December 2021

My overall theme for this year was to live for me more, which I talked about a little in my word of the year post. The two things I love to do are blog and travel, both cost a little money, but the latter definitely more. Keeping those two things in mind I’ve been more aware of how I spend my money, and a common theme in my life seems to be walking into Target for tampons and walking out with two bags full of stuff. Just stuff, nothing in particular, no theme, no rhyme or reason as to why I thought I needed it all.
Since I want to stop thinking about travelling and just do it, I’ve taken small steps to limit my spending, especially because my only two bills are rent and cable/internet. Since January I’ve been able to save enough money for my first trip to Texas, so I’m gonna tell you how you can save money every single day this year.

Related Post: Are You Really Enjoying Your Twenties?

Make coffee at home.

Or tea, or a cocktail, or whatever your preference is. My point is drink at home! I personally don’t drink coffee but I can’t imagine forking over that much money every morning for something that will be gone within the hour. Buy a coffee maker and save yourself the time and money that comes with running into your favorite coffee shop each morning. 

Pack your lunch.

I haven’t mastered this completely, but packing lunch just two days a week saves me at least twenty dollars. If you’re already cooking dinner at home all you have to do is make a slightly larger serving and saves the leftovers for the next day. Trust me, keep your receipts for the week so you can see how much you spend in the course of five days. The number will 100% motivate you to pack a lunch the following week. 

Take public transportation. 

Catching a cab or ordering an Uber is so damn tempting when you’ve been at work all day or it’s freezing outside, but resist the temptation! Riding the bus or subway is a fraction of the cost and sometimes faster depending on the time of day. The only time I say screw this rule is if you’re out really late at night or in a shady neighborhood.

Related Post: Lies People Tell You About Being in Your Twenties

Say no to delivery. 

My apartment is definitely in a great area of Washington DC. A seven minute walk to Target, five minutes to a grocery store and on the same block as a Papa Johns. The last reason might explain why there are five empty pizza boxes piled in the corner for my apartment. Even though delivery is only three dollars I force my butt to get out of bed if I want pizza, cause according to my own money saving rules I should be cooking at home. If the restaurant is withing 15 minutes walking distance, go pick it up!

Wait 24 hours before you purchase any non necessities. 

The easiest way to not fall into the trap that is online shopping is by walking away from your cart for 24 hours. I know it’s fun to add things to your cart until you hit the free shipping minimum, but letting those items sit for a while might give you some perspective if you really need it all. Also, a lot of stores will send you a coupon code during that time away to encourage you to purchase your order. 

What’s one thing you want to try to spend less money on? Share any tips on how you save money below, because I could definitely use some more suggestions!

During college I never had a job, and to be honest, I hadn’t actually held a paying position anywhere since I was fourteen. Without a real need for extra money (my tuition and rent was paid for with my scholarships) I chose to instead use all my free time to volunteer and involve myself with campus organizations. While I don’t regret my choice to not work during college, life definitely hit me in the face when I graduated. I wasn’t just looking for a job, I was looking for my first job ever. Luckily I landed an okay position right out of college and a year later got hired doing something I had no idea I was even qualified to do. I am, I promise. This means that my life over the past year has transitioned from afternoon classes and daily naps to working 40+ hour weeks and no naps. With a full work week and the added bonus of evening graduate courses, by the time I get home I am usually exhausted and too far gone to think about anything other than setting my alarm for the next day. Except on Friday nights. Friday nights have become this special night of the week, but not for the reasons you would think. After I do what I can with what’s left of my day I usually dream up all these plans of what my weekend will consist of, knowing all too well that none of it will probably happen. But a girl can dream, right? Every weekend starts the same, high hopes about all the adventures I will go on, when in reality I watch four hour Lock Up marathons and eat popcorn till I am sporting a second trimester food baby.

Related Post: How I Rather Spend My Friday Night

I like to pretend….

I’ll use the time to cook all my meals at home.

Not sure why I even bother coming up with this lie since I live in Washington DC, the land of brunching. Seriously though, brunching is a thing here, people use the word as a verb! While I would love to save the money and eat at home, if I didn’t go out to brunch I would probably never leave my apartment on a Sunday. Maybe next weekend, if my favorite restaurant catches on fire or something.

All of my laundry will be washed, folded and put away.

Maybe the reason I can never seem to finish this task all the way through is because it requires so many steps. I’ve been doing my laundry since I was 11, I feel like I’ve done my time. Last month I literally bought more underwear to avoid doing laundry, yeah, I’m that lazy. Also, a lot of my clothes is hand wash, so I spend about two weeks debating whether or not I wanna take the chance by washing it normally. Really though, can we start a petition to outlaw hand wash items?!

any sort of schoolwork will get accomplished.

The weekend is full of so much free time, free time I could use to finally start that powerpoint or reply to that email about the group project. Except I’m too lazy to sign into my university’s email account and I rather not spend my Saturday reading about mental illness. Instead I’ll cram it all into Sunday night or better yet, Monday at work.

Related Post: Things I’m Sorry For

I’ll visit that new museum, restaurant, cool new neighborhood, that I heard so much about.

Living in a city like Washington DC means there’s always something to do, which is one of the main reasons I decided to relocate here. What no one ever mentions is that when you live in a place that aways has something going on, the thrill of going to an opening is a lot less, well, thrilling. Some nights I just dont care about how great the food is over there and how many hip places are opening up downtown. I just wanna go to my favorite take out place and watch reruns on TV.

