How To Live Below Your Means This Spring, According to Frugal Living YouTuber Kate Kaden
Written by
Catherine Collins
Edited by
Susan Kim
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Kate Kaden is a frugal living expert who has over 50,000 subscribers on YouTube. She regularly posts videos helping her viewers manage their money and live more fulfilling lives. She is a single mom with one son and lives in the Portland, Maine area. She is dedicated to teaching others how she budgets and how to develop frugal habits.
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Some of Kaden’s recent videos include instructions on how to live on a tight budget, tips to live below your means, and how to create a budget that actually works. Some of her videos are extremely popular, garnering thousands of views.
Just recently, for the third year in a row, Kaden posted a video on how to save money during the spring. Each season is slightly different and has different costs associated with it. So, Kaden offers three new and innovative tips that can help people manage their finances better, especially as the seasons get warmer. Here are some examples.
Use Proper Food Storage
Kaden explains that we all spend our hard earned money on food these days. Inflation has made everyday items, like groceries, so much more expensive. So, the last thing any of us need is to have to throw away food due to pests.
Kaden explains that last year during the spring, ants invaded her kitchen and she had to throw a lot of food away. Her son even popped into the video to say that he was also sad they had to throw food away last year!
She explains to her viewers that ants are attracted to crumbs, so this year, she is trying to make sure her kitchen is completely free of them.
She also uses airtight containers for items like her cereal and dry cat food. The airtight containers keep food fresh and prevent ants from ruining it. She recommends that to prevent having to throw away food during the spring her viewers also invest in a couple of airtight containers, especially for frequently used food like cereal that people leave out on the counter.
Take Hot Girl Walks
Another one of Kaden’s spring saving money tips actually doubles as a fitness tip. She recommends taking a “hot girl walk.”
Hot girl walks have become popular on social media. Kaden quotes a creator named Mia Lind, who recently explained what a hot girl walk was on CNN. Essentially, a hot girl walk is a mindfulness walk. While you’re walking, think about your goals, what you’re grateful for, and how you’ll achieve the goals you currently have.
Kaden says the great thing about hot girl walks is that they work for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money on exercise. You can do a hot girl walk outside without an expensive membership. As a bonus, you can also build confidence, take time for yourself, and enjoy a great, low-impact exercise that doesn’t break your budget.
Budget for the Second Quarter
Kaden offers a unique perspective on budgets in that she recommends budgeting by quarters. Since a year is 12 months, it’s made up of four 3-month quarters. The spring marks the beginning of the second quarter of the year.
Kaden likes budgeting this way because she says it’s a great idea to break the year down into smaller chunks. It helps you to focus on your money goals but also gives you a bit more runway than budgeting month by month.
The second quarter of the year consists of April, May and June, so Kaden says to ask yourself what’s coming up that you have to pay for. For example, what events do you have to attend (wedding season, anyone?) what purchases do you want to make (like summer camp or vacations), and what bills are due?
Don’t forget to look at the bills that come up irregularly, like your car or homeowners insurance. Once you know everything you have to pay over the next few months, prioritize the most important things and give every single dollar a name.
Kaden explains she uses the Every Dollar app to do this, but that any of her followers could do it with a pen and paper as well. It doesn’t matter exactly how you budget; what’s important is that you get it rolling.
Ultimately, thinking and planning ahead are the best ways to start budgeting for spring. This can help you develop good habits and learn how to stick to a budgeting plan. Not only can this help you to be frugal throughout the spring, but it can also help you develop good habits for the rest of the year too.
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