Cheap Ways To ...

My best money saving strategy is to talk to myself - A LOT. That's right, I always ask myself important questions before making purchases. For example: (1) Do I need or want this? (2) If I need it, have I shopped for a lower price? May this item be rented and returned as opposed to purchasing? (3) How will this purchase affect my short & long term financial goals? (4) Most importantly, will this purchase reflect good stewardship of what God has given me?

I have found these little dialogues with myself keeps me making smart purchases for less, and the leftover portion finds a comfortable place to rest in my savings account. And ultimately, I know all my real treasures are laid up in heaven.

so we figured out we were spending $63 a week on lunch for my husband and I at WAWA - it is sort of like subway but much better they slice the meat right there and it is a conveniece store also. So one day i decided I would figure out how much we were spending for the conveniece of WAWA and $63 is a lot. So i went to the grocery store - ACME (no rocket powered roller skates here) So for a week of sandwiches bottled water and chips it costs us $25 and all the meat and cheese is from the deli counter.

Move to India.

Get on a budget. It's the only way to know what you are overspending on. Get on a budget and give your money a purpose.

A simple way to save money? Easy, volunteer and/or donate. Not only does it make you feel all good inside but it can actually save you some cash. I let my hair grow and donated it to locks of love and got a free hair cut at a great expensive salon ( I almost cried I was so happy they usually charge $50+). I work a couple of hours once a week at a soup kitchen and thrift shop I get free lunch and when I see something I like at the thrift shop they give it to me extremely cheap or free ( I got 10 pairs of knitting needles for free they usually cost at $5 a pair) Oh and the hair stylist was talking about her wedding and how she had a budget and she didn’t know how she was going to manage so I recommended her your book; she was extremely excited about getting the book (True story).

Option #1: Due to the nature of my job, I have to eat a lot of fast food. I normally just order the main portion (hamburger, nuggets, whatever) plus a drink (water, if I'm feeling the need to clear out my pores) instead of going for the whole combo. It's cheaper and healthier.

Option #2: When I have access to a fridge, I like to get those South Beach diet box lunches (available at the grocery store). Not only are they very good, but they're healthier and cheaper than option #1. I actually lost 10 pounds eating nothing but those for lunch for three weeks straight.

realistic budgeting and no fast food on work breaks!

I invested in a dryer rack. I wrote about it in my blog and asked the company if it was okay to use a picture of the rack. As a way of saying "thank you" they sent me another one free. Now I did not expect anything for using their picture or product. The main reason for making the purchase was by hanging my clothes I save $17-$20 a month. I live in an apartment and have to pay at least $1.00 for each load of clothes I dry. Now it cost me 2 months of hanging wash to pay for the racks. So I am getting $170 a year by one simple task! In reality more since my clothes last longer not being beat up by the dryer.

(Besides a budget and not eating out,) my personalized money-saving tip is to not impulse buy. If I see something I want, I wait. If I'm still thinking about it later, then I may go back and get it. If it's no longer there, oh well, I didn't really need it anyway. Plus, I don't pay double digits for any shirts (except sweaters). Patience pays off!

The best way I've found to save money is to set is aside the same day I get paid. When my paycheck is deposited (I have direct deposit), a certain amount automatically gets transferred to my savings account. I thought I would miss the money, but I actually haven't, and I'm surprised how quickly that little bit can add up. My grandma says, "Save your pennies, save your dimes, and you'll be a rich man in no time!"