I will put together a trendy cute outfit.

Working a 9-5 job means my life has become a blur of neutral colors and blouses I bought at H&M. Most days you will catch me wearing skinny black pants, a random blouse and a black cardigan. (I’m wearing that as I type this and I’m sure I’ll be wearing it as I edit this.) (Update: As I edit I am wearing black pants, a black tank and a brown-ish blazer. Nailed it.) Weekends give me the opportunity to put to use all that cute clothes I own, except I’m lazy and I haven’t done laundry in weeks. See above. So instead I wear black pants with a tank top, you know, to mix things up. Plus my shoulders miss seeing the light of day.

I will finish that list of boring chores.

Why are clothes that require dry cleaning or hand washing even manufactured? Can we all take a vote to ban any clothing that isn’t machine washable, the type that doesn’t mind if you wash it next to your towels and gross sheets. Boring chores are the epitome of adulthood. Tasks like needing to buy toilet paper and calling the cable company cause your remote control only works when it wants to are things that are all up to you, and with no roommates, if you ignore it then you have to live in your own pitiful (very dirty) apartment.

Related Post: What It’s Like to Rent Your First Apartment, as told by The Real Housewives

I will avoid spending too much money, ie, going to Target.

Being an adult means you are suddenly in charge of the most boring things, like making sure you have paper napkins and snacks to pack for work. The problem is that you can find all these boring items in the most exicting place on earth, Target! So next thing you know, on your way to “grab toothpaste and nothing else,” you have a new purse and a Glade candle that will totally reinvent your apartment’s atmosphere. Goodbye 50 dollars, it was nice having you.

I’ll go to bed at a reasonable time.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not out at a bar until 2 am, I’m doing the exact opposite. I’m at home, wearing the same shorts I bought at my college bookstore, browsing Pinterest while some ghost hunters TV show plays in the background. It’s not glamorous, and it doesn’t make much sense, but I also wouldn’t want to spend my time any other way. During the week I have to force myself to put down my laptop and go to sleep, so weekends let me finally pin for days and watch TV until my eyelids involuntary close. I know I could probably benefit from the extra hours of REM sleep but my Twitter isn’t going to update itself!

I will finish that DIY project.

Crafts have always been something I enjoy doing, including everything from painting to clay sculpture. When I found out Pinterest existed I lost my mind at how many DIY boards there were, and to this day daydream about those coasters I need to make and that dirt I need to buy to finish my terrarium. While I love making things on my own I usually do it on a whim, meaning I have nowhere near all the materials I need. Then Monday usually comes around and with a full work week I lack the time to finish the project, and the cycle begins there. I really wish I would just finish designing my gallery wall, as soon as I get the chance to buy some hanging wire!

Is there anything you pledge to get done every Friday night but always avoid getting around to once the weekend starts? Let me know all the things you can’t be bothered to follow through on in the comments below!

During college I never had a job, and to be honest, I hadn’t actually held a paying position anywhere since I was fourteen. Without a real need for extra money (my tuition and rent was paid for with my scholarships) I chose to instead use all my free time to volunteer and involve myself with campus organizations. While I don’t regret my choice to not work during college, life definitely hit me in the face when I graduated. I wasn’t just looking for a job, I was looking for my first job ever. Luckily I landed an okay position right out of college and a year later got hired doing something I had no idea I was even qualified to do. I am, I promise. This means that my life over the past year has transitioned from afternoon classes and daily naps to working 40+ hour weeks and no naps. With a full work week and the added bonus of evening graduate courses, by the time I get home I am usually exhausted and too far gone to think about anything other than setting my alarm for the next day. Except on Friday nights. Friday nights have become this special night of the week, but not for the reasons you would think. After I do what I can with what’s left of my day I usually dream up all these plans of what my weekend will consist of, knowing all too well that none of it will probably happen. But a girl can dream, right? Every weekend starts the same, high hopes about all the adventures I will go on, when in reality I watch four hour Lock Up marathons and eat popcorn till I am sporting a second trimester food baby.

Related Post: How I Rather Spend My Friday Night

I like to pretend….

I’ll use the time to cook all my meals at home.

Not sure why I even bother coming up with this lie since I live in Washington DC, the land of brunching. Seriously though, brunching is a thing here, people use the word as a verb! While I would love to save the money and eat at home, if I didn’t go out to brunch I would probably never leave my apartment on a Sunday. Maybe next weekend, if my favorite restaurant catches on fire or something.

All of my laundry will be washed, folded and put away.

Maybe the reason I can never seem to finish this task all the way through is because it requires so many steps. I’ve been doing my laundry since I was 11, I feel like I’ve done my time. Last month I literally bought more underwear to avoid doing laundry, yeah, I’m that lazy. Also, a lot of my clothes is hand wash, so I spend about two weeks debating whether or not I wanna take the chance by washing it normally. Really though, can we start a petition to outlaw hand wash items?!

any sort of schoolwork will get accomplished.

The weekend is full of so much free time, free time I could use to finally start that powerpoint or reply to that email about the group project. Except I’m too lazy to sign into my university’s email account and I rather not spend my Saturday reading about mental illness. Instead I’ll cram it all into Sunday night or better yet, Monday at work.

Related Post: Things I’m Sorry For

I’ll visit that new museum, restaurant, cool new neighborhood, that I heard so much about.

