So last week I got super stressed about money again. Checked my bank app and nearly choked – couple hundred bucks left after rent and bills? Nuh-uh. Went digging online and found that “Econtra” thing everyone’s buzzing about. Figured I’d waste an afternoon trying it since everything else failed.
Stage 1: Facing the Ugly Truth (Felt Like a Punch)
First thing Monday morning, I dumped my bank statements onto the kitchen table with cold coffee. Didn’t need no spreadsheet crap. Just grabbed:
- A red pen
- My crumpled grocery receipts
- Bank app open like a shame trophy
Started circling EVERYTHING non-essential. That daily muffin-and-latte run? €5 a pop. Lunch with coworkers? Always €10+. Spotify, Netflix, random phone games sucking cash monthly? Yep. Seeing red circles everywhere actually hurt.
Stage 2: Bloody Obvious But Painful Cuts
Right then I implemented the “48-Hour Rule“. Saw some fancy wireless earbuds online Tuesday. Instead of yeeting cash at the screen, I scribbled “Earbuds? €129??” on a sticky note and slapped it on my monitor. Stared at it all damn day Wednesday. By dinner time? Realized I didn’t even need them. Old wired ones still worked fine. Saved that cash just by waiting.
Cancelled three bloody subscriptions that night: Gaming crate thing, extra cloud storage I wasn’t using, fancy meditation app collecting dust. Instant €25 back monthly. Felt stupid for not spotting this crap earlier.
Stage 3: Making Savings Effortless (Sort Of)
Thursday morning, logged into my bank app feeling kinda cocky. Set up two automatic transfers:
- €40 right after payday goes into “Bills Buffer” pot
- €20 straight to “Rage Savings” pot (that’s my dumb name for unexpected costs)
Outta sight, outta mind. Still felt that €60 missing… but less than before when I blew it all.
Stage 4: Hustling for More Coffee Money
Felt good but needed more wiggle room. Weekend rolled around. Looked at my dusty guitar sitting in the corner. Hadn’t played it in months. Took photos and sold it online Sunday afternoon. Got €85 cash. Not world-changing, but paid next week’s groceries.
Also dug out old books and DVDs gathering dust under my bed. Threw ’em into a box for a car boot sale next month. Feels like free money waiting.
One Week Later…
Still driving that crap car. Still get FOMO when friends hit that new burger place. But my account didn’t hit €9 right before payday this time. Ended up with €115 leftover. It ain’t sexy. Mostly felt like cutting things I liked sucked hard and selling my guitar hurt a little. But not constantly sweating about pennies? Way better than fancy coffee.
