Two events in the past week have brought the unpopular and impolite (?) topic of money to the forefront for me…actually, the lack of money, and the absolutely cringe-worthy fear and oppression it brings with it. And it’s just…weighing heavy on me right now so I thought I would share some of my feelings and thoughts about it…you never know when someone else might be struggling with the same thing and maybe some things I’m going to try might be helpful to someone else…or at the very least make them feel like they’re not the only one struggling so (#miserylovescompany).

#1: Rent was due on March 1. That was not a shock. It’s always due on the first. But this was the first “normal” month at the new place (with the higher rent). January had a little extra in it for me, mercifully, or I never would have been able to make this move, but…February was back to business as usual and I really felt the impact of the higher rent. Once I deducted the rent amount from my paycheck, and the storage bill, which is also due on the 1st…and alloted for two weeks’ worth of gas and groceries…I found I would have $17 left for the next two weeks til I got paid again. Oofah!  Clearly, that was not going to work!

#2: Last week we had reps from our new retirement company at work come to speak to us. THAT was an alarming 45 minutes! Most of the teachers are young, some half my age…so they mostly directed their schpiel to them: “start investing in yourself now, when you have 30-40 working years ahead of you, even if just a little bit, and you’ll be golden at retirement time” and I was like HELLO – DO YOU SEE ME? THE ONE WITH THE GREY HAIR AND FINE LINES AND WRINKLES SITTING RIGHT SMACK IN FRONT OF YOU?!? What about ME? With T-10 years to go? I don’t HAVE years and years of compounding interest ahead of me! What am *I* supposed to do??

Out of my whole life, my current job of 12 years is the only one that ever had a retirement plan, so that’s not a lot of years of “paying into the system.” I feel like I’ve had one financial smack-down after another for the past 20 years and have virtually no savings.

When I was half my age no one was talking to me about The Future. About Retirement. And Savings. Blah blah blah. I was in love and getting married and he had a good job with great benefits and I thought it would be forever and I was set for life.

SURPRISE. And not in the Puppy in a Big Box Tied with a Tiffany Blue Bow way. But in the You Can’t Plan Life way. Life will have big sucky parts and you can’t control or avoid them. They will change your life, they will change YOU. And you just gotta roll with it.

But unless you find a way to stop them, things roll DOWN.

SO – I spent some time this morning brainstorming WAYS TO MAKE/KEEP MONEY. And while most of the list below is pretty specific to me, I thought I’d share it anyway just in case.

ways to keep or make more money

Get Rid of the Rassin-Frassin Storage Unit

I thought I would be clearing out leisurely while in this larger apartment, la la la, but no. After paying rent here for the second time I realize I really need to cut whatever costs I can and while I’m going to HATE filling up my new space with boxes, I CAN fit the entire contents of my $130/month storage unit into the “library/dining” alcove (sigh), and while it will be ugly, that savings will give me some financial breathing room.

Storage units, while convenient and sometimes necessary, Are A Money Suck. Say it with me now: STORAGE UNITS ARE A MONEY SUCK. I’m embarrassed to tell you how much I have spent on this one over the past 7 years, but I will, just in case it will shock someone else into action, too. It started out at $89/month. Not so ridiculous, and I’d had to move hurriedly from a large apartment into a very small apartment, so at the time it was necessary. And other expenses related to my move were either decreasing or disappearing altogether. And I’d planned to “clear it out leisurely” while I was in that apartment.

Beware those words. “Clear It Out Leisurely” is code for “I Will Pay The Storage Bill Month After Month, Year After Year, and Never Really Do Anything About it Cuz Out of Sight Out of Mind.” The rate goes up like $6 or $7 a year and 6½ years later it’s up to $129/month. So just basing it on an average rate paid, the total spent comes to – are you ready? Are you sitting down? $8,502. Trust me. There is NOTHING in there worth $8,502. But paying the bill each month was EASIER than dealing with schlepping it all home and figuring out what to do with it. But I am SICK at the thought of all that money spent on…not looking at boxes or dealing. 

Do you have a storage unit?? Storage Units are a Money Suck.

Sell Stuff

That’s an oversimplification, obviously, but I, and I think many of us, have WAYYYYY more stuff than we need, use, love, appreciate, etc. The amount of excess stuff I have (even after my many moves and downsizing sessions) is well beyond the “does it spark joy” guideline.

My guidelines for keeping things are:

  • Does this fill a need?
  • Does it have a home?
  • Do I love it?

“Need” is an easy category. I need a toothbrush, a frying pan, a hair dryer, a filing drawer for important papers, a winter coat, etc. And I don’t like the “if I haven’t used/worn it in 6 months, get rid of it” plan, because seasons, holidays, moving, family, emergencies, etc. If I feel I do or will need it and it has a home, it can stay.

