Thursday, June 3, 2010

The Power Of Ten ... Part 2


1. Made from Scratch -- if you normally buy prepared foods or mixes, why not make it yourself instead. this way you control what goes into the dish, meal or snack and it can cost you less in the long run.

2. Reduce your Disposables -- instead of buying paper towels or napkins, pull out your old cloth napkins. in addition to dressing up your table, cloth napkins will keep you from throwing your hard earned cash in the trash bin.

3. Subscriptions and Printed Material -- today's day and age gives us the ability to search the internet for anything we might need, so is it really necessary to spend money on magazine subscriptions. if you don't have access to the internet at home, there are many places and cities that offer free wi-fi connections for public use. don't forget about that hidden treasure that most people never step foot in ~ your local library. instead of buying your next book, check one out fro free at the library. many items can also be reserved through inter-library loan, so just because it's not on the shelf doesn't mean you can't get something you might be looking for. your library will have magazines for you to browse through and best yet it's air conditioned and free! or surf the web while while your there and there is no extra bill for you to have to pay.

4. Holidays -- do you really need to spend that extra money on a birthday, anniversary, wedding or Christmas gift? if you're honest with yourself, you'll be able to say no. while there is nothing wrong with gift giving, it seems that many times the amount of the gift supersedes the event itself. don't go overboard when gift giving ~ make a budget and stick to it. remember, it's the thought that counts not the price.

5. Gardening -- for those of us who love to garden, why not think about a seed exchange? talk to your gardening friends & family to see what they plan to plant. if they have seeds that you might want and you have seeds they might want...why should each of you go out and spend the extra money when you can just as easily trade your seeds for free. best yet, save your seeds from your harvest for the next years planting and this makes your seed swap even cheaper.

6. Credit -- don't use credit cards. this is an easy on that I think could use repeating....if you don't have the cash on hand then you probably can do with out buying it. I understand there are emergency situations that may arise that would warrant the need to use your credit card if cash was not on hand (i.e. car repair, medical/dental emergency, etc.) but really think about what you are fixing to put on your credit card...will the cost of the interest each month be worth the purchase itself or would the gratification of saving to buy with cash make that purchase all the more special?

7. Stay-cations -- we all need time off from work and the daily grind, so vacations are definitely important, but unless the money has been set aside in advance to afford an out of town vacation, consider a stay-cation. people are so busy working and earning the money to pay things they want that most don't get to enjoy their own home. think about staying home for your vacation and enjoying the treasures in your own town or nearby towns that you wouldn't normally have the chance to enjoy. take a bike ride with your family and then have a picnic in the park. enjoy an outdoor concert your city might be hosting. there is a myriad of things you can do to relax but still save on the pocket book.

8. Beverages -- instead of buying sodas try drinking water or make a pitcher or iced tea instead. for the price you would have spent (and even cheaper most times) on a case of soda you could buy a box of tea bags and brew a gallon at a time. this could easily add up to big savings over the course of a month. it would be even cheaper and healthier if you drink more water.

9. Cable/Satellite -- instead of paying $60 or more a month on cable or satellite t.v. service, consider getting a converter box if needed and go bare basic. there was a time when t.v. didn't offer over 300+ channels and you know what...people managed to survive. if you get bored with t.v. then pull out a board game and have family fun night. saving money, binding with your family and creating memories is worth way more than what you pay each month for cable service.

10. Do it Yourself -- although its nice to have someone else wash and wax your car or mow your lawn, it's easier on the budget if you do it yourself. save your money and earn the satisfaction of a job well done by the work of your own two hands.
To read part 1 of "The Power of Ten"...go here

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Terrific list! I was introduced to teh world of cloth when my now 3 1/2 yr old was born allergic to disposables. God blessed me with the cloth diapering mama's I met. Never once had it dawned on me to use cloth instead of paper and now we love it! We save so much money doing exactly what you listed. I hope God leads women who need to read this to your Blog. It's such a wonderful journey to be on :D Have a happy night my new friend!

Keeper of the Home said...

Kristy ~
I had so many cloth napkins that I had tucked away in the buffet for special occasions but never could bring myself to use. Well, one day the LORD enlightened me to not wait. So now everyday we use them...we still have special ones for the holidays. I can buy one roll of paper towels and it lasts us almost a month now. That's a bargain!

~Mrs. M

Anonymous said...

Another good one, Mrs. M!

~CalicoPrairie

Jennifer said...

What great tips! There are always things we can do to save money.

Anonymous said...

Yep, you're right.. that's a huge bargain! It feels so good to change how we live for the better :D I just made more cloth napkins last week. I need many more but everyone counts :)