Category: Finance

Filipinos are naturally frugal. Being frugal has such a negative connotation but it’s actually a smart and practical lifestyle. It helps us save money to put towards things like paying down debt, supporting our families, and saving for our future or goals. 

Nowadays, the high cost of living is forcing many people to rethink their current spending habits. You may have found this article because you’re trying to find ways to save money too. 

Frugality doesn’t have to be extreme or crazy. It doesn’t have to be hard or painful. Most of the hacks I’ll describe below are also eco-friendly. By making these small changes, you can make a big impact on your wallet and on the environment. 

1. Stock Up on Sales

I am not sure if this is a Filipino thing, an Asian thing, or we just like sales but, whenever things are on sale, we stock up. If there’s no expiration date or it is years away, why not stock up when prices are lower? 

It doesn’t take me long to peruse weekly ads to find good deals and save money on groceries. I like to stock up on meat at Whole Foods because they’re animal welfare certified and organic. I also buy in bulk at Sam’s Club and Costco especially when things like diapers, baby wipes, and rice are on sale. 

The trick is to bulk buy things you use on a regular basis. Don’t buy ten cans of olives if you don’t use it. It’s going to go to waste and you’ll be throwing away money that you may have saved from these sales.  

Also, use an app like Ibotta to save even more money by getting cashback on your purchases. 

2. Homemade Meals

Filipinos are great cooks and many of us learn to cook at a young age. If you haven’t learned to cook, it’s a good time to start now. You could try a meal kit delivery service like Blue Apron to help you get comfortable in the kitchen first before expanding to your favorite dishes on your own. 

When cooking, it’s important to make large batches of food so you can have several meals throughout the week. Set aside a couple hours on Sunday to meal prep for the week. 

You can also use my FREE Mix and Match Meal Planner to help you figure out your weekly meals based on what you have in your fridge or pantry. Download it below.

Cooking at home will save you a lot of money that you can put towards your goals. You’ll also eat healthier since you are the one making decisions about what you want to eat versus being limited or tempted by unhealthy restaurant options near or at your work. 

In addition, it helps the environment because you’ll reduce the amount of disposable utensils and paper products you use whenever you eat out.

3. Embrace Leftovers

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Americans threw away 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food in 2010. Imagine how much more we are throwing away today. This is probably why Filipinos love leftovers. We don’t like to see money and food go to waste. 

We like to make big batches of food at home to eat leftovers for days and we like to take home our leftover food from restaurants when we go out to eat. You’ll also never go hungry when you’re invited to a Filipino party or dinner because there will usually be extra food for you to take home.

Eating leftovers keeps more money in your pocket but it’s also good for the environment because you reduce food waste. Just make sure to practice proper food safety when handling leftovers so you don’t get yourself or others sick. 

4. Grow Your Own Food

Many immigrant families in Hawaii grow food in their backyard. University of Hawaii at Manoa researchers were even surprised to find that a third of the places they surveyed had urban gardens. Growing our own food is one way we save money on groceries. 

According to an article by The Penny Hoarder, a small garden can provide a family $600 worth of fresh groceries. The trick is to grow things that you eat on a regular basis and that costs a lot of money at the grocery store. 

One of the small plants that my husband and son have been growing for these past few months are cherry tomatoes. One plant cost $5 at Home Depot while one container of picked cherry tomatoes cost ~$5 at Target. When grown correctly, the plant will continue to yield tomatoes for many years to come saving you money. 

If you’re a beginner, get this Garden Outside of the Box subscription. You’ll learn how to garden organic, non-GMO vegetables and herbs and you don’t even need a yard to do this. 

For a simpler option, try growing small herbs like basil, mint, and cilantro with the Back to the Roots Herb Kit. You can easily grow this on a windowsill. 

5. Reuse Containers

Filipinos are known for keeping and reusing containers for ice cream, cookies, butter, and pasta sauce. The comedian Jo Koy even featured this in one of his youtube videos below:

This practice drives our family members crazy sometimes especially when you think you’re opening a container of cookies but you find sewing supplies. However, this is a practical and eco-friendly storage solution. Most importantly, it’s free! 

Like Jokoy, I use a cookie container for our sewing supplies and Daisy sour cream containers for my homemade guacamole. I also have Talenti gelato containers that are several years old because they’re great for on the go smoothies or homemade ice cream. 

