How I Live Below My Means At 31 years Old

[@Kimmy-rh1ry]

I'm slowly working on these points you give us. I'm not watching KZbinrs that are constantly telling us to buy, buy, buy. I'm trying to control my spending and recognizing my triggers.

[@asanta2023]

💯👍🏽👏🏽.., I’m trying to do exactly as you .., loved your comment ☀️

[@Mamuမးမုၣ်]

Same here ❤️

[@Huskymom2478]

I agree!

[@moninagusto744]

​@@Mamuမးမုၣ် +qq+q

[@jamiedaller]

Kyra love you girl but that’s not what they meant when they say pay yourself first. They didn’t mean treat yourself on unnecessary things. You had it almost right though bec. they meant for you to “pay”(put money on) your savings and your debts first prior to spending it on unnecessary things. At least you’re doing it right though! Yay! ❤

[@mayam5134]

Thanks for this comment! I was gonna comment this.

[@TamicoShawn]

Crazy part is people actually believe it means go out and buy yourself something first. They say well I work hard i deserve something in return.

[@dianvandevyver5729]

My prayers for Milo ❤️❤️. I always treat "savings" as a bill to pay. every month. Every time I got my salary, I save 10% to 15%. Every windfall I save 90%. I earn minimum wage, but I have savings and investment accounts. I know people who earn 3x my wage. And they have nothing in savings. They consume all of their income.

[@maimaivaj91]

I have always seen 'pay yourself first' as saving and investing before anything else, not necessarily treating yourself. I get this done first, and then bills, and then extra is for anything else frivolous.

[@sbaidoo25]

I moved to a city with lower cost of living. It sounds a bit dramatic but I was transferred here by my company last year and I was a bit skeptical about it at first...but truth is it was actually a blessing in disguise because I have decreased my expenses significantly...like I'm actually spending less than 50% of my monthly income now. I recently learnt this is actually known as Geoarbitrage.. I didn't even know people were doing this intentionally and had a term for it 😂...another thing that has helped me is meal prepping to avoid or at least decrease consistently eating out and also buying essential household items like soap, toothpaste, deodorant, toilet paper etc in "bulk" (enough to last me the next 6-12 months)..this helps me skip months of the crazy volatile price increments going on in the world now...I know I'll eventually face it but at least I get to skip some.

[@Happylittlepup]

I always thought that paying yourself first meant putting it in savings. All those miscellaneous purchases are bills (credit card). Anyway, great video!

[@tasha.5987]

I’m pretty sure “pay yourself first” is referring to paying your savings account. I didn’t always think like that, until recently.

[@SimplySmiley04]

The term ‘pay yourself first’ actually refers to saving money for the future, not paying yourself to a mall trip. So by paying your bills first and putting the rest into savings, you are actually adhere to the pay yourself first wisdom

[@happygolucky6284]

Correct! We put 20% of income into savings and investing. I’m so teaching my kids to do this from their first job!

[@cynthiabogacz9740]

@@happygolucky6284 I put as much as possible 😂😂 probably like 35%.? Idk a majority of my paycheck goes to bills and then savings but sometimes we run into needing to use some “savings” when we have our big bills like house insurance.

[@yangpangan4895]

Hi Kyra! Thank you for the tips! They are helpful. However, paying yourself first does not mean treating yourself first. See you in your next video! ❤️

[@phiwesithole8134]

The "pay yourself method ' is meant to cultivate a savings culture, not necessarily to pay yourself money just so u can spend it. But I definitely see what you mean with the method you use personally. Thanks for the video

[@laurabotts4064]

Kyra I totally agree with everything that you said in this video. Gift giving has gotten so out of control especially Christmas. So true that you may give a gift that ends up being donated or re-gifted and there's also the stress of spending money that you don't have on gift giving that you don't want to do anymore. People feel obligated to give. Kyra you are so disciplined with doing what you need to live and plan for that future home. I wish I had been as sensible as you when I were your age. Actually that's where I am now though - I only give what I can and if I can and I'm now 64 years young. So there you go - it took me all these years to do what's best for me.

