How To: Survive Teenagehood

11/ It's Not A Bargain If You Have To Justify Buying It

Money makes the world go round. That is the very sad truth, and money has been the cause of a majority of the world's problems today. As a teenager, the money we receive can either be from our guardians or from a job. But sometimes what we do with this money isn't exactly productive.

I have made multiple impulsive buys with my money that I've regretted almost immediately, like spending £40 on a huge book buy from Abebooks (great secondhand book website) where I bought more books than I need right now. Or spending £10 on a notebook -a freaking notebook- at Urban Outfitters.

There are so many things in the world to buy, so many useless things, which we feel compelled to buy. Sometimes we buy things because everyone else has one, or just because in that moment we feel like it's the only thing we could ever need in life. I know I justify a lot of my buys by saying that it's a 'bargain'. If you have to justify buying something by saying that it's a 'bargain' then it isn't worth buying.

Since getting a debit card I've found I've bought less because instead of carrying banknotes and coins around, which I find are easily spendable, I have this plastic card which takes a lot more effort and therefore a lot more thought when making a purchase. As well as this, I've found shops that won't break my bank balance if I buy from them and learnt to pace myself.

Another way to budget your money is to find something to save up for that I you really want because that way you are less likely to blow all your money. For me, I'm saving up for the festivals I'm going to in summer because I'm paying for them all by myself so I need money for tents, food etc.

So rule eleven of surviving Teenagehood: save your money for food, that way you'll forever be happy.