However, my favorite containers are those from California Pizza Kitchen (CPK). They look like the meal prep containers that we bought several years ago and they’re microwavable! 

If you look closely at a container, you can even find that some containers are dishwasher safe, freezer safe, and microwavable. 

We really have a hard time throwing things away because they might be useful someday. Raise your hand if you’re like me!

The trick to keep from hoarding all of these containers is to give them away! When I have extra food to share with my friends, I use these containers. 

Sure, it’s weird to see curry in a container of butter but at least I don’t have to worry about them returning the container. It’s up to them if they want to keep it or throw it away. At least it was used one more time before going in the trash. 

One other hack is to keep large liter soda bottles and milk gallons for used cooking oil. Once the used cooking oil has fully cooled, pour it into the bottle. 

As soon as the bottle is full, you can dispose of it in the trash. This keeps you from clogging your pipes with used oil and from harming the sewage system. 

6. Reuse plastic bags

Filipinos are also good about reusing plastic bags. Our family uses reusable grocery bags when shopping but when we get plastic bags from takeout or other sources, we keep these. 

These plastic bags are used for smaller trash cans like those in the bathroom or for our wet clothes when we go to the beach. It can even be used to carry the food mentioned above! 

I even kept gift bags from my baby shower and birthdays to give away used clothing and baby supplies that my son outgrew. We try to reuse these different bags at least one more time before throwing it away. 

7. Save Takeout Utensils and Condiments

When ordering takeout or drive through, we often end up with extra utensils and condiments. I try not to get more than I need to reduce plastic waste. However, even if we didn’t ask for them, restaurants tend to pack them in our to-go bags. 

Instead of throwing them away, I usually keep these. I leave takeout utensils and napkins at work and in our car in case we need them while eating on the go. 

I keep condiment packets like ketchup and soy sauce at work or pack them with my lunch. They’re even useful in a pinch when you run out and can’t go to the store. 

We keep a small bowl on top of the microwave for these utensils and condiments so we make sure to use it up and not let it go to waste.

8. Lengthen the Life of Household Products

When we’re at the last few drops of a product, we usually add some water to extend its use. We usually do this for dish soap, laundry soap, facewash, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. 

Add a few tablespoons of water in the container, shake it, then use the product as you normally do. Do not add too much water that you fully dilute the product. You just want to add enough that you can use up whatever’s left in the container. 

I also add some water to pasta containers or canned sauces to get those last few bits that you can’t easily get with a spoon. If the container can’t be covered, such as an open can, I use a spatula to whisk the water and sauce inside the can so I can the sauce in the little corners.

For things like lotion or toothpaste where you can’t add water, I usually use scissors to cut it open so I can reach in and get whatever’s left in the container. You won’t believe how much lotion is left in a container that the pump can’t reach. 

9. DIY 

The last Filipino hack that I have for you to save money is to DIY as much as possible. Learn how to cook, grow your old food, change the oil in your car, sew, craft, and fix household items and applicants. 

You’ll save money when you don’t have to pay others to fix these for you and you’ll also save money (and the environment) by extending the life of the products you have instead of buying new items. 

For example, instead of buying rags to clean your car or kitchen, you can repurpose old shirts by cutting them up into small pieces. You can throw it away once it starts to break down. 

To start you off, you sign up for a subscription via CrateJoy to learn to sew, knit or crochet, or even DIY your own skincare products. Once you master the basics, you can expand to DIY-ing your own products at home to save money. 

10. Tabo for Cleaning

You can find a tabo in almost every Filipino bathroom. Typically made of plastic, a tabo is basically a large ladle that you use to clean yourself after using the bathroom or when showering. You can also use it to flush the toilet if you do it correctly. 

I was surprised to find that Amazon sells tabo online. However, you can find something similar at your local dollar store so I personally wouldn’t pay more than $2 for it. If this is out of your comfort zone, you could always get a bidet that gets the same job done. 

A tabo helps to reduce the amount of water you waste when flushing toilets and taking baths. According to the WaterCalculator.org, an average bath uses 35-50 gallons of water while a 10-minute shower with a low-flow showerhead uses only 25 gallons. 

There is currently no data for tabo use but it’s pretty easy to calculate. If one tabo equals one liter and you scoop up water 10 times, you’ll still only use up 2.64 gallons when you shower. 