Living in a city like Washington DC means there’s always something to do, which is one of the main reasons I decided to relocate here. What no one ever mentions is that when you live in a place that aways has something going on, the thrill of going to an opening is a lot less, well, thrilling. Some nights I just dont care about how great the food is over there and how many hip places are opening up downtown. I just wanna go to my favorite take out place and watch reruns on TV.

I will put together a trendy cute outfit.

Working a 9-5 job means my life has become a blur of neutral colors and blouses I bought at H&M. Most days you will catch me wearing skinny black pants, a random blouse and a black cardigan. (I’m wearing that as I type this and I’m sure I’ll be wearing it as I edit this.) (Update: As I edit I am wearing black pants, a black tank and a brown-ish blazer. Nailed it.) Weekends give me the opportunity to put to use all that cute clothes I own, except I’m lazy and I haven’t done laundry in weeks. See above. So instead I wear black pants with a tank top, you know, to mix things up. Plus my shoulders miss seeing the light of day.

I will finish that list of boring chores.

Why are clothes that require dry cleaning or hand washing even manufactured? Can we all take a vote to ban any clothing that isn’t machine washable, the type that doesn’t mind if you wash it next to your towels and gross sheets. Boring chores are the epitome of adulthood. Tasks like needing to buy toilet paper and calling the cable company cause your remote control only works when it wants to are things that are all up to you, and with no roommates, if you ignore it then you have to live in your own pitiful (very dirty) apartment.

Related Post: What It’s Like to Rent Your First Apartment, as told by The Real Housewives

I will avoid spending too much money, ie, going to Target.

Being an adult means you are suddenly in charge of the most boring things, like making sure you have paper napkins and snacks to pack for work. The problem is that you can find all these boring items in the most exicting place on earth, Target! So next thing you know, on your way to “grab toothpaste and nothing else,” you have a new purse and a Glade candle that will totally reinvent your apartment’s atmosphere. Goodbye 50 dollars, it was nice having you.

I’ll go to bed at a reasonable time.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not out at a bar until 2 am, I’m doing the exact opposite. I’m at home, wearing the same shorts I bought at my college bookstore, browsing Pinterest while some ghost hunters TV show plays in the background. It’s not glamorous, and it doesn’t make much sense, but I also wouldn’t want to spend my time any other way. During the week I have to force myself to put down my laptop and go to sleep, so weekends let me finally pin for days and watch TV until my eyelids involuntary close. I know I could probably benefit from the extra hours of REM sleep but my Twitter isn’t going to update itself!

I will finish that DIY project.

Crafts have always been something I enjoy doing, including everything from painting to clay sculpture. When I found out Pinterest existed I lost my mind at how many DIY boards there were, and to this day daydream about those coasters I need to make and that dirt I need to buy to finish my terrarium. While I love making things on my own I usually do it on a whim, meaning I have nowhere near all the materials I need. Then Monday usually comes around and with a full work week I lack the time to finish the project, and the cycle begins there. I really wish I would just finish designing my gallery wall, as soon as I get the chance to buy some hanging wire!

Is there anything you pledge to get done every Friday night but always avoid getting around to once the weekend starts? Let me know all the things you can’t be bothered to follow through on in the comments below!

During college I never had a job, and to be honest, I hadn’t actually held a paying position anywhere since I was fourteen. Without a real need for extra money (my tuition and rent was paid for with my scholarships) I chose to instead use all my free time to volunteer and involve myself with campus organizations. While I don’t regret my choice to not work during college, life definitely hit me in the face when I graduated. I wasn’t just looking for a job, I was looking for my first job ever. Luckily I landed an okay position right out of college and a year later got hired doing something I had no idea I was even qualified to do. I am, I promise. This means that my life over the past year has transitioned from afternoon classes and daily naps to working 40+ hour weeks and no naps. With a full work week and the added bonus of evening graduate courses, by the time I get home I am usually exhausted and too far gone to think about anything other than setting my alarm for the next day. Except on Friday nights. Friday nights have become this special night of the week, but not for the reasons you would think. After I do what I can with what’s left of my day I usually dream up all these plans of what my weekend will consist of, knowing all too well that none of it will probably happen. But a girl can dream, right? Every weekend starts the same, high hopes about all the adventures I will go on, when in reality I watch four hour Lock Up marathons and eat popcorn till I am sporting a second trimester food baby.

Related Post: How I Rather Spend My Friday Night

I like to pretend….

I’ll use the time to cook all my meals at home.

Not sure why I even bother coming up with this lie since I live in Washington DC, the land of brunching. Seriously though, brunching is a thing here, people use the word as a verb! While I would love to save the money and eat at home, if I didn’t go out to brunch I would probably never leave my apartment on a Sunday. Maybe next weekend, if my favorite restaurant catches on fire or something.

All of my laundry will be washed, folded and put away.

Maybe the reason I can never seem to finish this task all the way through is because it requires so many steps. I’ve been doing my laundry since I was 11, I feel like I’ve done my time. Last month I literally bought more underwear to avoid doing laundry, yeah, I’m that lazy. Also, a lot of my clothes is hand wash, so I spend about two weeks debating whether or not I wanna take the chance by washing it normally. Really though, can we start a petition to outlaw hand wash items?!

any sort of schoolwork will get accomplished.

