Feeling overwhelmed? Do your student loans seem like an insurmountable hill of debt? You're obviously not alone. Many young professional 20-and-30-somethings are in the same boat as you. I was like you, once! I'm here to tell you how, through a few budgeting tweaks, diligent financial decisions, and a winning Powerball lottery ticket, you, too, can be living comfortably with no debt and $400 million in savings.
Start Making Your Own Coffee
I enjoy a fancy coffee drink lovingly prepared by a barista as much as the next guy, but let's face it: these coffees can add up. If you're getting a cup once or twice a day, that winds up being a pretty penny by the end of the week, sometimes. Brewing your own coffee at home is much cheaper than that fancy latte shop around the corner, and it can be delicious, too! Finding a tasty new roast for home can be easy after a bit of research, and soon you'll be having professional-grade cups of joe from the comfort of your own home. You'll also be able to impress local news reporters with your delicious coffee when they come to your home to interview you about your lottery Jackpot winnings!
Make Your Savings “Automatic”
We live in an era of smartphone financial apps that can make many of our smart decision for us. You have your bank “round up” the change from each purchase you make to the nearest dollar and automatically send it into an investment account. You won't even feel as if you're tightening your belt. It will pretty quickly add up to a respectable sum that will be a nice “icing on the cake” to the big-time cha-ching moolah you'll be raking in when you hit the numbers.
Downsize Your Living Space
Having a lot of living space can be comfortable, sure, but if you're living in a trendy area, each square foot adds and more and more to the price you're paying every month. If you scale back how much space you feel you need to live you'll be surprised at how little space you truly need. With the money you save, you'll be able to afford much larger and nicer living quarters down the line. It's a momentary trade-off, but your thriftiness will eventually give you plenty of space to frame the enormous cardboard novelty check the lottery commission will give you for winning.
Cut Back on Impulse Purchases
We're all guilty of spending money on things we truly don't need. In my younger, more financially irresponsible years, I would often find myself taking a double dose of Ambien and spending two-weeks' pay on Bed Bath and Beyond's website. When you find yourself “checking out” online, simply ask yourself a few questions to make sure this purchase is really necessary. “Will this cotton candy machine make me happier?” “Do I have counter space for this?” or “Do I even LIKE cotton candy?” Simple questions such as these can keep your spending in check and leave you with much more reasonable credit card bills that you can pay off once your hacho-macho mega lotto loot comes rolling in.
Keep Your Social Circle Small
There's nothing more valuable in life than friendship, but each close friend you have can end up being a liability. Keeping your circle small will significantly cut down how much you're tempted to spend on gifts for birthdays and holidays. You won't have as many people asking you to meet up for a meal at a restaurant, which is a frivolous expenditure each time. Trimming your friend group will deepen your friendships with those who “made the cut.” It will also significantly cut down on the number of snakes who have the audacity to ask you for a handout once they see you in the paper for your lottery fortune. Truly pathetic.
Buy a Powerball Ticket with the Winning Numbers 7, 13, 52, 53 and 60 with the Powerball 02
No excuses. It worked for me.