[@naz-nazneen886]

💁🏽‍♀️As a minimalist 😂 I have actually been watching those "Project Use It Up" vids. For one, I'm like, that's me EVERY day! Two, I get satisfaction out of seeing their empties, like it's some kind of ASMR video for me 🤪

[@lisapitts9518]

Great video! For Valentine this year, I cooked our favorite meal. It was so much cheaper than going out. I told him I wanted a BIG heart full of candy, but I wanted to go get it on the 15th. It is the same candy for half price. We bought a house recently and we are focusing on paying it off in 5 years or less.

[@alicevarro3894]

Paying yourself first I don’t think it means spending on yourself first. I like to think that paying yourself first means paying your future self first (as saving a fixed amount of money every month for your future self first) to avoid forgetting each month about savings and realizing at the end of the year that you didn’t prioritize the saving money habbit.

[@izaebele]

I think I've heard you mention not buying gifts a few times, but it finally clicked for me when you said (I'm paraphrasing) "holidays are not a big deal, they're just made out to be." I only ever see my boyfriend's family on Christmas; they're pretty brand/luxury-obsessed despite being relatively low-income, and with a language barrier between us, giving expensive gifts is literally the language of appreciation right now. last year I was at least able to split some things with my bf but oof I gotta figure out how to communicate love some other way. I always bake something for them as well but maybe I'll wrap those cakes up real nice this year lol. (and learn some more Spanish.)

[@AA-iy4gm]

Yeah you have a choice of either buying their love and approval in a way with expensive brand name gifts or accepting yourself and your lifestyle in a loving way and being okay with gifting humble gifts.

[@rosariosalido9835]

Money is definitely better spent on experiences rather than material objects 💕

[@poppycalliope]

Yes 👏✨️

[@stephanierodriguez7387]

Love this ! Praying for milo ❤

[@a.laz8]

We regrow our romaine lettuce. You can put the stump that you cut off in water and it will regrow some. Super easy and it's enough to make a salad or for a few sandwiches. So we stretch out our lettuce as much as we can :)

[@asanta2023]

Wow! How long does it take to regrow? Thank you so much for sharing 👏🏽💯👍🏽☀️

[@a.laz8]

@@asanta2023 you’ll see growth by the next day and max results at 8-10 days. Super easy and you can google how to do it. Just keep in mind it wont regrow a full lettuce but it definitely adds up

[@Coco-rw2qx]

Always hit the thumbs up before watching because I know it’s going to be so worth viewing! Thank you Kyra!! Sending Love to your little Milo 🐈

[@nishafitness1399]

Love these tips. I’m at a point in my life where I want more so I picked up side hustles that have allowed me to really enjoy life. Nothing wrong with penny pinching but life is meant to be enjoyed. ❤

[@Bihjuliana]

❤❤ i am 19 and I love you helping me not commit errors I will regret in the future❤️

[@asanta2023]

👏🏽💯👍🏽☀️

[@Erepk]

Some veggies, spending on how you plan to use them, you can freeze. For example, I make salsas pretty often, so freezing jalapeños and tomatos/tomatillos does work out because they’ll just end up getting blended so even if they are soggy, it doesn’t affect the end product.

[@PenniestoDollars]

I think they mean to put it in savings by paying yourself first but I agree, bills first. Absolutely!

[@eleniprovia7667]

Gifts have been a huge source of stress for me. I have a big family and getting gifts for everyone for every holiday and birthday is just too time consuming and draining my bank account. My mom feels the same way, fortunately, but I will follow your example Kyra and just come clean with everyone and tell them that I can’t possibly continue buying gifts that often. It is much better to spend quality time with a loved one, or offer an experience (maybe going to the movies or going for a nice walk followed by a cup of coffee etc.) I always get very embarrassed if someone gets me a gift and I have nothing to give in return. Awkward! Thank you Kyra for your top notch content ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@AA-iy4gm]

Do it, it might be awkward at first but so worth it later. Even if you have someone that still buys you something, stick to your lifestyle and next time around they might thi nk twice because they saw that they didn't intimidate you last time with gifting you something after you decided to tone it down. It's like boundaries and it only works if we fully go through with it and not waver.