The weekend is full of so much free time, free time I could use to finally start that powerpoint or reply to that email about the group project. Except I’m too lazy to sign into my university’s email account and I rather not spend my Saturday reading about mental illness. Instead I’ll cram it all into Sunday night or better yet, Monday at work.

Related Post: Things I’m Sorry For

I’ll visit that new museum, restaurant, cool new neighborhood, that I heard so much about.

Living in a city like Washington DC means there’s always something to do, which is one of the main reasons I decided to relocate here. What no one ever mentions is that when you live in a place that aways has something going on, the thrill of going to an opening is a lot less, well, thrilling. Some nights I just dont care about how great the food is over there and how many hip places are opening up downtown. I just wanna go to my favorite take out place and watch reruns on TV.

I will put together a trendy cute outfit.

Working a 9-5 job means my life has become a blur of neutral colors and blouses I bought at H&M. Most days you will catch me wearing skinny black pants, a random blouse and a black cardigan. (I’m wearing that as I type this and I’m sure I’ll be wearing it as I edit this.) (Update: As I edit I am wearing black pants, a black tank and a brown-ish blazer. Nailed it.) Weekends give me the opportunity to put to use all that cute clothes I own, except I’m lazy and I haven’t done laundry in weeks. See above. So instead I wear black pants with a tank top, you know, to mix things up. Plus my shoulders miss seeing the light of day.

I will finish that list of boring chores.

Why are clothes that require dry cleaning or hand washing even manufactured? Can we all take a vote to ban any clothing that isn’t machine washable, the type that doesn’t mind if you wash it next to your towels and gross sheets. Boring chores are the epitome of adulthood. Tasks like needing to buy toilet paper and calling the cable company cause your remote control only works when it wants to are things that are all up to you, and with no roommates, if you ignore it then you have to live in your own pitiful (very dirty) apartment.

Related Post: What It’s Like to Rent Your First Apartment, as told by The Real Housewives

I will avoid spending too much money, ie, going to Target.

Being an adult means you are suddenly in charge of the most boring things, like making sure you have paper napkins and snacks to pack for work. The problem is that you can find all these boring items in the most exicting place on earth, Target! So next thing you know, on your way to “grab toothpaste and nothing else,” you have a new purse and a Glade candle that will totally reinvent your apartment’s atmosphere. Goodbye 50 dollars, it was nice having you.

I’ll go to bed at a reasonable time.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not out at a bar until 2 am, I’m doing the exact opposite. I’m at home, wearing the same shorts I bought at my college bookstore, browsing Pinterest while some ghost hunters TV show plays in the background. It’s not glamorous, and it doesn’t make much sense, but I also wouldn’t want to spend my time any other way. During the week I have to force myself to put down my laptop and go to sleep, so weekends let me finally pin for days and watch TV until my eyelids involuntary close. I know I could probably benefit from the extra hours of REM sleep but my Twitter isn’t going to update itself!

I will finish that DIY project.

Crafts have always been something I enjoy doing, including everything from painting to clay sculpture. When I found out Pinterest existed I lost my mind at how many DIY boards there were, and to this day daydream about those coasters I need to make and that dirt I need to buy to finish my terrarium. While I love making things on my own I usually do it on a whim, meaning I have nowhere near all the materials I need. Then Monday usually comes around and with a full work week I lack the time to finish the project, and the cycle begins there. I really wish I would just finish designing my gallery wall, as soon as I get the chance to buy some hanging wire!

Is there anything you pledge to get done every Friday night but always avoid getting around to once the weekend starts? Let me know all the things you can’t be bothered to follow through on in the comments below!

During college I never had a job, and to be honest, I hadn’t actually held a paying position anywhere since I was fourteen. Without a real need for extra money (my tuition and rent was paid for with my scholarships) I chose to instead use all my free time to volunteer and involve myself with campus organizations. While I don’t regret my choice to not work during college, life definitely hit me in the face when I graduated. I wasn’t just looking for a job, I was looking for my first job ever. Luckily I landed an okay position right out of college and a year later got hired doing something I had no idea I was even qualified to do. I am, I promise. This means that my life over the past year has transitioned from afternoon classes and daily naps to working 40+ hour weeks and no naps. With a full work week and the added bonus of evening graduate courses, by the time I get home I am usually exhausted and too far gone to think about anything other than setting my alarm for the next day. Except on Friday nights. Friday nights have become this special night of the week, but not for the reasons you would think. After I do what I can with what’s left of my day I usually dream up all these plans of what my weekend will consist of, knowing all too well that none of it will probably happen. But a girl can dream, right? Every weekend starts the same, high hopes about all the adventures I will go on, when in reality I watch four hour Lock Up marathons and eat popcorn till I am sporting a second trimester food baby.

Related Post: How I Rather Spend My Friday Night

I like to pretend….

I’ll use the time to cook all my meals at home.

Not sure why I even bother coming up with this lie since I live in Washington DC, the land of brunching. Seriously though, brunching is a thing here, people use the word as a verb! While I would love to save the money and eat at home, if I didn’t go out to brunch I would probably never leave my apartment on a Sunday. Maybe next weekend, if my favorite restaurant catches on fire or something.

All of my laundry will be washed, folded and put away.

Maybe the reason I can never seem to finish this task all the way through is because it requires so many steps. I’ve been doing my laundry since I was 11, I feel like I’ve done my time. Last month I literally bought more underwear to avoid doing laundry, yeah, I’m that lazy. Also, a lot of my clothes is hand wash, so I spend about two weeks debating whether or not I wanna take the chance by washing it normally. Really though, can we start a petition to outlaw hand wash items?!

any sort of schoolwork will get accomplished.