I’m trying to start emphasizing “does it have a home” OVER “do I love it” because I love LOTS of things. All that stuff in those boxes in my $8,502 storage unit? I’m sure I love it all. Or I would have gotten rid of it long ago. But I Do Not Have a Place for All That Stuff. It Does Not Have a Home. I am no longer considering a box, a home. So I can keep stuff that serves no real purpose other than “I Love It,” as long as it has a home. Everything else?? It’s outta here! Ebay, CraigsList, Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor Neighborhood, garage sale, local flea market, etc. If the expected $ value of the item does not feel worth my time photographing, listing, packing, etc…it goes to the donation center. Otherwise, I’m getting what I can for it and lightening the load here. So someday I can downsize*

Cancel Subscriptions

Like the storage unit, it can be easy to overlook all the “several dollars a month” subscriptions you’re paying for without looking at the much larger total spent. Periodically, I make a list of all my subscriptions – streaming media, phone storage, editing apps, group memberships, etc., and I try to knock a couple off. They’re mostly under $10…but if there’s 10 of them…it adds up to $50-100 a month. Or more.

Do you REALLY take advantage of the “benefits” they’re offering?? I think the fear of FOMO keeps me hanging on and paying those monthly fees. But I’m gonna be brutal and really knock a bunch more off. Today. I will not “wait and see” how next month goes. They’ll all still be there if my financial situation changes and I want to re-subscribe.

The Stupid Latte Factor

I always hated this one. “Stop buying $8 cups of fancy fla-fla lattes and save $240 a month!” I’m not a daily or even weekly coffee drinker, but if I WAS, I, personally, cannot recreate an $8 latte for $0. So even if you’re a regular coffee/latte/cappuccino/etc drinker, making those drinks at home instead of buying them out, they’re not FREE. You’ve still invested in a machine, you’re buying the coffee, milk, sugar, flavored-creamer, travel mug, etc., and not at bulk wholesale prices like the coffee shops are! You’re not saving $240 a month to make these drinks at home. Maybe you’re saving a little. So now you’re saving a little bit, but if you’re a terrible coffee maker like I am (and I’ve tried many machines, coffee brands, etc., over the years. I am Just a Bad Coffee Maker),  you’re still spending time & money but now you’re getting a crappy end result. Ugh. What are you really saving??

I do feel (and no, I am not on the cusp of being homeless or anything, so I am not taking extreme emergency measures at this time…I just want to get to a place where I can breathe easier) there needs to be a balance between Comfortable Financial Situation and Quality of Life. And giving up a highly specialized passion/obsession/habit for a very small amount of savings just doesn’t make sense to me.

All that said, our adult clients at work run a little morning coffee shop, and just about every day I get a cup of tea for a dollar. I do this because 1) I’m basically lazy and 2) the young lady who comes around to take our orders is adorable and I feel like I’m disappointing her when I don’t buy anything. But. I can put a .04 Lipton tea bag into a mug I already own, fill it up from the hot water thingie at work and put in (I’m not doing the math on how much a teaspoon of sugar costs from the 5lb bag, let’s just say it’s five cents – it’s not, but for ease of argument) .05 worth of sugar…and for 9 cents have the exact same thing I have been paying $1 for. So, .91 a day, $4.55 a week, $18.20 a month. $18 is a local dinner out with my girlfriends. That’s a worthwhile trade-off to me. I will be making my own tea going forward.

Figure out what’s a worthwhile trade-off for you and reap the benefits.

Sell Yourself

Ha, no, not like THAT. But if you have a skill or ability that has value to other people…use it to your advantage. Babysitting, dog-walking, photography, lawn-cutting, organizing, furniture-moving, elder-care. Or if you don’t want to do, then teach! Share your skill with others – painting, cooking, yoga, make-up, dog-training. The list is endless. We all have special gifts. And more importantly, in this case, we have special gifts that other people want!!!

Post ads online on CraigsList, Nextdoor Neighborhood or Facebook Marketplace, in your local Pennysaver or on a grocery store community bulletin board.

*Downsize for a Lower Home Cost

Obviously, this is the most dramatic of all, and more easily achievable by renters than home-owners, because, depending on our lease terms, we can literally just wake up one morning and say “I’m going to move!” and walk out the door. But, it’s something to consider. I do think people get stuck where they are because they’ve been there a long time, or it has “memories,” or “it’s where we raised our children,” or whatever, but…if the current costs are preventing you from affording the life you want, all those “memories” aren’t really doing you any good. And moving is hard (no one knows that better than I!) but again, weigh the cost against the reward to decide if it’s a good move (see what I did there?) for you in the long run.

Take a Part-time Job

This one is for those with more energy than me. But for the young and/or energetic, sometimes just a few hours a week at a second job can you put you over the hump to a better financial situation. I’ve done it in the past when I’ve found ideal situations, but now…I’m tired when I leave my first job. I can’t imagine having to go to another one.

Switch Utility Companies

Internet, TV, cell phone, heating companies, credit cards, etc., all have lower-priced competitors. Sometimes just a phone call or two will unearth some real savings…or calling a company saying you’re going to cancel their service will cause them to offer you a discount to stay.

Okay! I’m feeling a little more hopeful here. Like I have a couple definite strategies for both saving some money and making a little extra money to see me through this tight time. I know I didn’t reveal any startling new discoveries in the world of high finance here, but sometimes just hearing something from a different person, in a different way, can make things click for you.

Let me know if anything helps…or if you have ideas of your own to add! Thanks for getting to the end of this Very Long Post!