Absolute money savers in my world:
- Shop once monthly. Period. Every purchase has to be preplanned, very thoughtfully. Food, clothing, etc. Once the decision is made, it has to last a month!
- If it can be made, make it. (Some things don’t make it to the budget. Forgot to budget in a birthday gift for great-great Aunt Clarabella-Darling? DIY picture album, full of loving notes from Your’s Truly. Etc.) Lotions, soaps, makeup, toothpaste, lunches, wine, coffee, pizza? Make it. Decorative crafts? Don’t make it unless it is a hobby that truly fulfills you 🙂
- Ugly floors are beautiful in comparison to a credit card balance.
- Stuff– we don’t need it. Our world tells us we need new clothes. Last time I checked, I can barely fit the clothes I have into our closets. They are not the most stylish, but they are certainly functional. This year we give ourselves the smallest clothing budget we have ever had. I’m kind of excited! Love a challenge.
- Credit cards are for fuel and medical emergencies. I am a lot more conscious about putting in an Amazon order, knowing it is coming from our checking account. I once over-drafted, and I don’t want to go there again!
Basically, these money-saving tips are mind games that work, at least for me.
Those dandelions in the dish are tantalizing! Have you ever had dandelion omelet? Come on over sometime, as soon as winter is over, when there are fresh (and free!) beauties spring up for us to enjoy.
Here is to paying off a lot of debt, saving, and stocking up on things that really matter.
Cheers!
(mid) Western Woman 