The weekend is full of so much free time, free time I could use to finally start that powerpoint or reply to that email about the group project. Except I’m too lazy to sign into my university’s email account and I rather not spend my Saturday reading about mental illness. Instead I’ll cram it all into Sunday night or better yet, Monday at work.

Related Post: Things I’m Sorry For

I’ll visit that new museum, restaurant, cool new neighborhood, that I heard so much about.

Living in a city like Washington DC means there’s always something to do, which is one of the main reasons I decided to relocate here. What no one ever mentions is that when you live in a place that aways has something going on, the thrill of going to an opening is a lot less, well, thrilling. Some nights I just dont care about how great the food is over there and how many hip places are opening up downtown. I just wanna go to my favorite take out place and watch reruns on TV.

I will put together a trendy cute outfit.

Working a 9-5 job means my life has become a blur of neutral colors and blouses I bought at H&M. Most days you will catch me wearing skinny black pants, a random blouse and a black cardigan. (I’m wearing that as I type this and I’m sure I’ll be wearing it as I edit this.) (Update: As I edit I am wearing black pants, a black tank and a brown-ish blazer. Nailed it.) Weekends give me the opportunity to put to use all that cute clothes I own, except I’m lazy and I haven’t done laundry in weeks. See above. So instead I wear black pants with a tank top, you know, to mix things up. Plus my shoulders miss seeing the light of day.

I will finish that list of boring chores.

Why are clothes that require dry cleaning or hand washing even manufactured? Can we all take a vote to ban any clothing that isn’t machine washable, the type that doesn’t mind if you wash it next to your towels and gross sheets. Boring chores are the epitome of adulthood. Tasks like needing to buy toilet paper and calling the cable company cause your remote control only works when it wants to are things that are all up to you, and with no roommates, if you ignore it then you have to live in your own pitiful (very dirty) apartment.

Related Post: What It’s Like to Rent Your First Apartment, as told by The Real Housewives

I will avoid spending too much money, ie, going to Target.

Being an adult means you are suddenly in charge of the most boring things, like making sure you have paper napkins and snacks to pack for work. The problem is that you can find all these boring items in the most exicting place on earth, Target! So next thing you know, on your way to “grab toothpaste and nothing else,” you have a new purse and a Glade candle that will totally reinvent your apartment’s atmosphere. Goodbye 50 dollars, it was nice having you.

I’ll go to bed at a reasonable time.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not out at a bar until 2 am, I’m doing the exact opposite. I’m at home, wearing the same shorts I bought at my college bookstore, browsing Pinterest while some ghost hunters TV show plays in the background. It’s not glamorous, and it doesn’t make much sense, but I also wouldn’t want to spend my time any other way. During the week I have to force myself to put down my laptop and go to sleep, so weekends let me finally pin for days and watch TV until my eyelids involuntary close. I know I could probably benefit from the extra hours of REM sleep but my Twitter isn’t going to update itself!

I will finish that DIY project.

Crafts have always been something I enjoy doing, including everything from painting to clay sculpture. When I found out Pinterest existed I lost my mind at how many DIY boards there were, and to this day daydream about those coasters I need to make and that dirt I need to buy to finish my terrarium. While I love making things on my own I usually do it on a whim, meaning I have nowhere near all the materials I need. Then Monday usually comes around and with a full work week I lack the time to finish the project, and the cycle begins there. I really wish I would just finish designing my gallery wall, as soon as I get the chance to buy some hanging wire!

Is there anything you pledge to get done every Friday night but always avoid getting around to once the weekend starts? Let me know all the things you can’t be bothered to follow through on in the comments below!

During college I never had a job, and to be honest, I hadn’t actually held a paying position anywhere since I was fourteen. Without a real need for extra money (my tuition and rent was paid for with my scholarships) I chose to instead use all my free time to volunteer and involve myself with campus organizations. While I don’t regret my choice to not work during college, life definitely hit me in the face when I graduated. I wasn’t just looking for a job, I was looking for my first job ever. Luckily I landed an okay position right out of college and a year later got hired doing something I had no idea I was even qualified to do. I am, I promise. This means that my life over the past year has transitioned from afternoon classes and daily naps to working 40+ hour weeks and no naps. With a full work week and the added bonus of evening graduate courses, by the time I get home I am usually exhausted and too far gone to think about anything other than setting my alarm for the next day. Except on Friday nights. Friday nights have become this special night of the week, but not for the reasons you would think. After I do what I can with what’s left of my day I usually dream up all these plans of what my weekend will consist of, knowing all too well that none of it will probably happen. But a girl can dream, right? Every weekend starts the same, high hopes about all the adventures I will go on, when in reality I watch four hour Lock Up marathons and eat popcorn till I am sporting a second trimester food baby.

Related Post: How I Rather Spend My Friday Night

I like to pretend….

I’ll use the time to cook all my meals at home.

Not sure why I even bother coming up with this lie since I live in Washington DC, the land of brunching. Seriously though, brunching is a thing here, people use the word as a verb! While I would love to save the money and eat at home, if I didn’t go out to brunch I would probably never leave my apartment on a Sunday. Maybe next weekend, if my favorite restaurant catches on fire or something.

All of my laundry will be washed, folded and put away.

