A Three-Part Installment by Sway Contributor Odeen Eccleston

So far we’ve discussed the crucial compromises for those serious about saving pennies for their future and the necessary conduct for those determined to turn around a grim economic reality.

- Achieving high-end looks for less
- Chopping your hair budget by 50%

The last two tips for staying frugally fly to speed out of lower financial standings are easy ways to save, as well :

1.   Ditch the gym – If part of your workout regimen includes a gym membership, save the 80 bucks a month you pay to run aimlessly on treadmill and lift dumbbells and stay physically fit for free.

-         Enjoy the outdoors. Inhale the natural, fresh air instead of the often stuffy, sweaty air circulating the gym by taking a jog around your block, running to and from your local park or riding your bike on a scenic trail. The clean, clear oxygen will remind you that the best things in life are indeed free.

-         Take the stairs. Whether you work on the 4^th floor or live in the lower penthouse on the 40^th, from now on, forget the elevator; pretend it doesn’t even exist.  Plan ahead. Pack your running shoes and walk/run up to your office or home.  If taking the stairs proves to be a time-sensitive task for you –despite your efforts to leave work half an hour earlier –let the elevator lift you half way and walk the rest.  Doing this everyday (or as frequently as you can afford) will increase your heart rate regularly and allow you to burn tons of calories in the process –for no charge.

-         Eat out less. If one of the reasons you’re getting gouged by your gym is to burn off the $30 – $50 worth of unhealthy take-out/restaurant food you consume daily, allocating a maximum budget of $20 a day on food (for yourself) will save you money and slim your waistline without having to use the scary-looking ab-machine.

2.    Finger Nails Simple, natural nails that are neatly trimmed and filed look lovely.  Paint on a wee bit of $4 clear nail polish, and your hands look attractive, tidy and clean.  Getting weekly manicures and pedicures can certainly add up and are simple not a luxury for those in debt.  But if you’re a hyper-feminine female that cringes at the sight of your hands sans a professionally conducted manicure, there is a way that you can cut costs here as well.

-         Introducing Shellac Nails- The nail salon of which I’m a patron recently introduced an innovative style of doing nails and I love it!  It’s called the Shellac Nail Polish and essentially, it’s a line of nail polish that, after applied, does not chip or scratch nor lose its shine and brilliance until after 3 weeks –as opposed to 3 days like regular nail polish.  It’s offered at nail salons all across North America for about $5 more than the cost of regular polish and saves you money in the long run.  You need not waste time and gas scurrying back to the salon after just a few days to touch up the unsightly chips and scratches.  Instead, your finger tips and toes are an aesthetic perfection for an extended period of time. So though I advise that you go au natural until you’re at a place financially where you can honestly afford auxiliary items such as pretty finger tips, if you’re the type that must have your nails “did” at all times, I recommend Shellac for the simple fact that it saves you time –and time = money.

In addition to all of the shallow tips above, to ensure that you never follow the consumerist bait that leads you to fall into the trap of debt, I highly suggest you make your best effort to save 10 percent of every dollar you earn.  Debt is not cool (unless of course it’s the debt you owe the bank/lender that has given you a mortgage for your home(s)). It is in your very best interest to avoid debt at all costs or obliterate it ASAP.

You are young, beautiful and healthy, and you have a right to enjoy life to the fullest and have unadulterated fun.  But in today’s gratuitously materialistic, superficial society, having fun often encompasses activities that require looking flashy to match.  So while many young people are not in enviable financial standings, they fold at the pressure of having to look like they are to keep up with their peers.  Cutting corners where your look is concerned is the least you can do to head in the right direction of financial freedom.

You must know with all certainty that even without your hair done, nails did and designer purse in tote, you are pretty darn hot.  So hot that you need not rock inflamed-priced clothing to look fire.  Be more honest with yourself about the things you can and cannot afford and let the truth set you free from debt.