Memories last forever.
Visiting places always beats seeing pictures.
History is more interesting in person.
People are fascinating. Meeting them and learning their stories adds to the rich tapestry of life and develops compassion, empathy, and good will.
Money will be spent...either on stuff that will eventually be tossed aside, or on memories.
Making memories together strengthens our relationships.
Now for the financial part. First, you must live on a budget and within your means. This is going to involve sacrificing some things you may take for granted, but memories and relationships are worth more than that daily Starbucks cuppa, or salon manicure.
The following are choices that work for us. You may have different circumstances or preferences, but you can make it work!
1. First and foremost....get out of debt! Plug up the leaks in your finances and be aggressive about wiping out debt. The only debt we carry is our mortgage and sometimes a car payment (which is always less than $200/month). Learn to live on a budget that includes a savings account for emergencies, and one for vacations. We learned debt free strategies from Mary Hunt, and Larry Burkett. You can still find their materials at many libraries, Amazon, , online, and elsewhere. Dave Ramsey has an excellent program as well, and many churches and nonprofit organizations hold free classes using his methods.
While you're getting that debt under control be creative about making memories close to home. Game nights, movie nights, and nerf wars are all cheap and easy to do. Explore local bicycle trails, hiking trails, or spend the summer picnicking at every park in a 10 mile radius of your house. Keep your ear to the ground to find free museum days, symphony in the park, or music & art festivals. Facebook is an excellent place to find free/low cost local events. Log in to Facebook and search for terms like "What's Happening in (name of your town)", or (your town) news, or (your town) free activities, etc. Most newspapers have an events section. Nearly all libraries host free programs and events for a variety of ages. Google yours to see if they have a website, or call and ask for the program schedule.
We've often utilized second jobs as a means of adding funds to the vacation account. My husband didn't feel right about taking money from the family accounts for his Africa trips, so he got a part time job to pay for it. I've worked several seasonal jobs over the years. After you get out of debt, make a decision that all extra money will go toward whatever accounts you need to fund, whether it's a tax refund, product rebates, etc. We pay 10% in tithes to our local church, then put 50% into the vacation fund, 10% in the household upkeep fund, and 20% in the car upkeep fund, and 10% in the emergency fund.
3. Research and Plan!: Time is money. I used to dismiss this old saying, but have discovered that it's absolutely true! That's why we say that we "spend" time doing one thing or another. If you want to save money you need to know costs first. If I'm in the market for shoes I never wander into a shoe store and buy them. I look online at several stores to see what's available, and how much it costs. Sometimes I get a better deal in town and sometimes it's online. Spending 20 minutes doing research saves money because I won't spend $100 for the perfect shoes in town when I can get the exact same ones online for $60 including shipping or visa versa.
I keep track of how much regularly purchased groceries/toiletries cost at the different stores I frequent. Sometimes I need to go to several stores in a shopping day. That day I'll buy groceries in a piece meal fashion so I get the best prices at each store. Another day I might only need three items and it doesn't make sense for me to stop at several stores, so I'll pay a little more for one or two items but only stop at one store. It evens out over time.
Speaking of shopping...if you don't have a plan for shopping day you'll spend significantly more than you wanted to. Determine what you need and which stores to go to. Include all your stops...post office, bank, friend's house, church, gas station, etc. Choose the most efficient route and keep the weather in mind. For example, if I'm dropping off something to a friend I'll leave my grocery shopping until last so my milk doesn't get hot in the car during summer. Try to do all your errands and shopping on the same day. This saves gas, and money! The more often you walk into a store, the more money you're tempted to spend. I don't cruise Ebay, Etsy, and other online shops, or watch infomercials, etc. because I'll be tempted to buy something I don't need and will regret it later. I'll search for something specific on those sights when I'm in the market.
If you plan when and how much to spend, and plan to save for a reason, it's much easier to make spur of the moment financial decisions and ride the waves of unexpected expenses.
4. Cook at Home: Restaurant food eats through your budget faster than anything else, and it's much less healthy. Learn to make simple dishes at home. Even if you rely on frozen and canned food as part of your recipes this one cost cutting measure will save you significant money. You must plan ahead to make it work.
If you tend to drive through and grab a burger and fries for dinner, invest in premade frozen burger patties and frozen fries. Pop the fries in the oven while you fry up the burger and you're eating for pennies in the same amount of time you would've sat in the drive thru line. Or buy burger in bulk and cook it all on the weekend. Precooked hamburger patties warm up in less than a minute, and tacos are a quick assembly when the meat is precooked and seasoned. Add precooked ground beef to macaroni and cheese, casseroles, burritos, enchiladas, spaghetti, etc.