[@eleniprovia7667]

@@AA-iy4gm Thank you so much for your sweet message and advice! ❤️❤️❤️

[@sofianatalie.]

Hey Kyra! Just wanted to let you know that you don't have to buy the mid-grade gas! I think you mentioned that you had a Honda SUV, which should be able to take the cheapest/unleaded gas. You could definitely save on this without creating any problems :) My boyfriend worked at Honda headquarters for years and he says it's okay too!

[@Jennyspaghetti_]

Question: is it weird if you receive gifts but not give? It almost feels like we are expected to give back. (we are military family, and do not live close to family members.)

[@asanta2023]

Excellent question

[@eleniprovia7667]

Very good question!!!

[@kcee9111]

If you are expected to give back- then the gift wasn’t given out of the goodness of their heart. Something in return shouldn’t be expected. I make sure when I give - it’s because I want to bless someone and I do not expect anything in return.

[@Amora986]

So many amazing tips ,you are full of so much wisdom,its important to live beblow your means to create a great lfe ..early on..your a great example angel💗

[@user-3l1]

your videos are always so useful 😃

[@samanthadudley6412]

Mothers day just passed and my two younger boys made me something for mothers day and i liked it better than they buying something, i took it and stuck in the memory bin. My two younger boys are 6 and 7. My two older boys ( 11 and 14) didn't make me anything they used the excuse they couldn't buy me something which i would have just preferred them to help with doing stuff around the house.

[@CutiePet99]

frozen produce all the way🙌🏼 I'm seeing more and more studies showing many frozen fruits & veg can contain more nutrients since it's flash-frozen at prime ripeness. Ya love to see it👏🏼

[@mondinsel4235]

I rely a lot on frozen veggies, I think they're neat and I have a much better experience buying kale and spinach frozen than fresh. Especially spinach I find so sensitive, it feels like it's already going bad when I buy it. You can eat them at your own pace and you don't have to go out every other day to buy another package. Plus it can be nice to not to have to cut them, and they can be pretty inexpensive. And I also have heard before that they get a bad rep for no reason.

[@cassandrab8452]

Great video.. when others recommend paying yourself first, it means it to treat it as a bill and to save that money.. not use it for hair, nails, clothes, etc… and it doesn’t have to be a lot of money at once either.. just something to add to your savings and not touch

[@moonrise2424]

I totally agree with paying your bills first, I do this every month. I've had times where I didn't and I just ended up owing more on the next bill because I spent some of the bill money.

[@howtoadultschool]

These points are all so true and SO great, but I have to point out that it looks like you and a number of people commenting are misunderstanding the financial concept of paying yourself first. 'Pay yourself first' doesn't mean giving yourself money first to go do fun things. What is does mean is getting a clear understanding of what your income vs expenses are so that you know your savings percentage in advance so you can set up an automatic transfer to your retirement investing accounts when you get paid. You should be automatically saving a percentage (even if it's just a few dollars) that still allows you to pay your bills and other life expenses. It just means that you're paying your future self (for your retirement) before you start paying unnecessary life expenses like clothing stores, movie theaters, subscription services, home decor stores etc.

[@sharonshmuel3386]

Another great video. Gifts as you say don’t always have to be material items - definitely helping or spending time with someone is so much more ❤

[@baddieandabook]

Paying your bills is paying yourself IMO

[@baby_d777]

I am learning to work with what I have and not feel so bad about myself or my life because I don't make a crap ton of money. I've learned to love the little things about (my) life and appreciate things and people more. I find that I focus on being more instead of having more. There really is no shame in not having an "Instagram-worthy" life. We don't have to have perfect bodies, bank accounts, clothes, relationships, and all of that other unnecessary material stuff. I think if more of us focused on our health, creating more than consuming, and what/who we love and what/who loves us, we would be better off.. Thx for this video, sending good vibes and love yr way. :-)

[@Happylittlepup]

Biggest thing I do is have sinking funds, budget by paycheck. Helps me so much!