Using a tabo also reduces the amount of toilet paper used in a home. These savings can really add up over time for your pocket and for the environment. 

11. Hang Wash Clothes

Even if we have dryers, many of us Filipinos prefer to hang dry their clothes as much as possible. It helps clothes last longer and it’s eco-friendly. It’s pretty much summer all year round in Honolulu so our clothes dry within a day or so. 

We usually hang out clothes on hangers so it’s easy to put them straight in the closet. For small pieces like underwear, handkerchiefs, and socks, we use a foldable clip hanger. It has 26 clips so it can accommodate a lot of clothes. 

If you have a small place, you can even get a simple, foldable drying rack where you can hang delicate pieces that you don’t want to throw in the dryer. 

To be even more eco-friendly, we’ve been buying ECOS liquid laundry detergent because it’s biodegradable and safe for baby’s skin but it also removes stains while keeping our clothes soft and clean. 

Save Money and Save the Environment

Filipinos are creative in saving money but I never realized that a lot of the frugal hacks we have are also good for the environment. Take the time to incorporate at least one of these tips and see how much money you save. If anything, you’ll do your part to help the environment. 

Do you have any other frugal eco-friendly hacks that you use to save money? Comment below!

Related Money-Saving Articles

• 7 Ways to Reduce Food Waste at Home
• 10 Ways to Save Money on Groceries
• De-Stress Your Closet and Shop for Less

After years of wondering why I was broke so quickly after payday, I realized that I needed to organize my finances especially as my student loan statements and bills started to pile up. I tried different methods and it took me several months to find a system that worked for me. I also changed my payment deadlines to align with my working budget. Then, when my husband and I married in 2015, it took us over a year to consolidate our finances.

Creating a family budget helped us to gain a better picture of our finances. Starting a budget is not fun but it is a necessary tool to help you and your family keep track of expenses, save money, and plan for the future. Here are five simple steps to help you start a budget:

Figure out how much money you’re making

Look at your pay statements. The amount titled “net pay” is what you have after taxes and deductions (work sponsored health benefits, retirement, etc.) have been subtracted. This is what is deposited in your bank account if you have direct deposit or is paid to you as a check. This is the amount that you will use to build your budget.

You must then figure out how often you get paid: weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc. If you have an irregular salary or pay date, get an average of your total salary for the past 6-12 months. In addition, you have multiple sources of income (ex: if you are married and/or work multiple jobs), then use the total amount of all income to begin your/your family’s budget. For example,

Determine your fixed expenses

Make a list of expenses that have a fixed deadline every month. These include rent, car payments, insurance, utilities, phone, and all debt (credit card, student loans, etc). In one column, list your expenses. In the second column, write down the monthly deadline to pay.  List your expenses in the order of due dates so you can easily see what needs to be paid next.

You could also write down the total amount of debt you owe in a third column so you can see how much more you have to pay down. My spreadsheet has changed so much over time. It’s up to you and your family as to how your information is organized. The important thing is to write everything down so you can check off what has been paid and what hasn’t by the end of the month. 

List discretionary expenses

Write down your average monthly expenses for discretionary expenses. These include food, gas, entertainment, books (if you are a student), subscriptions (ex: Netflix), gym membership, etc. Look at your old bank statements or receipts to figure out how much you spend on these categories.

This is also the area that you will play around with the most to balance your budget. In addition, you should include expenses that occur irregularly like car registration so you can anticipate the payment

If you need help cutting back in this area, check out my post on saving money on groceries, clothes, and eating out.

Look at the bottom line

Calculate the total amount of your income minus the total amount of your fixed and discretionary expenses. This will give you your balance. If you have leftover money, that’s great! You can put it towards paying down debt, savings or another financial goal.

If you come up with a negative number, then you need to adjust your income or expenses so that you can have a balanced budget. For example, you may need to earn more income by getting a second job. You could also cut back on your discretionary expenses such as entertainment or limit eating out to once a week.

In addition, you can reduce your fixed expenses by exploring different options to lower your bills. Some of these include: getting a cheaper phone plan, consolidating your student loans, and finding cheaper life insurance or health care plans (just make sure you don’t cut costs by cutting important benefits you may need!).

Set goals

Setting goals is an important part of creating a budget. Some short-term goals could include paying down your car loan or saving up for a down payment on a house. You must also have an immediate goal of saving up for an emergency fund of 3-6 months’ worth of income.

