I
hope to make 2019 my year of spending less money in order to put more of it
into my savings account. I want to
retire early and do some traveling and in order to do that I'll need to pad my
savings accounts to ensure that I can manage it. I will most likely take a part time job or
work seasonally until I hit my full retirement, but if I really want to retire early,
and I do, I need to be prepared. The best way I know of to save more of my
money is to spend less of it.
One
of my goals this year is to use up what I already have in order to avoid spending money. Using up or making the things I need from
items I already have in the house will do many, many things. It will save me from having to run so many errands.
I will save fuel in my car, wear and
tear on my automobile and most likely a lot of time from needing to go
somewhere to purchase stuff.
I'll
be able to create my own gifts and cards for those I love and it will enable me
to enjoy a lot of my favorite hobbies in the process. Homemade gifts can be tailored specifically
for the person you are giving them to so they are much more personalized. They are also usually much better made and
constructed too so the quality of your gifts is higher to what you might buy in
a store.
I'll
be able to use up things I've already spent my money on so it won't go to
waste. It will also allow me to
declutter my home in the process because I'll be bringing less stuff into my
house while using up what I already have.
That is certainly a win-win.
Spending
has a tendency to put us into debt, especially if we have an unexpected expense
crop up that we aren't prepared for. For
a lot of us spending money, especially mindless or impulsive spending, creates
stress and anxiety. Perhaps not
initially, but if we overspend eventually it catches up to us and no one enjoys
feeling like that.
Saving
money and building up a nest egg actually has the opposite effect. It creates a sense of calm and wellbeing. And as that total on our balance rises it is
empowering. Anxiety and stress is now
replaced with joy and excitement.
One
of my self-improvement goals I set for 2019 is to live with more intent and purpose. This year I want to make sure I spend my hard
earned $$ more purposefully and with intent.
I really want to take a moment and put some thought into where I choose
to spend my money before I hand it over.
And in the meantime I will sit back and enjoy watching my savings
account grow.
Intent and purpose are great words to live by.
ReplyDeleteI think so too. It is really setting the bar with my decision making lately.
DeleteDoing these types of things is the only way I can foresee any extra savings. My budget is tight and is what it is. But the good news is a penny saved is a penny earned and hopefully in the future those bits will add up. I don't know about you but I get discouraged a lot. I don't see how people blow and go like they do. I feel like I am the only one not taking a vacation, not eating out, not buying "stuff", not doing entertainment on the weekends, etc. I know I only have one income (single parent) and others make a lot more money than me but I just don't see how they do it. Maybe they aren't really doing it and it just hasn't caught up with them yet?? I just try to focus on the positive - we are blessed, fed, homed, and slowly saving for the future. I guess sometimes that has to be as good as it gets. The homeless crisis in California and other parts of the world have certainly been a wonderful reminder to be thankful if you have a home,food,etc.
ReplyDeleteI was able to pull fabric, thread, batting, etc from my stash to make the baby quilt. I will start cutting that tonight. So that is money saved - a good thing! If I can wrestle up a box the right size (I think I have paper that will work) I can save myself the cost of a gift bag for the quilt. If not they are only a dollar at dollar tree.
Don't get discouraged. You are doing so well and have a lot to show for it. Those that seem to have and do more just have more debt and you can't tell me they don't get discouraged every time those bills come due. Keep that in mind.
DeleteGreat work on that quilt project. So wonderful that you had everything you needed on hand to make such a great gift. That has to make you feel really good.
Yes!! Very good advice on how to save money. When you aren't shopping you can read, garden, cook, work on crafts, stitching etc., etc.! OK. I'm in!
ReplyDeleteYaaay! So good to have company on this journey. :0)
DeleteThe girls have college ahead of them which is really expensive. They are smart so will probably get scholarships, but that may not be enough. How are you planning to handle that?
ReplyDeleteI am not planning to handle any of it. My girls have jobs and are great savers. It is up to them to put themselves through school, just like I did.
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