[@mariaolguinchavez3244]

I'm definitely struggling with not buying a lot of clothes right now that I'm pregnant. Nothing fits, so I'm torn between decluttering or keeping the clothes to see if I later fit in them again

[@amoresalute6889]

I became debt free including my home at 29. I’ve started a side hustle during my debt free journey or buying things at the thrift store or yard sales and reselling them for profit. Now that I am debt free I don’t need this income but I still enjoy thrifting. I am also a minimalist so I don’t want a bunch of crap in my beautiful home. So, I go to yard sales, find items that bring me joy and take the same amount of items out of my home that no longer bring me joy and sell them online. I also buy gifts while out thrifting because I can find things like a pair of Lululemon leggings that my mom would love for $4 and gift them to her instead of paying $120 retail. I found a way to do the things I love and not end up with a home that is overwhelming to live in. I am also satisfying my need of saving money for retirement at the age of 35 because almost everything I own is second hand and not retail.

[@Blackcatsaregoodluck11]

Love your videos Kyra 🤍🤍🤍

[@Universe.444]

Paying yourself first that money need to be saved and if you wana splurge on something it forces you to earn more to satisfy that need/want.

[@asanta2023]

Great video..,love these tips .., thank you for sharing 🌹

[@abrilgirl4544]

Also learning to fix small rips and tears on clothing yourself. My jeans also get worn out on the inner thighs and they tear, I get Jean patches and fix them and you wouldn’t even know it

[@ialo5884]

I'm better at keeping the habit of reusing plastic bags or tote bags for grocery bags because here in CA it's 10 cents. Instead of buying planters and pots for plants, I reuse unwanted cups, mugs and dishes. It creates an eclectic and rustic style. Have you ever considered an aloe Vera plant since you use it quite often? It is a fairly low maintenance plant. You can also plant the cutting.

[@anastasiya8314]

I find that most people love assorted nuts trays during holidays. They’re not expensive but a good gift (unless you know that person has nut allergy) Also cashmere sweaters/ silk pillow cases.

[@suyoungsy]

Kyra could you do a video on how you use your aloe leaf? I have pots of aloe at home and they thrive despite a lack of care. I would love to see how to clean, soak and preserve that aloe leaf for 2 weeks usage.

[@suyoungsy]

Fully agree with the tips given. Especially on not giving gifts and waiting for sales to buy essentials. I thrift a lot and I see so many people selling off gifts dirt cheap because they didn't need it. I get my essentials on an online shopping platform and they have major sales every month, and minor sales a few times a month, like on 15th, 18th, 25th etc. Practically a sale every week. I've noticed that there are merchants overpricing during non sales periods, so it's a rip off if you don't buy during sales.

[@Para_No_Olvidarte]

Hello, I believe that ‘Pay yourself first’ applies to putting pre-tax income to 401k retirement plan for example.

[@amycolucci6769]

Pay yourself first means saving your money/ investing first before anything else

[@lamureon]

LOVE the no intro!

[@wonderwoman5158]

A way to save like you’ve suggested is buying in the opposite season so summer in winter and vise versa . Another thing is yes on the gift giving we haven’t given a gift in a while and only for us do we get things but I mostly like to gift a card like hand written it seems more personal and special plus I save them 😅 the one he gives me and the one I gift him. I never buy retail price always wait on sales or get it from a discount store and also shop in market place for a new or used item that I want . Learning to do things yourself will always save you money. I am learning how to make butter which is just two ingredients, baking for our cakes or desserts . One major thing I’m hoping to learn this year is sewing I have a machine just need to get the sewing bug out of me and be able to make and do so much once I’ve mastered it . Buying in bulk is a great way to save money and also waste since it’s one bag vs a lot of small bags in the landfill .

[@tiashadae1143]

Thank you for the video, helpful as always Kyra ❤ and 🙏 for Milo 🐱

[@susieq2734]

Pets are expensive

[@aynine3466]

But they're worth it

[@eleniprovia7667]

@@aynine3466 Absolutely!!!! I am a huge animal lover and my pet is so precious to me.

[@ArianeCamille]

Wow you really gave me a whole new perspective when you said that everything we take home is a bill. I will definitely keep this in mind. I’m currently trying to transition out of my bad habit of impulsive shopping. Always looking forward to your videos!