You shouldn’t just think that your income is just to pay for your day-to-day living expenses. Set up your budget in a way that will help you realize your dreams, such as traveling or starting a business, even on a limited income.

Starting a budget will take some time and work but having a budget will give you a clear picture of your current finances to help you plan for a future that you’ve always wanted.

“Since when did we become Whole Foods people?” I’ve asked this of my husband every other time we go to Whole Foods. It’s hard to believe that people like us can shop here when we have such a limited grocery budget. I’m also amazed because we live in Hawaii where the cost of living is high, which means Whole Foods was not a place we ever did our shopping.

Recently, we realized that we save more money shopping here than we do at our regular grocery stores! How is this possible, you may ask? Here are some ways we shop at Whole Foods on a budget: 

Amazon Prime

If you have Amazon Prime, you get an extra 10% off sale items with the yellow signs. There are also weekly deals that only apply to prime members. These sales have blue signs and are up to 50% off. To get these deals, download the Whole Foods app and sign-in with your Amazon account. Then, show the QR code on the app at checkout for these savings to apply your purchase. Amazon Prime is the main reason why we can afford to shop at Whole Foods. We’ve found some great prices on beef and chicken that beat the cost at our regular grocery stores and warehouses. Because of these, we usually buy in bulk to put in our freezer for later use.

Some of our favorite Whole Foods haul include:

Sign up for Amazon prime via my affiliate link here!

Hot Bar

We only buy two things at the hot bar: brisket and wings. The hot bar is $11.99/lb which is much cheaper than our favorite BBQ places on the island which cost $11-13 for ½ lb of brisket. For chicken wings, we usually wait for it to be on sale. Recently, we’ve seen it at $3.99/lb, which is a steal for an affordable and quick dinner from Whole Foods.

Read the Circular

Because most products at Whole Foods are out of our price range, I take care to check the weekly circular to see what’s on sale. I’ve signed up for their weekly circular via email so I can easily see what to buy. It takes me no more than 15 minutes to scan the ad and determine our grocery list. Sticking to this grocery list helps us spend less money at Whole Foods because we come in shopping for what we need versus what we want.  

In-Store Brand

We usually buy the in-store brand 365 Everyday Value because of the price. These products are the most affordable products at Whole Foods. It’s just as good as name-brand products and you can find a lot of organic items like pasta, beans, and carrots.

Read more about saving money on food: 10 Ways to Save Money on Groceries.

Pizza

I love Whole Foods pizza. I always thought it was too expensive for us but it’s actually affordable. You can buy two huge slices for $7 or get a whole pizza for around $14-18. It’s just as big as Costco or Sam’s Club pizza but with a better selection of healthy toppings. One way to afford their whole pizza is to snag the $8 cheese pizza deal on Thursdays but note that this is only for Amazon prime members.

Another way to get a good deal on their pizza is to check out their in-store specials. They sometimes have two pizzas on sale for $26 or specials on specific types of pizzas. I got a whole BBQ chicken pizza for $14 last month and I was able to make half of it vegan.

Bring Your Own Grocery Bags

If you bring your own bag, Whole Foods will give you $0.15 back. It’s not much but it’s environmentally friendly and you don’t have to pay for a bag every time you shop. 

Get some cool reusable grocery bags here!

Ibotta Rebate App

After I shop at Whole Foods, I submit my receipt to Ibotta to earn cashback on my groceries. Ibotta is such an easy app to use. You just have to find your store, look for coupons for the things you plan to buy, go shopping, then submit the receipts on the app. You can use Ibotta to earn cashback online and at other retailers like Times Supermarket, Costco, and Target.

Sign up for Ibotta using my referral link here (use the code: toxripl)!

I’m glad that we can afford Whole Foods because we can now eat organic food without costing us a pair of shoes. It’s helping us develop healthier eating habits for ourselves and our son.

Comment below if you have other tips that help you shop at Whole Foods when on a budget. 

A couple of years ago, I read an article from Business Insider about Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg wearing practically the same clothes everyday because they have bigger things to worry about than making decisions about clothes. There was also another article about Matilda Kahl, an art director, who wears the exact same shirt and pants to work. She says it saves her time and energy that she could put towards making creative decisions.