If you love Olive Garden's chicken alfredo, plan to make it at home. Precook and season chicken breasts on the weekend. The day you want to eat it, make the alfredo sauce while you boil the pasta. Alfredo is simply butter, cream, and parmesan cheese. Toss together prewashed bagged salad, a bag of croutons, and your favorite Italian dressing, and you've got a meal in 10 minutes for next to nothing. My all time favorite dressing is Garlic Expressions. I find it in the produce section...usually on a small unrefrigerated display.
5. Ditch the cable or satellite: We live in a rural area and still pick up 8 or so channels with a tv antenna. What we can't get on tv, we stream on the computer, rent at redbox or pick up at the library. The best place to find movies, tv shows, music, books, audio books, magazines, and more?....the LIBRARY! Most libraries have a large selection of media to choose from, and it's FREE when you get a library card. Ask if your library is part of network. We live in Alaska. Our library is part of a large network including most other libraries in the state. That means we have access to all those collections. I can place a hold on an item from another town's library, and it will be shipped to my library for pick up. I use the item, drop it off at my library, and it's returned to the owning library. This service is FREE! You'll soon be spoiled watching your favorite television series on your schedule, and without annoying commercials. While you're there, grab a cookbook to try out a new recipe for a picnic, family gathering, or Sunday dinner. The whole family can enjoy an audiobook together on a road trip, or try a vintage night...turn off the tv and listen to old time radio programs on CD while you play, cook, sew, etc. like Grandma & Grandpa would've done.
6. Buy second hand: Thrift stores, yard/garage/estate/rummage/tag/junk sales, Craigslist, & flea markets are your friends! Just like cars depreciate so does "stuff". This has become something of a sporting event for my husband and I every summer Saturday morning. We head out to peruse the goods around town, then stop off for a cup of coffee and conversation.
The key to buying second hand is knowing what you're looking for. I keep a running "thrifty wish list" in my phone. For example, I'm currently in the market for a headboard for my son's Nemo room design. I know I need a full size headboard for the space and I have an idea what I want it to look like. The measurements are in my phone, and I keep a tape measure in my car. I don't want to pay more than $25 for it either. Now that I have some parameters it's easier to pass up stuff that doesn't fit the criteria. IF I find the PERFECT headboard, I might be willing to pay a little more for it, but I'll shave the difference off of the budget for the rest of the room.
Don't hesitate to buy fabric items that can go in the washing machine, or dry cleaner. I wash hair goods...barrettes, combs, brushes, etc, baseball hats, and the like in the dishwasher. Just remove all the hair first. Baseball hats don't lose their shape in the dishwasher like they do in the washing machine. Vintage hats can be brushed & steamed to clean and sanitize Most will also benefit from a reshaping touch up anyway. Check out this video for some basics on steaming and hand blocking hats. You can use a steam iron, electric tea kettle, or garment steamer to generate steam at home.
Look for clothes, hats, belts, purses, jewelry, household goods, tools, DVD's & misc media, books, hair goods, bedding, fabric, sewing supplies, toys, board games, nerf guns, etc. Also look through "free" boxes of junk where that one treasure might just be lurking!
I never buy fully upholstered furniture because you never know what's on it. I will buy and reupholster hard framed items.....like dining chairs or benches though.
I also skip used underwear, socks, tights, and worn shoes. I'll snag those types of items if they're still new in the package, or have new tags. I'll pick up shoes if they look new or nearly new. Check the inside for dirt and see if the writing where the heel sits looks clean and new. Check the outside bottom of the shoes for wear. Once a person breaks in a shoe for their foot it won't ever fit your foot correctly.
7. Just Ask: Ask for discounts. Most mom & pop shops, antique stores, flea markets, etc. already have a standard discount built into the price for those who just ask. At major retailers you can sometimes buy the floor model for a large discount if you ask. I snagged a $120 holiday lawn ornament for $10 at Target because Christmas items were 70% off, it was the floor model, there were no more in the box, and it had a small broken piece which I easily fixed in a matter of minutes.
Don't forget to let people know when you're in the market for something. You'll be amazed at the stuff people are willing to part with if they know who it's going to. When my children were younger I traded my sewing skills for meals, house cleaning, and babysitting with my non sewing friends. I've traded sewing supplies, fabric, tools, clothes, toys, books, etc. for helping people pack and move.
Be creative. If your neighbor has a lawn mower and you don't, offer to maintain it all summer, or offer to mow both your lawns if he'll let you borrow it each week.