Maybe the reason I can never seem to finish this task all the way through is because it requires so many steps. I’ve been doing my laundry since I was 11, I feel like I’ve done my time. Last month I literally bought more underwear to avoid doing laundry, yeah, I’m that lazy. Also, a lot of my clothes is hand wash, so I spend about two weeks debating whether or not I wanna take the chance by washing it normally. Really though, can we start a petition to outlaw hand wash items?!

any sort of schoolwork will get accomplished.

The weekend is full of so much free time, free time I could use to finally start that powerpoint or reply to that email about the group project. Except I’m too lazy to sign into my university’s email account and I rather not spend my Saturday reading about mental illness. Instead I’ll cram it all into Sunday night or better yet, Monday at work.

Related Post: Things I’m Sorry For

I’ll visit that new museum, restaurant, cool new neighborhood, that I heard so much about.

Living in a city like Washington DC means there’s always something to do, which is one of the main reasons I decided to relocate here. What no one ever mentions is that when you live in a place that aways has something going on, the thrill of going to an opening is a lot less, well, thrilling. Some nights I just dont care about how great the food is over there and how many hip places are opening up downtown. I just wanna go to my favorite take out place and watch reruns on TV.

I will put together a trendy cute outfit.

Working a 9-5 job means my life has become a blur of neutral colors and blouses I bought at H&M. Most days you will catch me wearing skinny black pants, a random blouse and a black cardigan. (I’m wearing that as I type this and I’m sure I’ll be wearing it as I edit this.) (Update: As I edit I am wearing black pants, a black tank and a brown-ish blazer. Nailed it.) Weekends give me the opportunity to put to use all that cute clothes I own, except I’m lazy and I haven’t done laundry in weeks. See above. So instead I wear black pants with a tank top, you know, to mix things up. Plus my shoulders miss seeing the light of day.

I will finish that list of boring chores.

Why are clothes that require dry cleaning or hand washing even manufactured? Can we all take a vote to ban any clothing that isn’t machine washable, the type that doesn’t mind if you wash it next to your towels and gross sheets. Boring chores are the epitome of adulthood. Tasks like needing to buy toilet paper and calling the cable company cause your remote control only works when it wants to are things that are all up to you, and with no roommates, if you ignore it then you have to live in your own pitiful (very dirty) apartment.

Related Post: What It’s Like to Rent Your First Apartment, as told by The Real Housewives

I will avoid spending too much money, ie, going to Target.

Being an adult means you are suddenly in charge of the most boring things, like making sure you have paper napkins and snacks to pack for work. The problem is that you can find all these boring items in the most exicting place on earth, Target! So next thing you know, on your way to “grab toothpaste and nothing else,” you have a new purse and a Glade candle that will totally reinvent your apartment’s atmosphere. Goodbye 50 dollars, it was nice having you.

I’ll go to bed at a reasonable time.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not out at a bar until 2 am, I’m doing the exact opposite. I’m at home, wearing the same shorts I bought at my college bookstore, browsing Pinterest while some ghost hunters TV show plays in the background. It’s not glamorous, and it doesn’t make much sense, but I also wouldn’t want to spend my time any other way. During the week I have to force myself to put down my laptop and go to sleep, so weekends let me finally pin for days and watch TV until my eyelids involuntary close. I know I could probably benefit from the extra hours of REM sleep but my Twitter isn’t going to update itself!

I will finish that DIY project.

Crafts have always been something I enjoy doing, including everything from painting to clay sculpture. When I found out Pinterest existed I lost my mind at how many DIY boards there were, and to this day daydream about those coasters I need to make and that dirt I need to buy to finish my terrarium. While I love making things on my own I usually do it on a whim, meaning I have nowhere near all the materials I need. Then Monday usually comes around and with a full work week I lack the time to finish the project, and the cycle begins there. I really wish I would just finish designing my gallery wall, as soon as I get the chance to buy some hanging wire!

Is there anything you pledge to get done every Friday night but always avoid getting around to once the weekend starts? Let me know all the things you can’t be bothered to follow through on in the comments below!

You guys, I tried, I really did. Here’s the thing, in the past thirty days I seriously learned what my obstacles are, where I continuously fail myself, and how others manage to get past all these excuses. Okay, it doesn’t help that I’m drinking a Coke as I write this, but in my defense I woke up at 7am today to go volunteer at a soup kitchen. Also, I have a paper due tonight. Oh, and I’m totally just making a million excuses because there’s no damn reason I should be drinking a Coke right now. That’s step one of living a healthier life, calling out your own bullshit. If you’re like me and look for a million and one reasons for why you can’t get a workout in or say no to those french fries, keep reading to learn how other’s get past all these mental roadblocks.

You might also like: 10 Best Apps for Your Health and Exercise Goals

Like I mentioned earlier, you need to be able to know the difference between actual obstacles and straight up excuses. For example, on Wednesdays I work from 9am to 6pm, then have class from 7-10pm. Sure I could wake up early or stay up late to exercise, but on days like that I need the extra sleep. Me not working out on a weekend? That’s just me coming up with an excuse for why I don’t have the time. Every time you skip a workout or opt to eat an unhealthy meal, write down why you made the decision. This way you can look back and see what your patterns are, where you can improve, and in which instances you’re just looking for the easy way out. Going into this challenge, I knew one of my biggest obstacles was my boyfriend’s love for eating out. The man loves fast food, especially on the weekends. Our struggle with both being picky eaters means I can’t just order a salad, because I will 100% throw that shit up. In my case, I can’t just stop eating with my boyfriend, but I can tell him to push me to make healthier choices. Figure out who your instigator is, and either avoid them while you get into the routine of things or let them know to help you stay accountable.

