Money tips I’ve learned from 2 Broke Girls

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This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.

I don’t watch a lot of TV, but I’m currently hooked on “2 Broke Girls,” a sitcom about two twenty-somethings struggling to make ends meet. It’s like “Sex in the City” with more snarky humor and financial struggles. Max (pictured left) has always been poor and Caroline (pictured right) lost her millions when her father was taken to prison for running a Ponzi scheme.

Here are nine frugal tips I’ve picked up from the show.

You can’t run away from student loans – While cleaning their shared apartment Caroline sifts through Max’s bills to find out she went to college and has outstanding loans. Caroline explains student loans cannot be expunged even if you apply for bankruptcy. Note to self – don’t default!
Get paid for what you’re good at doing - Max and Caroline are trying to start a cupcake business. Max is a really good baker. Are you good at doing something that could possible bring in money? **Spoiler alert, we later find out Max uses Duncan Hines and adds a dash of her secret ingredient, Pillsbury.
Thrift shopping – Max teaches Caroline how to shop secondhand stores and tells her to check inside furniture for items others have hidden to buy later. I’ve done this several times without luck. I’ve found good stuff, but it doesn’t fit or I don’t need it. I’m going to keep looking.
Do It Yourself – Caroline buys a Murphy bed and the girls save money by putting it together themselves. I often prefer to pay for the convenience of having things done, but this adds up. Doing it yourself also helps you learn how to do new things!
Set goals – Caroline creates an inspiration board and includes a photo of a bakery. She’s tries to teach Max to set goals for herself. Doing the same with your money cannot only save you money, but make you money. I’m still working on my financial resolutions from last year. What are your financial goals?
Limit credit card use – The girls work at a diner and have to constantly put up with customers. Max makes fun of some of them when they use a credit card to pay for a patty melt. She asks, whether they really need those eight airline miles? Using cash instead of cards will save you lots of moolah on interest. I know. I paid lots for my coffee addiction.
Don’t be stingy with the tips – Caroline gets tipped $1.47 for a $50 bill. Max defends her by confronting the customer who believes tipping is an option. Her response? Yeah, so is me spitting in your food. You might want to think of that before leaving a waitress pennies or being rude.
Coupons are genius – Caroline does not want to use coupons because she gets embarrassed. After paying $12 for $70 worth of food she changes her mind. She becomes obsessed with using coupons. Watch the clip below. She even starts clearing the shelves of Duncan Hines. There is no shame in saving money! Check out our Coupon Database to find coupons. Just print and go.
Don’t forget about others – After going coupon crazy, Caroline discovers she has “ponzi DNA” or “couponzi” as the girls call it. She didn’t care about others when she found out how to make free money. Don’t do the same! Help others with your coupons by sending expired coupons to military families overseas.