Living Within Your Means

Living within your means is actually more a way of life than anything else. Sometimes, the smallest of choices can save you pennies, or even dollars. Here are some things that you can do to decrease your spending:

1. When you leave the house, or go to bed for the night, turn off televisions, radios, computers, and anything else electric that you can live without. Adjust your thermostat to the highest setting you can live with in summer, and the lowest in the winter. Unplug chargers when they are not actively charging! All these seemingly small amounts of electrical usage add up over the course of a year. Try to make sure that your faucets
and nozzles are not leaking/dripping, and take showers rather than baths. The price of water has gone up quite a bit, as has the price per kilowatt/hr of electricity. You can actually save $100 or more by year’s end by making these small changes!

2. Shop Smart! When was the last time you visited your local Goodwill Store or other thrift store? Retail prices have skyrocketed unbelievably this past year. You would be quite amazed at the bargains you can find at thrift stores! Many times the clothing is new, with the tags still on, and a great deal of name brand clothing can be found, very gently worn. You can also find good deals on household items, small appliances, shoes, books, infant and childrens items, and much more. Check your local thrift store for special sale/bargain days before shopping. For example, I found an Aeropostale shirt at the local Goodwill Store yesterday in brand new-looking condition, marked at $4.95, and yesterday was 50% off day as well. Sound like a good deal?

3. Watch your grocery store for marked down items. Many grocery stores have reduced prices on bakery items, produce, meats, and many times other things as well. Do not buy out of date items, of course, but often there is nothing wrong with the reduced items. Find out what days/times your store puts these items out, and make it a point to do your shopping then.

These are just a few small ways that you can cut down on needless spending, and come closer to doing the seemingly impossible- living within your means!