Girl Math - How I save Money

Living alone in a different country isn’t always about adventure or “finding yourself.” Most of the time, it’s about the small, ordinary decisions that nobody really talks about the ones that slowly shape how you think and live. Girl math is Girlllll Mathhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Grocery Runs ( Physical Exercise + Walking) 🏃‍♀️

Take grocery runs, for example. What used to be a simple errand back home turns into a full-blown mental math session. I walk through the aisles comparing prices in my head, in instance :

1) This supermarket has fresher vegetables but the other one sells Rice cheaper

2) Is it worth going to both?

3)Should I carry heavy bags across the city and have a full Gym session !

Then comes the planning. I tell myself to make a list for at least a week, but honestly, it’s harder than it sounds. In India, I could just open Blinkit or BigBasket and order whatever I needed in minutes. Here, there’s no quick fix. If I forget something, it means another trip and another round of carrying heavy weights.

Cooking : A battle with Expiry dates 🥘🍳

Cooking alone is less about cravings and more about saving ingredients before they die.

• Spinach looks like it won’t last another day? → Spinach curry it is.

• Tomatoes turning soft? → Time for a big batch of gravy.

It’s not “what do I feel like eating today?” but “what’s about to go bad?”

Even while cooking, small debates happen: Should I make extra for tomorrow? Should I use less oil for health? Then I fry veggies, they taste amazing, and I wonder maybe extra oil isn’t that evil after all.

Overall it becomes less about food and more about planning, stretching, and negotiating with yourself to buy or not ! Then comes the shopppingg..

Returning a Dress is technically saving 👗👠

• Bought a dress, returned it → technically I saved money.

• Walked through the city centre without buying anything → 100% profit day.

Impulse control is basically growth disguised as savings. Also, not buying that random keychain or plushie = money in the bank → or better yet, money for takeout later

Listen carefully on how Girl Math works 💃

• If you return something → you didn’t just not spend, you actually saved money.

  
  

• Paying in cash = free, because it’s not coming directly from your bank account.

  
  

• Buying something on sale = making money, because you “saved” the discount.

  
  

• Tickets bought months ago = the event is free, because “past me” already paid.

  
  

• Walking instead of taking a cab = free workout and money saved → double win.

  
  

• Cook by expiry dates – Plan meals around what’s about to spoil, not just cravings. It saves both food and money and cravings.

• Batch cook when possible – Extra portions today become tomorrow’s comfort food.

  
  

• Celebrate the small wins – Whether it’s resisting a purchase or finishing a heavy grocery run, these little victories add up.

Girls if you’re reading this , I believe we are on the same page✨ ! Whereas Boys , if you don’t get it, you don’t get it , so don’t bother 😅

This is the side of living alone abroad that nobody posts about. It’s not glamorous, it’s not picture-perfect, and it’s not some dramatic “self-discovery journey.” It’s the everyday math of life groceries, expiry dates, oil debates, tiny budget victories, and all the quiet decisions that build into something bigger.