Money is tight for pretty much everyone these days. The question you have to ask is, are you smart with your money or not? I personally find it appalling how some adults have no clue about money. In this case I would consider you an adult if you are over the age or 21...just so you know. I am not a money genius by no means, but I do think I do pretty well for the average person. It seems like these days people don't have much common sense when it comes to money.
People finance their life away, over spend and try to live like they have a money tree growing in their back yard. Yeah...I know good and well there is no such thing as a money tree so you can save that for the birds! For those of you who aren't so great at budgeting your money, it's time for a reality check! I know it's not easy. It's hard to want for things and not be able to get them, but over time you get use to living under your means. Actually with time you will actually feel better about yourself. You will even get to a point where you will say man I can't believe so and so just wasted all that money on ______! I will use my lovely sister for an example. She had the cutest pocket book, and I was like OMG that is so cute....how much was it? To which she replied 300 and some dollars. My mouth fell to the floor. I love pocket books but it would be a cold day in hell before I shelled out 300 + dollars for one....just saying LOL To each their own, she makes good money and it's just her so that's her decision. Speaking of I am not trying to tell you how to spend or save your money I am just trying to make you think about your decisions when it comes to $$$.
What's your money pits? These are things that you spend money on that adds up but you don't think of it cause it's usually not a large amount at one time. Lot's of small things add up over the course of time. Do you eat out a decent restaurant once a week? Do you buy a drink at the store or out of a vending machine at work every day? Lunch out instead of bringing something from home? Starbucks? Picking up fast food 3 days a week? Getting money out of an ATM that charges a fee? Buying a magazine at the grocery store instead of order a subscription? Oh the list goes on forever. Here are some things I do to save me from those daily expenses that add up QUICK!
Coupons are my favorite way to save, I have slacked off some with my coupons but I am still doing well. If I go into the grocery store and don't save 45% on my trip I am severely disappointed. That doesn't happen often :) When I go shopping at the mall or any store I check online for coupons before I leave. It's easy and worth it!
I don't want you to think I don't spend money or splurge some, because I do!!! I just make sure I never buy on impulse. I try to think before I go out and spend money even if its just $50 bucks. Plus if you work hard on cutting your fat and saving more you wont feel as bad when you go out and buy yourself something nice. If anything you appreciate it more :) When I want to buy something that is kinda expensive I usually think of how many hours I had to work to buy it...that seems to put things into perspective A LOT! I guess that's why I have been trying to buy me a new car for two years...LOL Every time I almost do it, I sit back and think and decide I can wait a little longer.
Don't waste your time and money trying to keep up with everyone around you! Someone will always have something nicer than you or do something you want to do. Keeping up with anyone is a major fault when it comes to money. To be honest some people may seem like they have all this stuff, but do they have money put away if something happens? Possessions may look like money, but I have often found that people who have all this stuff are in debt up to their eyeballs. Yep its true, and don't let it fool you! I can happily say that our life is pretty much debt free :) We have a mortgage and that is about it. Oh to be honest, we financed a lawn mower this year. Not because we had to...it was 0% financing for 4 years so I decided that our money would be happier in the savings account earning interest. I could pay it off tomorrow if I wanted to, but why would I when it cost me nothing. We don't have credit card debt. We use our credit cards to earn rewards points but we pay them off every month so we don't accrue interest. Other than that we owe no one nothing :) Everything we own is 100% ours...provided I might not be driving around in a new car and I might not have the best of everything, but I know we have nice things. We have more than most, but we have worked hard for it and we were smart about how we handled our money. Most people can't say that.
We will soon be starting a new year, and it's the perfect time to get your ducks in a row. Take a hard look at where you are and where you want to be in your financial life. Even if you have more debt than you would like to admit you can fix it. Make goals for 2012 and chip away at one debt at a time. Find a place to save some money and put that money into your debt. Don't let your wants ruin your financial future. Sure you can throw those credit card bills in a file and try to forget about what you owe, but it is in your best interest to do something about it now. I wish for everyone to make smart money decisions and be able to have the life they want while learning that doesn't always mean "having it all".
People finance their life away, over spend and try to live like they have a money tree growing in their back yard. Yeah...I know good and well there is no such thing as a money tree so you can save that for the birds! For those of you who aren't so great at budgeting your money, it's time for a reality check! I know it's not easy. It's hard to want for things and not be able to get them, but over time you get use to living under your means. Actually with time you will actually feel better about yourself. You will even get to a point where you will say man I can't believe so and so just wasted all that money on ______! I will use my lovely sister for an example. She had the cutest pocket book, and I was like OMG that is so cute....how much was it? To which she replied 300 and some dollars. My mouth fell to the floor. I love pocket books but it would be a cold day in hell before I shelled out 300 + dollars for one....just saying LOL To each their own, she makes good money and it's just her so that's her decision. Speaking of I am not trying to tell you how to spend or save your money I am just trying to make you think about your decisions when it comes to $$$.
