18 Things That Happen When A Twenty Something Girl Starts Saving

Picture it. You get your first ever real life pay slip as a twenty something, and you feel like you're living that jet set life. You buy everything in sight, and then realise four hours later you forgot to keep the promise of saving. The promise of saving is something you automatically sign yourself up to as soon as you leave uni, and you imagine that within the year you'll have enough to move out of the parents and make it on your own. Alas,the journey is not so simple, so here is what I've learnt from my saving journey so far.


1. Eventhough you're saving for your future, you feel like you're giving your  money away.

2. It can be quite exciting. Watching your savings grow is almost like working on the stock      exchange. At a much slower pace, with much less money.

3. You'll suffer extreme buyers guilt. Yep, even over the necessities of lip balm and gin.


4. But you'll try and lessen the buying blow by using Contactless because it really doesn't feel like money at all. Much like student loans didn't feel like money, and we all know how well we made those suckers last.


5. You look back on your uni days and cringe at the amount of money you could've saved, rather than spending it on Vodka and skater skirts.


6. You seriously start to question why on earth skater skirts were a good investment in the first place.


7. When you hit a saving milestone and feel like you've hit the jackpot, then realise to buy a house you need approximately seven times the amount. 


8. So you think fuck it, I'm off on holiday. But you don't actually, because you'll live with your parents for another ten years to hit that jackpot if you have to.


9. Pasta and pesto becomes your staple dish again. Are you back at uni? No, you've just turned into an absolute tight arse.


10. Bragging about your Capsule Wardrobe to try and justify your lack of wardrobe. 


11. You decide holidays really aren't that great, so you don't need one. Really. Who needs Vitamin D when you live in the sunny British Isles?

12. You cancel Netflix. And Apple Music. And decide there's nothing left to live for.


13. Until your parents step in, the ones who encourage saving, to let you know you've gone a bit too far.


14. You sit down with the parents and realise they know an awful lot about money, and you make a realistic savings plan.


15. You reinstate Netflix and happiness has been restored. 


16. You book that holiday to Stockholm, and perhaps even buy that leather jacket you've had your eye on.


17. You cancel Contactless because that is actually a very sensible thing to do. Honestly, look at your bank account and you just might scream on the tube at the amount you pay Contactless. Scary invention alert.


18. You'll return to your stock market with a fresh outlook, and even with the little indulgences your savings are still in check.

Congratulations, you're now older and wiser, even if you did have to slap yourself around the face when you started thinking about those Russell and Bromley shoes.