About

Welcome to The Social Saver! My name is Gaby and I am a twenty-something real estate agent living in Southern California. The purpose of this blog will be to help young people manage their money in a more efficient way and learn to still have fun on a budget.

As a recent college graduate with mounding school loan debt, I was finding it hard to stay on a budget, while still enjoying being young and social and going out with friends. Believe it or not, there is a way to balance out being frugal with having a good time - it just takes a little bit of planning.

Most of the money saving blogs out there are from the perspectives of mothers - nothing wrong with that, but a little hard to relate to. Obviously most of us are not buying groceries for a family of 5 and don't have to account for diapers or formula in our budget, but that doesn't mean we can't cut down what we spend on our grocery bill or take advantage of restaurant deals when we go out to dinner.

Here are some of the things I'd like to cover in the future:
  • Using Coupons Will Not Cramp Your Style - Yes, I used to be one of those people who thought that coupons were for people who had nothing better to do with their time. But once I got off that high horse and decided to give it a try, I was shocked to know I had been throwing my money away. What if I told you you never had to spend money on toothpaste, shampoo, and other toiletries ever again and you could save 60% on groceries every week? (Believe me, I'd rather spend that extra $10 I saved on happy hour anyway...)

  • Speaking of Happy Hour... - You're going to go out with your friends for a drink anyway, why not get it half off? There are plenty of places that are starting to extend their happy hours until 8 or 9PM and a lot of the national chain bar & grills do a late night happy hour from either 9 or 10 until close.

  • Save for Fun - Want to do something fun? Awesome. Just make sure you can pay for it first. There is no bigger buzz kill than going on a Vegas trip and then realizing once you get back that you're $500 in credit card debt because of it. Set goals for yourself. You'd be surprised how much you'd be able to save up if you have a "fun fund" set up.

  • You're Not A Hermit If You Stay In - Just invite a few friends over for some dinner if you can't swing a night out. I've recently become more adventurous in the kitchen and will be sharing some new and easy recipes here (or maybe end up sharing some disaster stories). Gourmet meals aren't necessary, just a simple meal to share with friends. And, if you're not culinary inclined, there's always $5 Little Caeser's Pizza paired with some 2 buck chuck from Trader Joe's ;)
I don't consider myself an expert on any of these subjects - just figured I'd share what has worked for me in the past and hopefully you can take away something from it.

I'd also like input on what you'd like to see on here because, after all, this is a learning experience for all of us. The most important thing to remember is that a small budget shouldn't stop you from living your life and having fun!

Got a question or want to see something covered here on the blog? Write me at thesocialsaver@gmail.com