Wearing the same clothes everyday resonated with me because, even though I don’t wear the same thing everyday, I’ve been sticking to the same set of outfits to work, church, and home. I’m not a morning person and I’m usually rushing to work so I hate stressing over what top matches what skirt or pants in the morning. By having the same set of outfits to choose from, I don’t spend more than 5 minutes figuring out what to wear. 

On the other hand, when I was in college, I used to go shopping every week and bought a lot of clothes and random items that I sometimes never used. I loved going to sales and getting what I thought were good deals. I also had Old Navy and Macy’s credit cards, which I used online and in-store, but eventually paid down and closed. 

In the last few years, as we’ve been fixing our finances, I’ve become more picky about what I buy for our family. I have specific guidelines for us when we go shopping for clothes: 

1. Try not to spend more than $10-15 for any one item of clothing except for shoes because it depends on the shoes we need to replace.
2. The clothing should have at least more than one use: church, work, casual, etc.
3. It has to be relatively wrinkle free (I suck at ironing!), sturdy (no dry-cleaning, hand washing only, etc) and fits well (I do sit test: If I sit down and the dress or skirt doesn’t cover my knees, I don’t buy it.)
4. Just because it is cheap, it does not mean we should buy it. (Side note: we once found a pair of size 11 dress shoes at Aldo for $3. It was way too big for my husband but we bought it for a friend of ours who we knew he could use it.)
5. For my clothing: It has to be modest. This is due to my own personal style. I want dresses at the knee or longer. I avoid cleavage and visibly see-through clothing. I also don’t wear tight-fitting clothing, clothes with visible brands, and I don’t generally don’t get anything sleeveless. 

 These rules help me save money on clothes not just by sticking to a budget but also by buying only what we need, what we truly want to wear, and what fits right. 

I am also trying (trying so hard!) to be more of a minimalist so, every few months, I look at our closet to see what clothes and items we aren’t using or have outgrown to donate,  give away, or sell.

Check out my closet on Poshmark! If you use my code cherryl808, you can save $10!

When I have time, I drop my donations off at Savers where I can get a discount card for donating. I usually get about 20-30% off my next purchase. While there, I briefly look at their racks. I usually look for dresses for me and button up shirts for my husband.

I have found a couple of nice dresses and shirts for both of us that are under $10 and the discount from our donations lowers our cost even more. I know a lot of people say that they can’t find anything when they thrift shop because it’s really a hit or miss. However, I don’t come to Savers expecting to find anything and I spend no more than 30 minutes looking around. If I find something, it’s usually a great find.

If I don’t, then it’s ok. I can use the discount card later. I know some people might find it gross to shop here but, if you look closely, you can find clothes with the tags still on and some that barely look used. I also make sure to wash our clothes after purchasing. I just love that we are recycling clothes and helping the environment by doing this. 

My go-to store for clothing is Ross because this is where I can meet most of my shopping parameters. I try to look for pink price stickers because this usually means that the price was reduced. I’ve found a skirt for $2, several flats between $2-$8, and dresses under $10.

Just because Ross is a cheap place to buy clothes, it doesn’t mean that they lack in quality. A lot of my clothing and shoes have lasted for several years without fade or tear. Most recently, I’ve been shopping for clothes via Facebook marketplace. I found a bunch of new (with tags!) or gently used Lularoe dresses for $5-8! 

The funny thing is my favorite place to get clothes from is from my sister. I inherit hand-me-up’s (she’s my little sister!) dresses, tops, shoes, etc from her about once a year. We are about the same size and she has an amazing style, so I get excited when she says she has clothes to give me that she doesn’t use.

I was actually inspired to write this post because I had so many people asking me where I got all of my dresses, and I’m proud to say I got it from her. Because my nephews are a couple of years older than my son, she also sends me a lot of their old clothes and shoes. This has saved me a lot of money since my son outgrows his clothes every couple of months!

We do buy clothes for my son, mostly for special occasions at church, but the bulk of his clothing are hand-me-downs. Once he outgrows them, I try to give them to friends who are expecting or who have babies younger than my son, sell it on Rhea Lana, or donate it.

I eventually want to learn how to sew so I make our clothes fit better and fix our favorite pieces without paying for alterations. I can do basic sewing, but you don’t want to look under the clothes or you’ll see my ugly patchwork! In addition, there are a couple of pieces of clothing that I’ve held onto for years that haven’t fit but I can’t let go.

