Setting Goals I Might Actually Keep

I’m not doing a “no-spend challenge.” I’d cheat by week two. So I set dumb rules: no more yarn if there are two unopened skeins at home. Someone on Reddit said she only buys paper if it fits in a shoebox. That stuck with me more than any Pinterest chart.

I try to keep craft spending around 5–10% of my monthly budget, depending on how many surprise bills pop up. MoneyGeek (2023) said even low-income folks can make room for “fun budgets” by skipping takeout once a week. That’s $20 for art supplies. Maybe.

My best trick is putting sticky notes (“Did you finish the last project?”) on my wallet and the craft store app. It’s annoying, but it works better than any budgeting worksheet. Silly? Sure. But it finally kept me honest enough to buy a self-healing cutting mat I actually needed.

Budgeting Tools That Don’t Suck

Budgeting apps promise the world, but most want a subscription just to add more than groceries. Mint’s gone. YNAB costs more than my craft budget. I just use Google Sheets and my phone’s notes app—color-coded: “Must Buy,” “Maybe,” “Impulse Regret.”

I made up a point system: finish a project, earn a supply splurge. Abandon something, lose the next purchase. Petty, but it works. My one “fancy” buy is a label maker. Nothing special, but it stops me from buying another ten jars of Mod Podge because now I know what I have.

If anyone invents a perfect budgeting hack for crafts, let me know. Until then, it’s messy digital lists, box dividers, and rules I follow mostly because I’m embarrassed when people ask if I “really needed” another set of metallic gel pens.

Meal Planning: Or, How I Keep Forgetting About Those Cans in the Pantry

Half my pantry is just cans I forgot about. Is that normal? Anyway, if you want to slash grocery bills, you can’t just wander the store and hope for inspiration. I plan. Sort of. I try. You need a list, some kind of plan, and the willpower to ignore TikTok “hacks.”

Meal Prep (But Not the Instagram Kind)

I keep seeing meal prep “hacks” that are just color-coded calendars and pretty markers. Who has time? I batch-cook rice and roast whatever’s left in the fridge by Thursday. No Pinterest chart required.

I plan four dinners, then fill in breakfasts and lunches with overlapping ingredients. If Greek yogurt’s on the list, it’s in two meals. USDA says even basic meal prepping cuts food spending by 10–20%. I still forget leftovers and end up eating cereal for dinner. My freezer is organized by “last week,” “last month,” and “mystery.” That’s it.

Prepping protein (hard-boiled eggs, shredded chicken, whatever) and chopping veggies ahead saves me from ordering takeout. Not glamorous, but it works.

Grocery Shopping: My Only Real Skill

What drives me up the wall is how stores push fake deals. BOGOs, “special” sales—most of them aren’t even real. I check price-per-ounce on my phone and dodge the displays. Unit pricing is the only thing that keeps me from getting ripped off.

Families with strict shopping lists spend 25% less, supposedly. That’s $1,500 a year, says the Bureau of Labor Statistics. I only shop once a week, always after I’ve eaten. No impulse snacks. The bakery smells? Irrelevant if bread isn’t on the list.

Apps like AnyList or Paprika help, but honestly, it’s just about making fewer choices. The less I think, the less I spend. There’s no magic. Just stubbornness and a lot of ignored coupons.

How to Use Coupons Successfully

Couponing. Ugh. I mean, yeah, you see those TV people with binders and, what, entire garages filled with toothpaste? Not me. I’m not spending my life digging for 30 cents off canned beans. Paper coupons—usually a no-go with digital stuff, and don’t get me started on Ibotta. If you don’t double-check matchups before you pay, just forget it. Lost receipts? Game over. I’ve done it. Regret every time.

Supposedly, people who juggle both paper and digital coupons save about 8–10% per trip. But, honestly, if you count the hours clipping, you’re probably making like $3 an hour. I only bother with deals for things I’d buy anyway—oat milk, string cheese, maybe pasta if I’m feeling wild. Clipping everything? Nope. Half expire, or you need to buy three of something you don’t even want.

Loyalty programs? I mean, I have the apps, but I swipe past the “bonus” junk. If a coupon gets me what I was already going to buy, cool. If not, straight to the recycling bin.

Making the Most of Thrift Stores and Secondhand Finds

So there I am, staring at a $5 shirt that looks exactly like the $40 one I almost bought online. Happens a lot, honestly. If you’re trying to save on groceries or just squeeze your side hustle money further, thrift stores are a cheat code. Plus, sometimes I walk out with a random lamp or a stack of plates and suddenly I’m thinking about a DIY project I didn’t even know I wanted to do.

Tips for Scoring Great Deals

Why does thrifting feel like the Olympics sometimes? I see people with color-coded tag guides, like there’s a secret strategy. If you want a tip, go on weekdays after new stuff hits the racks. Always check for the daily tag color; sometimes you’ll get half off for no reason.

One time, this retired tailor at Goodwill told me to flip jackets inside out—lining tells you if it’s actually vintage or just pretending. Depop claims people save 25% per item on average compared to new. Skip a week of lattes, boom, “free” shirt.

Nobody talks about how thrift furniture is dirt cheap if you don’t mind scratches. Paint fixes almost anything. Some folks bring a flashlight to check for stains; I always forget mine and end up with mystery spots. Last week, I bought khakis with an ink blot I didn’t see till I got home. Classic.

First thing I do is throw everything in the wash. Ignored that rule once, never again. Gross.

Transforming Thrifted Items Into Everyday Essentials

Can we just admit “upcycling” sounds like something a marketing intern made up? Still, my neighbor turned a busted nightstand into a shoe rack with $2 paint and some leftover knobs. Looked way better than it deserved to.

Instagram organizers love thrifted baskets and jars. Food bloggers are obsessed with old Pyrex—oven safe, cheap, and if it’s chipped, whatever, plant some herbs in it. Why pay $25 for plastic bins when a metal tin does the job and looks cooler?

I’ve seen people dye faded shirts with grocery store dye. My friend patched a sweater and now gets compliments, not side-eyes. None of this has to look crafty—if you get a whole toolkit or a raincoat for less than breakfast, who cares?

But seriously, what do you do with ugly thrift-store art? Paint over it? Feels wrong, but also, who’s gonna stop me? At least making shelves from crates is just practical. No debate.