Ballin’ On A Budget: How To Have a Hot Girl Summer For Less

It’s that time of year. The time when the weather warms up, our shorts get shorter, and the beach calls our name. Yes, it’s summertime. This summer has been the hot girl summer to end all hot girl summers- and it isn’t over yet.

Maybe this summer you gotta ball on a budget. Well, don’t worry, because we’ve got you. Your hot girl summer doesn’t have to be out of reach! There are a million ways to beach-ball on a budget without breaking the bank. Like, for example, heading to Wendy’s®. Right now, you can get a Wendy’s BOGO $1 special on select menu items. Now through September 5th, buy 10-piece Spicy Nuggets or Crispy Nuggets, a Spicy Chicken Sandwich, a Classic Chicken Sandwich, or Dave’s Single® and get another one of these items for $1.

For other money-saving tips, here’s some sage advice handed down from friends. Check out all of the ways you can have an affordable hot girl summer below!

1. “Wait to buy something. Impulse buying is the worst. If tomorrow you’re still thinking about it, get it…If it’s still available…lol.”

Here’s a hack: when you really want to buy something that you hadn’t planned on buying, write down how much the item would’ve cost in your note-taking app. At the end of the month, add up all the money you would have otherwise spent on all your impulse buys and transfer that amount to a bank account. That way, you’ll still get the dopamine hit of spending money, but you’ll be paying yourself!

2. “Buy clothes on the clearance rack. End of season sale.”

It can be tempting to buy the newest, trendiest clothes from the hippest stores. But let’s be honest, those costs add up. And when it comes to trendy clothes, they’ll already be out of style by the time the fall rolls around. Instead, head to the clearance rack to buy timeless clothing staples that never go out of style. Or, better yet, a thrift store. Thrift store shoppers often save 50 to 80% of the money they would’ve otherwise spent!

3. “Make a budget, there are some spreadsheet templates that can really help.”

In this day and age, there’s no excuse for not having a budget anymore. Between the various budgeting apps and the endless amounts of readily available budget templates online, creating the perfect budget for you is only a click away.

4. Get that insurance discount if you can!

Have you been able to give your car a little break while working desde casa? If yes, have you looked into lowering your insurance rate? Tons of insurance companies are giving pretty nice reductions to insurance rates because of the decrease in mileage we’re putting on our vehicles. So, if you haven’t looked into this. LOOK INTO THIS. Those savings can definitely help increase your “hot girl summer” funds.

5. “Use the 50/30/20 method. So out of your paycheck, 50% goes to necessities, 30% goes to ‘discretionary’ expenses, and 20% goes to savings”

This piece of advice is genius. To make things easier, call your bank and ask to set up a percentage deposit transfer for your direct deposit. That way, every time you get your paycheck, 20% will automatically go to your savings account. If you want to take it a step further, set up separate accounts for your necessity spending and your discretionary spending (i.e. your non-essential spending). Then, you won’t have to think twice about whether you should be spending your money on something or not. Your bank account will tell you!

With all these tips in mind, you’ll be balling on a budget through a hot girl summer you’ll never forget. Just remember to head to Wendy’s so you can cash in their BOGO $1 special. Not only will you get more for your money, but you’ll keep your taste buds happy. After all, a hot girl summer isn’t complete without Spicy Nuggets. And lots of them.