If you are like me, it will take you some time to clean up your closet, let go of your favorite unused clothing, and fix your shopping habits but it is definitely worth the savings in time, energy, and money.

How do you de-stress your closet and save money on clothes?

The cost of higher education is rising every year leaving many students in debt before they begin their first job. First-generation students, like me, enter college without learning how to balance a budget, manage finances, and save money. Looking back, I made a lot of poor financial decisions that added to the amount of debt I accumulated after college.

Some of the financial mistakes I wish I didn’t make in college include:

1. Unnecessary Spending

I had two cars during my college years (one was totaled in an accident). I needed a car but I didn’t need to get an expensive and gas guzzler car. My car also came with additional expenses I didn’t expect like car insurance, registration, gas, and parking.

Other things I bought that I now regretted include a TV, an organ, and a bunch of random items that I don’t even remember getting. When first moved to Hawaii for college, I brought two luggage and one box. When I graduated, I had 10+ boxes of random stuff not including all the appliances I accumulated.

Part of the reason why I spent so much is that I didn’t have a limited budget compared to when I was in high school. This led me to become a bit of a shopaholic. This habit stopped after a few years and I rarely buy on impulse anymore but all these expenses have definitely added to my debt today.

2. Went to an Out-of-State University

I had to worry about living expenses, health insurance, housing, and transportation especially during the summer. I would’ve saved thousands of dollars in housing and tuition staying at a college close to home but I wanted to live somewhere else. Unfortunately, I did not think about how much money I needed to stay here until I actually got here.

Thinking back on this, I wish I attended community college for my first two years than transferred to the university since classes were smaller and tuition was lower.

3. Changed my Major Multiple Times

It is ok to be undecided for a semester or two while you are trying to figure out what you want as a career. After all, college is about figuring out who you are. However, there comes a point when you are spending too much time and money deciding your major and future career.

I changed my major at least 4 times in college. There were a lot of courses that I spent a lot of time and money on because I was pursuing various fields I thought I was interested in.

Fortunately for me, I had a great academic advisor. She made sure I was completing the other general education requirements while I was exploring my options so that I still graduated in four years.

4. Did Not Take Advantage of Free On-Campus Resources

One year, I got a 24-hour Fitness gym membership even though there was free use of the gym on campus. There were also free workshops, tutoring, and resources I didn’t use that could’ve helped me with my schoolwork.

All the academic and student support was there for me but I only used about 10% of it. In addition, I didn’t take advantage of the career center until a month after I graduated!

5. Got Additional Debt

For the summer, I applied and received additional student loans to help me pay for summer school and housing instead of applying for scholarships or going back home. I didn’t need to stay in Hawaii but I wanted to. I also got a credit card to help me pay for my living expenses for a summer study abroad program.

Because of this, I actually accumulated more debt during my summer semesters than during the regular semesters! I did not do a good job of budgeting for my summer expenses.

6. Did Not Actively Apply to Additional Scholarships While in School

I knew I needed more money but I didn’t seek out more funding during my college career. During my first few semesters, I applied to a couple of scholarships but when I didn’t get it, I just gave up. I resigned myself to applying for more loans thinking that it would be easy to pay off later.

This was a big financial mistake as I was leaving money on the table. I didn’t think about how it would affect the future me.

7. Did Not Take Advantage of Internships or Other Career Opportunities Early on

During my four years of college, I was only concentrating on the academic and social parts of higher education. I didn’t think to start on internships or jobs related to my major until my senior year of college. I didn’t have much on my resume so I was scrambling to find things to do just for my resume.

Looking back, I was actually a poor candidate for the job market especially after the 2009 recession. I knew several people who did not find jobs in their career (or didn’t find any job at all!) after 6 months – 1 year after graduation. Only through the help of the career center was I able market my skills and experiences that I got a job two months after graduation.

Despite the high cost, college is important because it significantly raises your earning potential over your lifetime. The experiences and relationships I’ve gained have also had a large impact on who I am today. However, students should be strategic in how they spend their money and do their best to avoid loans and overspending. I’m glad I took advantage of one of my job’s benefits and later got a master’s degree for free.

I wish I didn’t make these financial mistakes in college because it’s going to stay with me and my family for a long time. Hopefully, many of you will learn from my experience so that you can graduate and achieve your dreams without debt holding you down.

Share this post if you’ve experienced the same financial mistakes in college.

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