What's your money pits? These are things that you spend money on that adds up but you don't think of it cause it's usually not a large amount at one time. Lot's of small things add up over the course of time. Do you eat out a decent restaurant once a week? Do you buy a drink at the store or out of a vending machine at work every day? Lunch out instead of bringing something from home? Starbucks? Picking up fast food 3 days a week? Getting money out of an ATM that charges a fee? Buying a magazine at the grocery store instead of order a subscription? Oh the list goes on forever. Here are some things I do to save me from those daily expenses that add up QUICK!
- I keep 12 packs of drinks in my car. At work when I want a drink I go grab one from the trunk and put it in the fridge for a few minutes. Even if you do have to buy a cup of ice that is a lot cheaper then what they charge for drinks. I only by my 12 packs when I can get them for $2.75 or less a 12 pack. If your wondering that is $0.30 per drink. Cheaper than the store the drive thru or a vending machine.
- I get cash back when I go grocery shopping instead of going to ATM's...avoid those fee's at ALL cost
- Buy subscriptions to the magazines you find yourself grabbing and buying at the store. You will save usually 50% off the cover price
- Don't eat lunch out everyday...if you do this SLAP yourself in the face NOW! Your lazy and a idiot!!! How hard is it to pack some left overs, or make a sandwich...seriously? Maybe once a week is acceptable (not to me) but if you find yourself eating out every day you might as well throw cash out the window while you drive down the interstate.
- Me personally...I don't believe going out to eat a nice ($50 or over) dinner once a week, but if you must check online for a coupon before you leave...it only takes a minute. Also this time a year a lot of restaurants will start offering extra money if you buy $100 worth of gift cards. Usually they will give you $10 free. If you eat at any of these places quiet often you can buy the gift cards for yourself.
- Starbucks (whatever) I can buy a 32 oz can of coffee beans for what 2 coffee's will cost you...enough said. I do splurge on Starbucks when I go to the mall which is usually when I go Christmas shopping. (I hate the mall)
- Make phone calls to your monthly expenses and try to save some money. I did this with Direct TV a few months off and they gave me a 6 buck discount for a year. Cell phone companies too...you may be a member of some organization that would make you eligible for a discount. Funny story...today I got my car taxes in the mail and thought they had valued my car too high so I called them. Did you know in NC you can get a discount if your car has a certain amount of miles for the year model? I have to take my car by the tax office and then I will get a 15% discount from here on out on my car taxes...PHONE CALLS people, just try to save yourself some money! You can do this with interest rates on your credit card too. I don't carry balances on my credit cards so I could care less about that one.
- Grow a garden! A few plants can go along way and save you a lot on veggies at the grocery store. We plant a lot and then freeze or can it so we eat all year long.
Coupons are my favorite way to save, I have slacked off some with my coupons but I am still doing well. If I go into the grocery store and don't save 45% on my trip I am severely disappointed. That doesn't happen often :) When I go shopping at the mall or any store I check online for coupons before I leave. It's easy and worth it!
I don't want you to think I don't spend money or splurge some, because I do!!! I just make sure I never buy on impulse. I try to think before I go out and spend money even if its just $50 bucks. Plus if you work hard on cutting your fat and saving more you wont feel as bad when you go out and buy yourself something nice. If anything you appreciate it more :) When I want to buy something that is kinda expensive I usually think of how many hours I had to work to buy it...that seems to put things into perspective A LOT! I guess that's why I have been trying to buy me a new car for two years...LOL Every time I almost do it, I sit back and think and decide I can wait a little longer.
Don't waste your time and money trying to keep up with everyone around you! Someone will always have something nicer than you or do something you want to do. Keeping up with anyone is a major fault when it comes to money. To be honest some people may seem like they have all this stuff, but do they have money put away if something happens? Possessions may look like money, but I have often found that people who have all this stuff are in debt up to their eyeballs. Yep its true, and don't let it fool you! I can happily say that our life is pretty much debt free :) We have a mortgage and that is about it. Oh to be honest, we financed a lawn mower this year. Not because we had to...it was 0% financing for 4 years so I decided that our money would be happier in the savings account earning interest. I could pay it off tomorrow if I wanted to, but why would I when it cost me nothing. We don't have credit card debt. We use our credit cards to earn rewards points but we pay them off every month so we don't accrue interest. Other than that we owe no one nothing :) Everything we own is 100% ours...provided I might not be driving around in a new car and I might not have the best of everything, but I know we have nice things. We have more than most, but we have worked hard for it and we were smart about how we handled our money. Most people can't say that.
We will soon be starting a new year, and it's the perfect time to get your ducks in a row. Take a hard look at where you are and where you want to be in your financial life. Even if you have more debt than you would like to admit you can fix it. Make goals for 2012 and chip away at one debt at a time. Find a place to save some money and put that money into your debt. Don't let your wants ruin your financial future. Sure you can throw those credit card bills in a file and try to forget about what you owe, but it is in your best interest to do something about it now. I wish for everyone to make smart money decisions and be able to have the life they want while learning that doesn't always mean "having it all".
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