You might also like: 8 Simple Ways to Practice Self Care Every Morning

As much as I love pilates, I suck at giving myself the time I need to do it. My goal for June is to schedule my workouts ahead of time, choosing both the hour and specific workout I’ll do. This way there’s no reason to waste time figuring out what moves I’ll do or for how long. If you need to, you can set a reminder on your phone or post the workout calendar where you’ll see it constantly. Another though one for me, making my health a priority. So often I chose to work on a blog post or accommodate my boyfriend’s cravings rather than stick to my plan. What I’m doing to make my health a priority is let my boyfriend know of my plans, plus I’m working towards a certain reward. It can be hard to make your health a priority when you’re balancing work and/or school, but it’s possible if you train yourself to stick to your own goals. Nothing is more painful than reading through your food log at the end of the week. Prepare to sit there and wonder why you eat so many french fries, frozen yogurt and midnight snacks. A food log lets you know where most of your calories are coming from, and at what time. Mine tells me that I do my worst eating in the hour between work and grad classes, which makes sense since I have no time to grab anything more than fast food. What I’ve done with this information is started packing healthy snacks ahead of time, or carving out time to give myself the opportunity to grab a meal I won’t regret later. Health goals don’t have to be giant things like losing X amount of pounds or cutting minutes off your mile time. If you aren’t used to living an active lifestyle, get yourself started by committing to walking around your neighborhood a few times a week, or testing out low impact videos every other day. Simply getting yourself into your gym clothes and off your bed is the first step to starting a new healthy habit.

Related Post: How to Work Full Time and Go to Grad School

Sure, if you want to see results maybe this isn’t the best advice, but it’s more beneficial to develop a love for fitness than commit to an exercise routine you hate. In my case, I genuinely enjoy bicycling and pilates. My best advice is to try a variety of classes and exercise routine, and stick to the few you find yourself finishing all the way through.

How do you stay committed to your health goals? Give me all your advice in the comments below!

My overall theme for this year was to live for me more, which I talked about a little in my word of the year post. The two things I love to do are blog and travel, both cost a little money, but the latter definitely more. Keeping those two things in mind I’ve been more aware of how I spend my money, and a common theme in my life seems to be walking into Target for tampons and walking out with two bags full of stuff. Just stuff, nothing in particular, no theme, no rhyme or reason as to why I thought I needed it all.
Since I want to stop thinking about travelling and just do it, I’ve taken small steps to limit my spending, especially because my only two bills are rent and cable/internet. Since January I’ve been able to save enough money for my first trip to Texas, so I’m gonna tell you how you can save money every single day this year.

Related Post: Are You Really Enjoying Your Twenties?

Make coffee at home.

Or tea, or a cocktail, or whatever your preference is. My point is drink at home! I personally don’t drink coffee but I can’t imagine forking over that much money every morning for something that will be gone within the hour. Buy a coffee maker and save yourself the time and money that comes with running into your favorite coffee shop each morning. 

Pack your lunch.

I haven’t mastered this completely, but packing lunch just two days a week saves me at least twenty dollars. If you’re already cooking dinner at home all you have to do is make a slightly larger serving and saves the leftovers for the next day. Trust me, keep your receipts for the week so you can see how much you spend in the course of five days. The number will 100% motivate you to pack a lunch the following week. 

Take public transportation. 

Catching a cab or ordering an Uber is so damn tempting when you’ve been at work all day or it’s freezing outside, but resist the temptation! Riding the bus or subway is a fraction of the cost and sometimes faster depending on the time of day. The only time I say screw this rule is if you’re out really late at night or in a shady neighborhood.

Related Post: Lies People Tell You About Being in Your Twenties

Say no to delivery. 

My apartment is definitely in a great area of Washington DC. A seven minute walk to Target, five minutes to a grocery store and on the same block as a Papa Johns. The last reason might explain why there are five empty pizza boxes piled in the corner for my apartment. Even though delivery is only three dollars I force my butt to get out of bed if I want pizza, cause according to my own money saving rules I should be cooking at home. If the restaurant is withing 15 minutes walking distance, go pick it up!

Wait 24 hours before you purchase any non necessities. 

The easiest way to not fall into the trap that is online shopping is by walking away from your cart for 24 hours. I know it’s fun to add things to your cart until you hit the free shipping minimum, but letting those items sit for a while might give you some perspective if you really need it all. Also, a lot of stores will send you a coupon code during that time away to encourage you to purchase your order. 

What’s one thing you want to try to spend less money on? Share any tips on how you save money below, because I could definitely use some more suggestions!

My overall theme for this year was to live for me more, which I talked about a little in my word of the year post. The two things I love to do are blog and travel, both cost a little money, but the latter definitely more. Keeping those two things in mind I’ve been more aware of how I spend my money, and a common theme in my life seems to be walking into Target for tampons and walking out with two bags full of stuff. Just stuff, nothing in particular, no theme, no rhyme or reason as to why I thought I needed it all.
Since I want to stop thinking about travelling and just do it, I’ve taken small steps to limit my spending, especially because my only two bills are rent and cable/internet. Since January I’ve been able to save enough money for my first trip to Texas, so I’m gonna tell you how you can save money every single day this year.

