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For me, trying to save money was a joke. My paycheck was gone before it was even deposited. The minimum payments on my credit card and student loans were so high, I considered slanging rocks just to keep the collectors off my back. I was penny pinching so hard back then, I would try to live off of a single $5 Fresh-n-Ready pizza for two weeks. But even with my money funny, I would still somehow convince myself I could afford the same $300 strappy sandals that Rihanna was caught wearing to the weed dispensary. With my cash flow situation in a dire state, I knew I needed to make a big change. So I checked out the new Moven app, which helped me get my shit together and kept me from snatching purses in Times Square.
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Rent
For broke people, the end of the month is the worst—especially in New York City. I could never afford to do anything two weeks before the first of the month except eat Ramen noodles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then I would usually still end up being at least $200 short because I’d finally give in to a girl’s night or fancy free-range fish tacos at a trendy restaurant in Brooklyn. My life was a never-ending cycle of self-loathing and overdraft fees.
Moven is helping me make smarter choices. With Moven, when my rent is due, I can be sure I have enough scratch in my account. Their tools let me know when I need to stay away from the fancy cocktails and stick to the beer and shot deals. Since it works in real-time, I can know right away if I fucked up.
Friends
Having friends is expensive. Someone is always having a birthday party or wants to catch up over pricey-ass drinks. My circle of friends thinks it’s a great idea to buy each other gifts for holidays and I can’t be the one asshole who doesn’t contribute. Every time a special occasion comes around, I can’t afford to eat for like a week. I once spent $20 on Hello Kitty paraphernalia and couldn’t pay to keep my phone on.
The worst was when my friends wanted to come to New York City and visit me. It was a real bitch on my bank account. I actually felt bad for my friends, because I couldn’t show them half of the cool things that I should have. The park down my street and the homeless lady on the corner were sadly the highlights of their stay.
Moven links to my Facebook and tracks my upcoming events, this way I’m not blindsided by those damn parties and presents. It also tracks how my social events affect my spending, so when my guests come, I can at least have enough cash to take them to a restaurant with at least a C rating.
Vacation
Yeah, right. I used to rely on my parents to take me on vacation with them because I couldn’t afford to go anywhere on my own. I usually got served virgin drinks because a 23-year-old woman doesn’t go on vacation with her mommy and daddy. Many of my friends, who are able to save their money, have been across the world by now. I couldn’t even pay for a one-way Megabus ticket.
Since Moven tracks my money, I am hoping I can start saving for a real trip like the ones real adults take with booze and regrettable one-night stands and kidnappings.
Emergency Expenses
When you are broke, every expense is an emergency. I had to walk around with a cracked iPhone screen for five months before I could afford to get it fixed, cutting my fingers on frayed shards of glass every time I tried to check the weather. When I finally replaced it, I couldn’t purchase the insurance to protect it for next time. Until Moven, I was treating my iPhone like those eggs they give you for a week in sex education class to simulate how fragile babies are and dissuade you from boning.
Having Moven helped me with my spending by not only making me more responsible, but by cutting down on my anxiety attacks over money. There is nothing worse than the feeling you get when you realize you don’t have enough cash to take care of the things that normal people can afford. Luckily, Moven will be at my side to guide me to financial stability… On second thought, as long as there are $300 strappy shoes out there, that might be a tall order. But at least it’ll help.
For more information and to sign up for Moven, go here.