[@BeautyIsMyLife]

I wish I had some type of artistic/craft skill to give out cool stuff I made that people would actually want, but I just don't have those talents. I don't want to stop giving gifts, I really love Christmas, it's the one time I see some of my family every year, but financially it is a struggle. I am always looking for ways to save on gifts but still get quality stuff people really want.

[@asanta2023]

I think Kyra or someone in the comments section mentioned that one way to gift loved ones is by taking them to dine out when they visit. Not everyday, but one nice meal out as a gift. Family gathers, has a nice meal and feel satisfied..,

[@mondinsel4235]

I'll still have to hang in there with my savings for a little while longer till my new job starts and my first paycheck rolls in, so I'm like in a hibernation financially. I'm an anxious person, so my worries kickstart that hibernation early, whether it's already necessary or not. Absolute needs only, nothing unnecessary that I have to pay for. I don't think anything I do is ground-breaking. I think I've been doing a good job, but I'm glad when I finally have an actual income again.

[@AA-iy4gm]

It looks like people either don't read any previous comments or just feel that they have to repeat things, it's alright we get it, she used a term "pay yourself first" in a way that isn't aligning with standard finance advice, can we move on now?

[@KINGTHEYORKIE]

I like to mend or fix my dog toys rather than buying a new one

[@yohanhail1583]

youre the most honest and simple vlogger ive watched thanks for this vid

[@jasoncasey583]

Rule 1,,,, if you cant afford to pay cash, you dont need it.

[@jasoncasey583]

Also, learn to sew

[@Loriloraine]

Aye Kyra thank you for this video. Honestly, I needed to hear these things. Especially the “paying myself first” thing. Having bills to pay and DEBT, but still choosing to “pay myself first” is irresponsible. I’m still in my 20s and learning over and over and OVER again lol. Giving myself a lot of grace in the process

[@LouMarie-qz5wg]

Milo 💜❤️💙

[@hirorop5367]

Babysitting for your sister is the BEST gift 🙌

[@higherspirit1]

Wish I knew a tailor who would only charge $5-$10. Price in CA would be closer to $35-40 for alterations and resizing.

[@luluzyz1116]

I give gifts, I am the only child, so my two baby cousins are like my sibilings. I only get to see them once every year. Usually just a random holiday. So i miss their birthdays, and Chrismas. I just give them 1 gift bag with a few things. the gift bag is for every dates in a year, including their birthdays and all the holidays.

[@lovealways089]

I don't know exactly how I stumbled on your channel, but I am SO grateful I did!

[@larissaaocm]

We are the same age ❤ love your channel

[@chelseamurray1678]

Spinach freezes really good and is great to throw in smoothies

[@Mamuမးမုၣ်]

I love your videos ❤️ thank you for giving us more tips

[@siobhanod]

Great video Kyra

[@natetr1p]

I'm thinking you are from the Bronx.

[@Kyraann.]

Boston

[@natetr1p]

@@Kyraann. Thanks for the videos. I'm a New Yorker myself. You sound like a Bronx girl. We are just like y'all.

[@christina8118]

Always happy to see a money video come up!

[@rosed8691]

🌷

[@jessicaspencer82917]

I do alot of the same stuff.

[@martina2601]

👍

[@frugalsweetlife3427]

DANKE

[@mrgeorgealvarez]

Omg you look 21

[@neesied69]

Very informative and helpful....thanks!

[@nguyendang3194]

as a young adult as well what I do to save money is to cut my cell phone bill to zero dolars. I used a company called Text now wireless they give free unlimimited calls and text over LTE data fort FREE without a bill.

[@natalieruiz1054]

Kyra your skin is goals!!! 🤍🤍🤍 You look radiant! You introduced me to Pacifica a couple of years ago. I use the cleanser/face wash, pacifica moisturizer, and Seint cream makeup. My skin has improved drastically!!! Thanks for your videos. You always give such helpful money saving tips, friend!

[@thepissedofflandlord]

I think pay yourself means set aside your savings/investments...but I still don't believe in it. You gotta pay your dues because if you don't you'll pay mad interest on them