Money Talk Matters

Posts Tagged ‘saving’

Ahhhh the weekend, what to do what to do. There was already at least one appointment on the schedule and I was not going to be late. Yes Ladies, it was the hair appointment. The children already knew what they were supposed to prepare for breakfast. The weekend was not scheduled to be a “big” weekend full of expenses. YEA!

Hubby and I talked prior to my leaving to get my hair done. As I was driving to the hair salon, I remembered that I had a few bags of clothing and toys that I wanted him to take to one of the places I like to donate items tooo. I would be thinking about dinner since I didn’t figure out Saturday’s dinner earlier in the week when the twins and I had planned the meals. We had soo much fun we are doing it again the coming week. Believe me, it makes it quite easy on the wallet.

There really was not a money discussion this day. We planned to have some fun with the kids and once I got home, we’d all go to the library and get more DVD’s for school and family fun. I am truly enjoying how much fun they are having with the Earth Science and Life Science DVDs. They are grasping the concepts and are able to explain to me what they saw. Pour it in, pour it in – children are like sponges.

Money and Marriage Lesson for Today:

1) Be secure in working your plan, knowing that everyday you may not have a financial discussion. You may have to make a choice when it comes to money. Be sure to remain focused.

2) Be creative and see if you can go a day or two without spending any money.

Money and Marriage Encouragement: You get out of your money and marriage what you put into it. Don’t get caught only making withdrawals!

This week we have been talking about saving money and it is only the beginning. There are people reading this that will say I want to save money but I have so much debt I don’t think I can. If I wanted to save, where would I start. I am soooo glad you asked that question.

Here are some quick ways that you can save money:

1) Not necessarily a new one but have you done it? Eliminate the latte’s in the morning or soft drinks at work. Put that money in an envelope every time you are about to go and purchase a soft drink or a latte. Make sure that you have either taken some bottled water with you in place of the soft drink, or purchased it at the local grocery store so that you are not spending that money in vending machines. As for the latte’s, make your own at home.

2) At the end of each day, empty out all the loose change in your pocket or purse into a jar and you will be surprised at how fast that money adds up. This is something that we have even done with our twins. They are on their second piggy bank. They are looking forward to the day when they can go and cash it in. No hurry just keep adding to it.

3) Re-evaluate every bill you have. What can you eliminate or reduce. Could you be paying less for a service or do you really need a service or is it more of a want? I have been of the mindset that if it is a service that you can turn back on such as cable, long-distance then you can do without them for a period of time. For example instead of long-distance service – use a calling card for a minute if necessary. 

4) One of my mom’s favorites is BROWN BAG your lunch. Alright that does mean you have to be creative with your lunches so that you do not get bored and fall into the trap of spending anywhere from $6 to $10 for lunch 5 days a week. On the low end if you work 5 or 6 days a week at $6 that is $30 to 36 and over 4 weeks that is $120 to $144.

5) Stick to your grocery list when going to the store. Don’t buy anything extra and do not go to the grocery store hungry! Hmmm, that will definitely get you in a lot of trouble.

Listen, I know to save money takes commitment and STRONG WILLPOWER. What will saving money mean to your life, your marriage and your family? What is the result? If you think about the result, it makes it all worth it.

Don’t forget to stop by www.AmericaSaves.org .

As in most things in life, you should have a goal. So when it comes to Saving Money, you should have a realistic goal for the year. You should be looking at your income, your expenses and what is the amount you would like to save by the end of the year. Sure it is the last full week end of February and March is right around the corner. You have 9 months left… what are you going to do?

Your goal could say for each month, I will save x amount of dollars and put it into this account. If you have not chosen a bank account yet that you want to put your money into.. do your research and see where you would get the best return. Whether it is a bank account, money market account or even a CD. Do your homework.

I remember many many years ago when I was teaching finances online to a specific group the different online accounts that we discussed were ING, FNBODirect and EmigrantDirect were the ones we talked about. Do your research and see what is the opening amount you need to have, how much has to be maintained and if there are any fees associated with the account. All of those factors make a difference. When it comes to money, you must pay attention. No pun intended.

Set your goal and go for it. I encourage you to go to www.AmericaSaves.org and see what resources they have available regarding goal setting as well. Until tomorrow…All it takes it a START!