10 Life Hacks When You're Broke AF

Let me paint you a picture of rock bottom.

I had $17 in my bank account. Rent hadn't been paid for the past two weeks and I was counting down the hours until my next paycheque. I was living on noodles and nicking toilet paper from work. I lost our mailbox key and as I tried to pull out a parcel, someone threatened to call the police. I had to explain that it was my mailbox and that I couldn't afford another one... classic. 

I know what it is like to be broke af. Let's not forget that it could be worse... but I mean, it could be much better.

Here's how I have since steered clear of rock bottom- heck you may be able to even save up some dosh! Yeehaw!

1. Cook your own meals and commit to meal prep

Here's an equation. I go to university 3 days a week and work 4 days a week. That's 7 meals needed a week multiplied by an average of $10 per meal.

That's $70 a week! Even worse, that's $3640 spent in a year! I almost fainted working that out.

I learnt to meal prep which sounds fancy but it's extremely straightforward. Make a lot of pasta, stir fry, curry or salad- whatever floats your boat. Then stick leftovers in lunch boxes and bring them everywhere. Voila!

But don't get me wrong, I love to eat out every now and then. But now that I do it more sparsely, it makes the whole experience that more special.

2. Have a savings account

With that $70 you're saving on meals, chuck it into your savings account!

Savings accounts are perfect for emergencies like if your laptop carks it mid-semester or you need to pay for car rego.

You may also use it to buy festival tickets or afford a road trip around Australia- don't be afraid of splashing your savings to maintain your groovy existence.

3. Become a thrift shop king/queen

Clothing these days is the price of Jesus' tears which doesn't help us broke babes, especially those of us who love buying new, funky outfits. 

I was hesitant by thrift shopping for a while but I am now obsessed. Not only is second-hand shopping great for mother nature, but it's also cheap! Pop to Vinnies and you'll find the grooviest clothing, books and accessories.

My gnarliest fashion scores that get compliments were from op shops- so take that as you will!

4. Find a hustle on the side

I have a fair few hustles on the side. I babysit every now and then, I sometimes perform violin at weddings, I make music videos for bands.

With side hustles, you're meeting new people, mucking around with your creative interests and of course, making dosh!

So maybe start thinking about what you can do in your spare time that may involve earning cash money, baby. Dog walk? Housesitting? Do you have any skills like writing, sewing or video editing?

Get hustling!

5. Don't be a hoarder

You know that shirt you haven't worn in 2 years? Sell it. Those books you'll never read? Sell them. That old camera you don't need? Sell, sell, sell!

Minimalism is in people. It's time to find delight in getting rid of what you don't use and sell them at markets, garage sales and online.

I am a fiend for selling things on Ebay, Facebook Marketplace and Depop. 

6. Leave your car keys at home

Look, I'm over here waiting for the day that we can just teleport to where we need to go. But for now, the harsh reality is that driving can cost you an arm and leg.

Walking is not only good for your bod and the environment, but it's free! Catching public transport will also save you a lot of petrol money in the long run.

7. Find free things to do

Get creative in the broke life! Suss out free gigs, events, parades and movie premieres. 

I, for one, never considered going to a poetry reading or a comedy night but they were both free and I had the best time!

8. Make necessary sacrifices

Every dollar counts. Are you buying 2 coffees a day? Maybe cut down to one. Could you find a cheaper phone plan? Then it's time to switch it up!

Or perhaps you could spend a little less money on alcohol (let's be real).

9. Bum off your mates (or exes) Netflix/Stan accounts

This is how you really save money. Cancel your expensive accounts and just use your mates (or, your exes).

How? Easy. When they're over at yours or theirs, always offer to watch something on your device. Then, just say you forgot your log-in and get them to log-in instead. Heed my warning though, if said person becomes an ex don't be surprised if you get the boot when they realise they never watched Vampire Diaries.

Best case scenario is that you've got a boss friend who doesn't mind sharing. Just ask politely (usually works).

10. Don't sweat it

This is a weird analogy but stay with me here. When I used to play Club Penguin, I was obsessed with playing games to get more money and then be able to afford to pimp my penguin out with the gnarliest outfit. Then my brother showed me a cheat where we could get tonnes of money.

I got bored, everything came easily and I stopped playing. It kind of sounds cliché- that rich people don't have fun. I'm sure they do. But what I'm trying to say is, we get the fun of hustling and getting creative to work around not having a lot of dosh.

We drink cheap wine, enter Instagram giveaways, and try to talk our way into the VIP section at a festival. We laugh at the fact we're overeating way too many two-minute noodles and get excited if we find $2 on the ground. All I'm saying is have some fun with it. Keep your glass half full rather than empty and enjoy the little things.