Related Post: Are You Really Enjoying Your Twenties?

Make coffee at home.

Or tea, or a cocktail, or whatever your preference is. My point is drink at home! I personally don’t drink coffee but I can’t imagine forking over that much money every morning for something that will be gone within the hour. Buy a coffee maker and save yourself the time and money that comes with running into your favorite coffee shop each morning. 

Pack your lunch.

I haven’t mastered this completely, but packing lunch just two days a week saves me at least twenty dollars. If you’re already cooking dinner at home all you have to do is make a slightly larger serving and saves the leftovers for the next day. Trust me, keep your receipts for the week so you can see how much you spend in the course of five days. The number will 100% motivate you to pack a lunch the following week. 

Take public transportation. 

Catching a cab or ordering an Uber is so damn tempting when you’ve been at work all day or it’s freezing outside, but resist the temptation! Riding the bus or subway is a fraction of the cost and sometimes faster depending on the time of day. The only time I say screw this rule is if you’re out really late at night or in a shady neighborhood.

Related Post: Lies People Tell You About Being in Your Twenties

Say no to delivery. 

My apartment is definitely in a great area of Washington DC. A seven minute walk to Target, five minutes to a grocery store and on the same block as a Papa Johns. The last reason might explain why there are five empty pizza boxes piled in the corner for my apartment. Even though delivery is only three dollars I force my butt to get out of bed if I want pizza, cause according to my own money saving rules I should be cooking at home. If the restaurant is withing 15 minutes walking distance, go pick it up!

Wait 24 hours before you purchase any non necessities. 

The easiest way to not fall into the trap that is online shopping is by walking away from your cart for 24 hours. I know it’s fun to add things to your cart until you hit the free shipping minimum, but letting those items sit for a while might give you some perspective if you really need it all. Also, a lot of stores will send you a coupon code during that time away to encourage you to purchase your order. 

What’s one thing you want to try to spend less money on? Share any tips on how you save money below, because I could definitely use some more suggestions!

The past few days have been a whirlwind of crazy, the type that make you stare intently at the sidewalk in the small hope that it won’t get directed at you. Even though I’ve been running all over the city enjoying my favorite holiday weekend, I did pause to reflect on the fact that all of this would be so avoidable had I never taken my love of talking and turned it into a full time hobby/job/whatever you wanna call it.

Here’s the thing, I’ve been writing since early 2012. I saw an ad for writers for a popular collegiate website and figured why the hell not? As someone who has been reading women’s magazines since the age of six, I know a thing or two about what young women like to read. With friends my whole life telling me I should write my stories down, I finally took their advice and applied for the position. That turned into another opportunity, which turned into another, all of which ended with me creating my own space where I could talk about what I wanted, how I wanted.

There was just one problem, no one seemed to be talking about the things I enjoy talking to my friends about. Angry moments on the subway, deciphering out if you’re in a relationship or just hooking up, and figuring out how the hell to write a resume that won’t get tossed in the trash. Basically websites we’re too niched, or simply so big that you lost the relatable factor. So I set out to create exactly what I wanted to see in the world, a place where a basic ass millennial could write about that time an ER doctor said her UTI was caused by too much sex! (This is very much debatable and will definitely one day be written about in depth, because I’m shameless.)

One problem though, not everyone likes when you tell it like it is. Bloggers don’t talk about sex and people don’t like you talking about your experiences with them. And that’s when I realized, there’s so many interesting topics bloggers miss out on just because we see others being successful when writing about the topics we were all taught are marketable, or worse, we’re scared of the backlash! We live in an age where we’re obsessed with the intimate details of celebrity lives, yet I don’t think any of my favorite bloggers have ever referenced anything more personal than their dress size. I know that I’m not going to change the direction of blogging and that my blog is not pulling in millions of readers every month. But there is one thing I do have, other bloggers with similar platforms to mine reading my content. So maybe if we started talking about the things that we all really wanna hear about, blogging will no longer be this place where everything needs to be picture perfect and every critical/hateful comment is discussed in our Facebook groups.

Currently I have my ex-boyfriends current girlfriend completely harassing me in the comment section of one of my latest posts, on top of the string of Facebook messages that I swiftly ignored. And do I give a crap that she thinks I’m pathetic for putting my experiences out there? Hell no! At the end of each day, every time she click my page to comment about how pathetic I am, that’s one more page view that helps me later along the line when choosing how much to charge companies who want to partner with me.

If you’re a blogger who sometimes gets bored of publishing the same type of content, or just a girl who wants to say more in her Instagram captions that how nice the sunset was, do it! Write about the time you cried on public transportation, take that selfie on day one of your period and let your followers know how bad your cramps are, say the things you say to your best friend without the fear of what some judgmental person may have to say back. As for me, I plan to keep writing about the topics I always wished others would talk about when I was younger. Currently I have a post on the first page of Google that every girl sees when searching how to get over a guy. And you know what? That feels awesome! Four years later and that post is still helping young women deal with a breakup that they too weren’t ready for. And until I write another post that goes as viral as that, I’m just gonna keep oversharing on the internet, hoping someone reads it and finds it totally relatable.

So tell me, are you a blogger who keep certain things private, and if so, why? And if you’re just a everyday reader, what’s one thing you wish more men and women would talk about online?