA/FSA and put that to good use—FSA can go a long way in terms of fitness or health treatments like acupuncture or massage. Considering wages have seen little growth in the last decade, I like to squeeze every last drop out of what’s available to me.
Check in on upcoming plans. Speaking as a Chicagoan, summer is *the* best time of year to live in the city. There are limitless things to do every weekend—concerts, farmers markets, street festivals, baseball games, pool days, renting divvy bikes, etc. And all of those activities add up. I like to spend time looking at my calendar to pencil in any travel or *can’t* miss summer activities so I can get a sense of what I need to set aside for those plans. That way I’m not blindsided by my credit card bill at the end of a cycle because I’ve adjusted (attempted to at least) my budget accordingly.
Look into free summer events. While penciling your summer plans, why not look at free or cheap things to do in your city? Chicagoans we are spoiled with so many free activities—a beach day along the lakefront, fireworks at Navy Pier, concert and movie series at Millennium Park, I could go on… You don’t have to take a European adventure to have an amazing summer. You could even make a summer adventure bucket list and see how many you check off!
Create a budget for summer. The truth is summer, outside of the holidays, is the most expensive time of the year. It makes sense when you think about it, but it’s something that you can prepare for, too. After taking all of the above into account you can come up with a summer budget. You have a full picture of your finances and upcoming events so create a budget that feels realistic with some wiggle room. I personally don’t like to make it restrictive but more so a benchmark for myself to keep on track of my other financial goals.
What I’m Reading
As mentioned above I’ve been reading, Great Big Beautiful Life and I suspect I’ll finish it up sometime next week. Next on the docket I picked up my library hold for The Road to Tender Hearts which I can’t wait to read, seeing as I loved Harnett’s previous release, Unlikely Animals.
On the audio front, I had a credit with Libro.FM and started Heartwood by Amity Gaige. I’m not that far so I’ll report back on my thoughts next week.
What I’m Watching
At this point I feel like a broken record. We’re still chipping away at Daredevil and Your Friends & Neighbors. We also started the final season of You on Netflix and I’m eager to see how Joe’s story is going to end—I mean he’s gotta either die or end up behind bars?? Surely.
What I’m Loving
Bacon & Leek Orecchiette from
over on Instagram. Talk about yum!! It was very decadent for a weeknight which I loved and gave me an excuse to buy some leeks which for some reason I love to do.
That’s it for me friends. Do you have any other budgeting tips you’re putting into practice this year/summer? I’d love to hear them in the comments🤎
Until next time,
MacKenzie
We recently cut all our streaming subscriptions except AppleTV! Our plan is to watch what we want on there and once we get through our list cancel that and go to another streaming service (likely Max) to watch what’s on our list there, etc. It feels refreshing to limit the choices!
For those going into a physical office, pack a lunch, snacks, and coffee. Eating out adds up.