, where they tell you which items to stockpile every month of the year.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\nAs you get older, you may want a more practical car. Credit: Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n8. Find a More Practical (And Affordable) Vehicle<\/span><\/h2>\nDriving a sports car may look cool, and a pickup truck might makes you feel tough. But both of those vehicles are terrible on gas. And you may have chosen a car where the monthly payment eats up a huge chunk of your income. If you want to be practical and save as much money as possible, look into trading in or buying a car with a great MPG and a high safety rating. You may even be in a situation where it is possible to keep <\/span>both<\/span><\/i> vehicles. After all, if you move out, you’ll need that truck anyway, right?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\nShopping at thrift stores can save you a ton of money. Credit: Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n7. Go Shopping at Thrift Stores<\/span><\/h2>\nPeople fall into one of two camps: They either love thrift stores, or feel completely grossed out by the idea of wearing a stranger’s clothes. If you are in the second camp, you really need to give it a chance. A lot of times, people will even give away brand new items, simply because they are moving or don’t want something anymore. You never know what you are going to find. By making it a habit of looking for second-hand items, you will save tons of money overall.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\nIt is important to know your credit score when you get ready to borrow money. Credit: Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n6. Check Out Your Credit Score<\/span><\/h2>\nKnowing your credit score is vital for borrowing money for a car, house, or just about anything else you need to do as an adult. Thankfully, you can get a free credit score at CreditSesame.com. It’s free to sign up, and they even give you email alerts every time there is a change in your credit score. They will also look at your personal credit history and give you custom recommendations tailored to help your specific issues that will increase your score over time.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\nHaving kids can be stressful. Credit: Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n5. Start Planning For Your Future Kids<\/span><\/h2>\nIf you are single, the idea of having kids might seem like it’s in the far-off-distant future. But time will pass quickly, and before you know it, you just might find yourself getting ready to have a baby. Even if you are not married yet, start to calculate your current income, and ask yourself the following questions; Are you ready to have kids? If not now, when? Simply thinking about the process is going to help get you prepared, and the closer you get to 30, you should feel more and more comfortable about the idea.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\nPlenty of people in their 20’s are working multiple jobs. Credit: Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n4. Start a Side Hustle<\/span><\/h2>\nAccording to Experian, 50% of Millennials had some form of a “side hustle” in 2018. Are you one of them? In today’s economy, it is almost completely necessary for us to have more than one job, because one simply isn’t paying the bills. In a lot of ways, having multiple side-hustles is a good thing, because it helps to diversity our skill set. Your career may end up going in a completely different direction. If you have not taken on a second job, you should consider doing so.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\nCall to negotiate your bills. Credit: Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n3. Negotiate For Lower Bill Payments<\/span><\/h2>\nIf you want to pay less money, why not negotiate for a lower bill payment? You will not be able to negotiate with every single company, but there are some that are willing to work with you. For example, your cable and internet company are always trying to compete with one another for business. If you call and talk to a customer service representative, ask for their “Customer Retention Department.” It is their entire job to help negotiate bills with you in order to keep you from going with a competitor. It is best to come prepared with an ad from a rival company. In most cases, these departments will be willing to match what the other company is offering just to keep you as their customer. Through one simple phone call you can save this tremendous amount of money.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\nSocial media might pressure you to spend money. Credit: Shutterstock<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n2. Ignore Toxic Social Media<\/span><\/h2>\nThe more we scroll through Instagram, the more we feel obligated to go out and buy something expensive. It has a marvelous way of making us feel poor by comparison to other people. So many companies realize that it’s true, and they spend thousands of dollars sending free products and paying influencers for ads, because they know it helps sell their products. If you are looking at social media, and you constantly feel it’s a trigger to spend more money, start to unfollow the accounts that make you feel this way. You’ll thank me later.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n