10 Tips for saving money in your 20's

In this post I'm not necessarily referring to saving £5 a month, I'm going to show you some ways we've managed to free up hundreds of pounds a month extra that we are throwing towards our debt. Whether you're paying off debt, starting your retirement or saving for something big, these tips will help you on your way.

Use what you have
This can be tins of food that are stuck in the back of the kitchen cupboard, a dress that you've forgotten about that still has the tags on or a bottle of shampoo that you never finished. Before you go out and buy something I want you to really think about if it's necessary or if you can use something that you already own!

Learn to differentiate a want from a need
I want a coffee machine, but I certainly don't need one. No matter if it's a big expense or a small one, if you can't justify it then don't buy it. Be honest with yourself and only buy the things that you actually need. But make sure that you're getting the best deals on the things that you do need.

Don't be a slave to fast fashion
This will always be a struggle for me. If you're also obsessed with shopping and getting the latest 'it' dress, jeans or shoes I want you to think about some clothes that you bought a few months ago. I guarantee you that there will be clothes that you were in love with at the time but now you don't even think about wearing them.
This is fast fashion, we are told and shown what to wear but as soon as we've spent our money on the item there's suddenly something else that's newer and better!
I recommend stopping this completely and setting yourself either a modest monthly clothing budget or a seasonal budget. From now on, each season I'm going to buy a few key pieces and not allow myself to buy any clothes spontaneously!

Cut down on salon trips

I haven't paid for a haircut in over a year! I've had some really ugly stages since growing out my buzz cut, but I've also had some cute stages and most of the time I could style it to hide how unsymmetrical it was. I'm not suggesting that you never cut or dye your hair again, just be smart about it and choose a haircut that doesn't need regular expensive trips to the salon. Remember this is only temporary while you save, save, save! 

Get on a budget
If you're going to follow any of these tips make sure this is one of them! Making a budget, tracking every outgoing and seeing all of your money on paper is so beneficial. It's motivating and it will take the stress out of paying your bills.
I'm going to write a full post on how my husband and I do our budgeting but for now I'll link some that inspire us...
OurFreakingBudget.com
Dave Ramsey budget
Frugal Fanatic - these printables are amazing!

Write out shopping lists
As well as writing out your monthly budget, it's important to write out your weekly shopping list and modify it as you go. Each week we will write down our usual list of food and then we'll rummage through our fridge, freezer and cupboards to make sure we're not buying anything we already have. Before we were tracking our money we would go food shopping several nights a week without a clear plan. We've gone from spending £70 a week to £20 - £30, it's a huge difference!
We shop primarily at Aldi now and we'll go to Asda for the special buys on tins of beans and their frozen vegan stuff. Going once a week with a list that we stick to has made life so much easier and it's become a challenge to spend as little as possible! Any money we save on food we put towards paying off debt, that's enough motivation for me to put back the tub of vegan ice cream!

Stop smoking and cut down on drinking
These are pretty obvious. When I became gazelle intense with sorting out our finances I stopped smoking. It sucks and I crave it most days but knowing that we have around £50 extra a month makes it a lot easier!
Same goes for drinking, be smart and frugal. Either don't drink at all or choose cheaper options on the occasions that you do.

Charity shops
For any necessary spends that come up through the month, consider going to charity shops or shopping on Gumtree. For clothes try going to charity shops in wealthy areas, so much of the stuff will be brand new with the tags still on! For furniture and home stuff I'll either use Gumtree or charity shops in poorer areas and try upcycling to save money.
After moving in to our house and ripping out the ugly 70's gas fire, I was checking Gumtree once a week to try and find a bargain. We ended up finding our beautiful marble effect mantel for absolutely free!! That saved us around £300.

Think for a week before buying
This one is self explanatory, don't spontaneously buy things. Think about it either over night or for a week, whatever works best for you! This will just give you time to know that you need what you're buying rather than just buying something in the moment.

Get extra income
Sell things, get a side job, work overtime.
Do whatever it takes to make more than your usual pay check. Just work like crazy, remember what I said earlier, this is only temporary and it's worth it to achieve your goals!

Thank you for reading and let me know if you have any other tips!

Instagram @wolvesandflames

Go and get your dream job

Today I woke up and almost skipped out of bed.

I always have Mondays off work, so I don't have that deep set hatred that most 9 to 5'ers seem too, but I've never properly appreciated the day. Usually I'll lie in bed, scrolling through my Instagram feed until I get the energy to throw some clothes on and go the park with the dog, then I'll be back in my pj's within five minutes of walking through the door.

But this morning was different, even the cold and rain didn't bring me down.

Today was my boyfriend Mike's first week since he finished at his old job.

You may be wondering why Mike starting a new job is so life changing for me and I know it may seem dramatic, but with my partner in crime being out of the house for most of the week whilst I'm working part time, it can get more than lonely.

-

Last year I faced my fears and left my zero hour contract job to start somewhere I knew I would love. My previous job was unstable at times but I would be earning a pretty penny most weeks and that guaranteed wage can make you feel quite comfortable, even though the job itself is awful (yes, I was a Vegan working at McDonald's).

When I took the leap and committed to my new job I knew straight away it was the right choice and even on the coldest, darkest mornings I would still have a smile on my face as I was catching the 6am bus.

But that got me thinking, why doesn't everyone just go and do a job that they love?