Be responsible! People don't like to have their trust broken, or feel ripped off. If you tell someone you'll do something...DO IT, and do it well. No excuses. If you gain a reputation as a user you'll soon find doors closed to you all over town.
8. Separate Needs From Wants: This one seems to be the toughest for most people. Do you really NEED to have a manicure every week, or could you learn to do it yourself? Do you really NEED to have a brand new wardrobe every season, or could you just spend an afternoon getting creative with new combinations of your current clothes, getting rid of stuff that doesn't fit, and making a list of what you need to complete an outfit or two (which would go onto your thrifty wish list)? Do you really NEED to buy a tool, gadget, fancy serving platter, etc that will be used only once a year, or could you borrow one from a neighbor, or rent one in town for the day? Do you NEED to own 500 classic books that you might read once every 10 years, or could you borrow them from the library?
I had a friend who was constantly fretting about money, and always asking how we could possibly afford to go on vacations. One day she washed a load of brand name jeans with a tube of clear Chapstick in a pocket. Everything came out with grease spots. I asked her why she didn't just use a little Dawn dish soap to soak those spots and launder again. She said she'd thought about calling me because I'd know a fix for it but she really didn't feel like dealing with it, so she threw them all away and bought new ones. Sometimes we become so caught up with mini issues that we lose sight of long term goals and end up wasting money.
All you really NEED is food, basic clothing, & shelter. You must spend money acquiring and maintaining these things, but spending wisely now saves later. Wholesome food will save on doctor bills, regular dental visits and good hygiene will save on dental bills. Learning to clean, fix, and makeover things you already own will save a ton in the long run. Filling up your home with stuff will cause you to spend more time cleaning, & organizing, which leaves less time for making memories. Be selective, thrifty, and disciplined in your approach to living. Making wise choices now saves money later.
When determining what qualifies as a need or a want, ask yourself these questions:
1. Will my life be detrimentally affected for the long term if I pass this up? NO...pass it up
2. Do I have the CASH to pay for this item right now? No...pass it up
2. Do I already own something that serves the same function? Yes...pass it up
3. Can I borrow or rent this little used item when I need it? Yes...pass it up
4. Will I save a significant amount of money if I learn to do this myself? Yes...pass it up and start learning.
Don't try to cheat these questions either. I have a relative who is a master at talking herself into impulse purchases. As a result, she pays for several storage units and has a house full of stuff, but no savings, vacation fund, or cushion of any kind. Every unexpected life issue is a major crisis for her.
9. Where To Spend: I'm sure some people think I'm an absolute cheapskate, but knowing when & where to spend and when to save is what counts.
Weighing time and money...There are some things I just don't want to spend the time to learn because I won't utilize the knowledge often. Making a corset is not high on my to do list, but I wear corsets with some of my costumes. I spent a lot of time researching corsets, and invested in one good quality corset that will last several years. I also don't want to learn to do leather work. I found a leather shop that will custom make anything I want. I've spent significantly less on a couple of nice custom made leather satchels than I would have on buying the tools, materials, and classes needed to do it myself.
You may not be interested in learning to sew, but investing a little time and effort in learning some mending techniques will save you money. Learn to sew on a button correctly, hem pants, and take in a waistband. You simply need a needle, thread, and scissors for this. I use either black or white thread for mending and all my other sewing, except for decorative top stitching. There are still many people around who can teach you these skills. Ask at church, club meetings, the library, etc. You can also learn these techniques on YouTube, and Pinterest.
Buy the best you can afford...I'll spend $100 on a pair of good leather shoes that will last me several years before I spend $40 on cheap synthetic shoes that tear up my ankles, pinch my toes, start to stink, and fall apart after 3 months.
The same goes with clothing. If the fabric quality and construction are shoddy, the clothes will never look good on anybody. Even when I buy thrift store clothes I pass up anything cheaply made. This almost always includes Walmart brands. Take the time to look at and feel fabric, check the seams, buttons, zippers, and armpits, and learn what the good brands are. Many thrift stores don't price a cheap brand differently than a good brand, but even if they do, it's still much cheaper than buying it new.
Investing in quality also applies to kitchen items. I've been using the same set of stainless steel soup and sauce pans, cast iron skillets, glass mixing bowls, Corel dinnerware, and Pyrex casserole dishes for over 25 years.
Final Thoughts: Both my grandmothers lived through the Great Depression. One always used that old expression: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without". I'm eternally grateful to them both for imparting their frugal wisdom to me. With a little self discipline, a lot of planning, and a dash of creativity my family has a treasure trove of great memories that binds us together.
No comments:
Post a Comment