Given the state of the current economy…

Due to the current state of the economy I have taken many steps in conserving money. For starters I have cut back on all my shopping. I usually shop once a week, but due to lack of money, I have not been able too. I also save my paychecks and only buy things that I absolutely need. I eat in the café before I go anywhere to refrain from purchasing food, and when I have the time I attend events on campus with free food. I also provide my own drinking thermos so that I can refill it with water instead of purchasing a new beverage. I pay my bills on time because I cannot afford to pay late fees. I started to do my own hair or I ask one of my friends to do it for me. I also recycle my bottles and use the money I get for gas. When things get really rough I have a yard sale. I hold off of on getting things fixed, for instance my left speaker on my computer does not work but I haven’t paid to get it fixed yet. Instead of going out for a movie I rent DVD’s or ask to borrow a friends. I created a budget to track where my money goes. I also save all my change, and when the pile has gotten pretty hefty I take it to a Coin Star and cash it in. Another thing I do to save money is exchange my clothes for money at Buffalo Exchange.
The economy has definitely applied pressure to my day-to-day routine. My hair for instance takes a long time to do now that I flatiron it myself, so it takes up time and energy I could use to do other things. I have also stopped going out to eat as often which limits the time I spend with friends because that is our usual activity when we go out. Buy refraining on buying things I don’t really need, I miss out on a lot of things such as: gossip from magazines, parties, and pretty much anything that causes me to spend unnecessary money. Another big pressure that has been applied because of the current state of the economy is to getting good grades. Because I don’t get any Financial Aid, my parents pay for the whole of my tuition. This means that I cannot waste their hard earned money so I put a lot of pressure on myself to get really good grades.