Staying away from the cringe-worthy idea of “broke” takes patience just as it does to change any lifestyle such as switching your diet from glottenous to gluten-free. The goal is to comfortably pay for the things we need with plenty left over to indulge in the things we want. I can remember learning that 70% of retail alone was on sale and from that day forward I no longer paid full price for 70% of my purchases, rather I have the cash or not.
Pay Attention And Do Your Homework
Look into advertisements and promotions for what is actually being offered to you by reading fine print and asking questions. Remember, the smartest one in the room isn’t the one who knows the answer but the one knows exactly where to find it. After collecting information it’s time to draw up a plan. The money saving method that works for your life is no one’s business as long as you have earned what you have and know how to keep it. Sacrifice is easier when you see it’s promise but that requires you to put in a little work and draw up a few plans until you get to the one you put on your wall, copy to your phone, and haunt yourself with until it becomes a way of life.
Study.
Dedicating a very any portion of time to brainstorming and pulling together ideas on possibly cutting corners can be annoying but it’s temporary. Actually, once you come up with a plan that works for you those corners won’t even be missed. Your master plan to saving or moving around monie can always be placed away once you get a hold on your finances then revisited if needed. Visit the websites of warehouse programs, your employer, educational institution, banks and almost anything you are associated with because they may have benefits. If you have already accumulated or can earn valuable rewards for free or at a discounted price, why pass that up?
I enjoy finding out at the register that I’ve earned money off the total or best of all, a choice in a free promotional item. Call customer service or go to the website of every group you belong to and dig for those benefit some companies don’t want you to know about. Most free benefits require you to do something on your part such as shop or dine in on certain days, present your retail card during a purchases, apply for a credit card with amazing rewards or shop through their website. Remember to do your part and stay consistent to see results.
Do a project or two.
Success takes trial and error. Clipping coupons doesn’t keep you from leaving them in the car or forgetting that you loaded them on your phone. You may be one who checks emails early in the morning and would benefit from holding an email solely for retail. Linking your cards to [legit] reward programs to ensure that you get the benefit without having to do anything additional- For example, groupon members receive 10% at certain restaurants when you swipe the same debit/credit card as the one linked to your groupon (http://www.groupon.com) account rather it’s pick up or delivery. All you have to do is click a button and it’s an automatic 10% off of every purchase.
Review your plan then edit.
Discipline is a must when turning over your habit or lifestyle. You will have to edit your plan many times but will rob yourself of the results if you don’t stick to it. Small practices can seem like they make invisible differences like unplugging electronics that you aren’t using or turning off the lights everytime you leave the room. These free and simple practices are making a snowballing difference that allows you to either save or spend in other areas.
For another example, I dedicate all of my gas station trips to Costco because it is not only discounted but I have already paid a membership fee. Of course a Costco station isn’t always around and it is so tempting to just run to the next convient one. To stay consistent, I have conditioned myself to schedule visits to the convenient locations near work and or home on specific days regardless to how close I am to empty.
After collecting your data such as receipts and began to add your progress, you will the see how small practices (such as gas) has made a huge difference. P.s. most receipts ask you to do a small survey on how they are doing but some surveys guarantee either a nice discount on your next purchase or a meal possibly with more than the one on the receipt. Either way cashing in a meal for a meal isn’t bad so why not add that to the plan?