How I Survived a Week on $14 and Hot Girl Delusion

I’d like to start this post by saying: I’m not proud. But I am resourceful. And maybe a little dramatic.

This is the story of how I made it through an entire week of college with only $14 in my bank account, a granola bar in my backpack, and a dream. Not a big dream. Just like... to not pass out in lecture or overdraft my debit card again.

Day 1: The Decline Heard ‘Round Campus

It all started when I confidently tapped my card at the campus café in front of my professor, who had just given a lecture on financial literacy. Declined. I laughed it off. “That’s so weird, must be the chip.” (It wasn’t the chip. It was my choices.)

I checked my account: $14.28.

The Game Plan

With nothing but panic and girl math on my side, I made a list:

• Check all purses/jackets for forgotten cash ✅ $3 in a tote bag from 2021

• Free events = free food ✅ I am now a devoted member of 3 campus clubs

• Text ex-boyfriend with a casual “hey” ✅ Instant regret, 0 dollars

• Survive on vibes? ✅ ...working on it

Meals of the Week

Breakfast: coffee I made from a K-Cup I found at the bottom of a drawer. Expired? Yes. Effective? Also yes.

Lunch: “free sample” loops through the grocery store. Pro tip: If you wear a hat and sunglasses, you can go through twice.

Dinner: Instant ramen + leftover soy sauce packets = gourmet fusion cuisine.

Highs and Lows

High: I discovered the secret to glowing skin is simply not being able to afford processed food.

Low: I googled “how to make shampoo last longer” and ended up cutting open the bottle and scraping the sides with a bobby pin.

What I Learned

1. There is free food everywhere if you know where to look (events, meetings, sometimes church services... even if you’re not religious, He gets it).

2. Hot girl delusion is a powerful tool. When you believe you’re not broke, you carry yourself differently. And sometimes that gets you free fries.

3. Budgeting is not a punishment. It’s actually the opposite. It’s how you stop living in fear of your banking app.

Real Talk

Surviving on $14 and delusion might make for a funny story, but let’s be real, it’s exhausting. And if you’ve ever stared at your bank account and thought, “Do I really need both kidneys?” — welcome to the club. Being broke doesn’t mean you’re bad with money. It just means no one ever taught us how to manage it in a way that actually makes sense for our lives.

And you don’t have to figure it out solo. I’ve been there, I’m still there, and that’s why I created tools to make it easier. Start with my free “Where Did My Money Go?” Weekly Spending Log, your first step to getting un-broke, one iced coffee at a time.

Until next time

XOXO, Broke College Girl