Something happens in your mid 20s where you look at your spending and realize half of it is going to things that don't actually make your life better. Fast fashion hauls that fall apart after two washes. Iced lattes every single day. Skincare products you used once and forgot about.
I stopped buying fast fashion. I stopped buying cheap candles that smell like chemicals after 10 minutes. I stopped buying grocery store produce I knew I wouldn't eat before it went bad. I stopped buying trendy home decor I didn't actually like. I stopped buying new workout clothes every month. And I stopped buying things just because they were on sale.
I started buying fewer, better things. One quality pair of jeans instead of five from a fast fashion site. A nice candle that actually fills the room. Frozen vegetables that I'll actually use. Decor I genuinely love, even if it costs more. The shift isn't about spending less necessarily — it's about spending with intention.
Budgeting in your mid 20s is unglamorous but essential. I use a simple spreadsheet — nothing fancy. Income at the top, fixed expenses below it, then a realistic number for everything else. The girls who figure out their finances at 25 are the ones who have freedom at 30.
Your mid 20s is the perfect time to start being honest about your spending. Not judgmental, just honest. You deserve to spend money on things that genuinely improve your life.
Honest conversations about your mid 20s. Delivered every Sunday.
Turning 25 feels like a quiet shift that nobody really prepares you for. One day you're scrolling Pinterest for apartment ideas, the next you're wondering how it all happened so fast.
Moving into your own place is one of the most exciting and quietly terrifying things you'll do in your mid 20s. Here's everything I actually needed.