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By: Anika Thakkar, 15 , NYC USA. //
I have always been taught to save money wherever I can, whether it is taking lunch from home or finding the best price for an item that I want to buy online. Having lived in two big cities, Chicago and New York, I constantly walk past and drive by stores, billboards, restaurants,shops, etc. In Manhattan, there are entire areas meant for shopping. When people think of New York City, they think of eating, drinking, shopping and having experiences. But what they fail to notice are the advertisements for products that pressure and convince us to buy things. This makes budgeting difficult, particularly in this consumer-driven world. On top of this, as teens, we are more inclined to spend money on things that we want and not that we need, as Kriti said in her episode called “The Advertising Cult.” Despite these setbacks, there are still ways to save money while getting the best out of your experiences. Some ways that my family and I save include eating out less (maybe cooking at home and trying a new recipe), making sure to look for promo codes or sales for buying clothes online, reducing unnecessary use of AC or heat, reusing bags and containers, and buying groceries in bulk. Though we don’t always stick to these guidelines and go the easy/convenient route (like ordering pizza), learning about saving and how to value our possessions will benefit in the future. Budgeting is especially crucial during these unstable economic times during the covid-19 pandemic, so we have to be focused on being thoughtful and conservative with our spending more than ever before. Maybe you can try creating a budget for yourself this month!