-

People were generally understanding when I changed my job and the few concerns about my drop in hours with going part time were quickly dispelled when I reiterated that I'd finally have a stable schedule and a job that I love rather than that zero hours BS.

However with Mike starting his new job there has been a lot more confusion and family members have been more concerned about money than just being happy that he's found a job that he will love!

I really struggle to understand the normality of being normal. Working five days a week behind a desk in an office until you retire, is that really living life?

I understand people work jobs they hate in order to fund their adventures and that they basically "live for the weekend" but I can't help but believe that every day should be amazing.

People are so obsessed with money that they put it before their happiness and I just can't grasp the concept.

People are never concerned about other peoples household income but suddenly it's the first thing that's brought up when you start a fun job or your "dream job". We will soon be better off financially than we have ever been, but even if we would make less money following our dreams would that be such a bad thing?

-

I didn't actually intend for this post to turn in to the rant that it has, I'm just really passionate about people stepping outside of the "norm" and finding something that they love (I get to work in a rock climbing gym, I mean that's enough proof that life is awesome!).

To summarise you should go and quit your job, pack a bag and travel the world (just kidding, but if that is what you want to do then go for it!)

I don't do many personal posts like this, because it's pretty scary to be so honest and vulnerable, but I really enjoy writing them and they always get the most views so maybe I should push myself more!

Thank you so much for reading...

Image sourced from Pinterest

Why I didn't go to University

Over the past month my social media news feeds have been filled with glamorous photo's of people in their gowns graduating. I'd be lying if I said it didn't fill me with envy and questions...

Did I make a mistake?

Should I have gone to Uni?

How different would my life be if I had?

I'm an extremely indecisive person, I flutter from project to project and I can spend hours in my wardrobe each day deciding what to wear.

This is probably why after Sixth form instead of making the leap and going to Uni I spent an extra four years in college!!

Whilst my friends had clear career goals and were passionate about the paths they were pursuing, I on the other hand had no interest in any academic subjects and had no idea if my love for art was worth spending £9000 a year for a degree.

I don't love admitting this but when I was at this crossroads in my life and I was deciding what I wanted to do next, I was also at the beginning of my relationship with my boyfriend Mike. I knew that I couldn't move away to Uni and risk ending things with him, even though deep down I had the urge to travel somewhere new for my education. I do believe now that you should always put your own goals first and then allow your relationship to come second but at the time I was so infatuated with him that I did put us first.

Just to clarify I don't regret this, I try not to have any regrets in life since I'm a huge believer in "everything happens for a reason" and my decisions have led to my incredible life with Mike and our fur-baby!

Another factor that stopped me from choosing Uni is my anxiety. The thought of going to a completely new campus on my own and having to arrange my own accommodation and basically start a new life was incredibly daunting. I'm a confident person but I'm very quiet with people I don't know well and if I'm going somewhere new then I usually suffer with panic attacks in the lead up. 

After year 12 I realised Sixth form wasn't the path for me and instead I spent two years studying Art and Design and then a further two years studying Special Effects Makeup in The City of Liverpool College. For me the years spent at College were like a University experience. I met some amazing, like-minded people and I was constantly having new experiences and getting up to hilarious adventures.

I can't reccomend going to college enough, for me it was a less committed version of University. College cost me A LOT less than Uni would have and it also allowed me to experience different media's and find what direction I wanted to go in with my art.

I think this learning curve is really important and unless you are certain on the career you want you shouldn't rush in to Uni. A lot of people choose subjects that they kind of enjoy or they get really good grades in, but I think it's important to be passionate about your chosen subject and to have a path planned out knowing that the degree is useful and it really is what you want.

I believe taking a gap year is really important if you aren't yet certain about your life goals. Travelling, meeting new people, getting to know yourself and trying new things will all help the process and make decisions so much easier.

So what I'm trying to say is don't rush in to University. Don't feel the need to jump from school straight to Uni just because everyone else is doing it.
There is plenty of time to decide what you want so just live in the moment while you can.

At this point in my life I think I'm ready to go to Uni, I have a home and a stable job that allows a lot of flexibility. I'm eager to research different courses and see what my local Uni's have to offer. I'm glad I waited till I'm old enough to experience life and figure out what I'm passionate about.

If you have any tips for going to Uni or about reducing anxiety please let me know!

Thanks for reading...

Instagram @wolvesandflames

Workwear Wishlist

I am happy to say that I finally have my dream job.

As someone with tattoo's, dyed hair and piercing's I find certain people refuse to take me seriously and they just don't believe I can be successful because of my body mod's.
As disgusting as it is that people still think this way, I hold my head up high and never lower myself to negativity.

I feel the most confident and professional when I am polished and wearing beautiful business attire!

Here are some of my favourite pieces at the minute!

Blouse - Topshop

Gold choker - River Island

Nude ankle boots - Public Desire

Faux Leather cigarette pants - River Island

Camel coat - River Island

Large tote bag - Forever 21

Notebook - Paperchase

In this weather the chunky coat is crucial and the pleather pants are warm but also chic and dressy. It's really important to have a large bag that will easily fit in large files and all of your personal essentials and this tote is the perfect size!

These ankle boots from Public Desire are so gorgeous that honestly... I couldn't resist and they're currently in the post, I'm so excited for them to arrive!

Let me know your favourite pieces...

Instagram @wolvesandflames