Los Angeles, home of fashion, health and entertainment, is a thriving place to make some money. But sometimes, we need a little extra boost to get that dinero. Here are 10 habits to make every LA girl richer, no matter where you work or how you earn those big bucks.
1. Limit your coffee habit
We know, we know… you ‘can’t even’ without your morning coffee. But seriously, you gotta kick the habit. Not only is your daily habit costing you some serious bucks, but that daily dose of caffeine is actually harming your body. Try to wean yourself off of coffee so that you end up saving money and your health. If going cold turkey is too much, try cutting your Starbucks trips in half by brewing your own joe.
2. Don’t go for the sale rack
Sales are sneaky, dubious tricks devised to take our hard-earned money and put them in the pocket of someone else, making us think ‘OMG, I totally got this great deal!’ True, you received your item at a discounted price, but you end up spending much more money than you plan to meet the discount criteria or just spend money you shouldn’t be spending! Try to avoid the discounts and sales unless you absolutely need an item for your wardrobe or home.
3. Make to-do lists
As humans, we are visual creatures (hence Beyonce’s MIND BLOWING visual album, Lemonade). Creating lists allows us to look at each item we must do that day and tackle it, rather than it getting lost in our big, beautiful brains. A daily to-do list will help you achieve tasks efficiently and earn more money at work or your private business.
4. Give solid time to each activity
Did you know that the brain is actually not capable at multi-tasking? It’s true! According to a study, multitasking doesn’t mean we’re focusing on multiple things, but splitting our brain function making it frantically switch from activity to activity. The result: less success in each activity being juggled. To prove to your boss, your colleagues and yourself that you’re capable of the task at hand, make sure to dedicate a solid amount of time to each activity on its own.
5. Go natural
Instead of spending endless dollars on health and beauty products, just take a quick trip to your kitchen! Household items like baking soda, coconut oil, avocado, berries and honey can be used for a myriad of things, like teeth whitening, moisturizers, conditioners and even make up! Plus, they’re so much better for you than all of those other chemicals.
6. Take care of yourself
One of the things that end up being super costly is taking care of our health. However, we tend to spend much more on our bodies during the aftermath of a serious illness or injury. Exercising, meditating and eating well are free/inexpensive ways to take care of yourself. They will reduce your stress and help avoid any major illnesses you’ll have to pay for later.
7. Read… a lot
Surprisingly, reading will help make you richer, but not the way that you might think. Yes, reading will help you cut down the cost of your cable bill, but reading up on business, history, graphic design or other useful subject will allow you to hone your craft or ability, which will in turn allow you to get a raise, have the guts to ask for a promotion or take the necessary steps to get the money you deserve from your career.
8. Volunteer
Volunteering your time is great for a variety of reasons, one of which is that it keeps you humble and grounded. Not only will volunteering amp up your resume, but spending hours of your time to help causes that need support and financial help will allow you to gain perspective of your own financial priorities. Suddenly, that super-cute top doesn’t seem as important anymore.
9. Hustle
We’re not talking about the kind of hustle you do at your local spin class, although that couldn’t hurt. Hustling means that you might actually have to work three jobs to make your dreams and financial goals happen. In LA, it’s not strange to hear that someone works full time at a typical 9-5 job, part time at some kind of studio and then works on their own business in the evenings. In this competitive world, the only way to gain some edge is to H-U-S-T-L-E!
10. Create some “soul goals”
A ‘soul goal’ is a daily habit that is good for the soul. Sure you need to work super hard to make the dinero (see step 6), but it’s important that you maintain your sanity amidst all of your work. An example of a soul goal is to spend at least 30 minutes outside every day or to make sure you take a relaxing bath once a week. These soul goals will not only give you something to look forward to, but will keep you happy in the hard work world.
What other habits do you practice to get more money in the bank? Share with us some ways that you increase your wallet!
About the Author
Sebrin Elms is a newlywed, travel fanatic, book lover, champagne connoisseur and kitty mama. When she’s not globe-trotting or wearing flower crowns, she’s probably writing on her blog, The Clumsy Traveler.