Living on credit is fashionable. Indulging oneself is fashionable. Saving money isn't.
This is a pity, as it has much to recommend it. You have more peace in your life. The end on the month is simply a date on the calendar, rather than a countdown to the next pay-cheque. Purchases born of necessity can be made comfortably. Employment becomes a career, rather than a means of survival. You can look your boss in the eye, rather than dreading his gaze.
Why? Because you've saved up some money.
Take the cringe-factor out of your life. Erase the dread of the small hours. Put some money in the bank! You may not be able to increase your earnings, but you can decrease your outgoings. This has the same effect as getting a pay-rise; more money for you.
How to save money?
Simple!
Examine what you spend it on.
Then, erase fripperies.
Vices: drinking and smoking are habits that kill you slowly. Save up for your hospital care by giving them up. Your lungs, liver and family will bless you.
Gambling. Gambling is folly. There are only three games the player can use skill to alter the odds even slightly; horse racing, poker and blackjack. These take years of dedicated and expensive research to get good at. And you don't get rich. All the others will beggar you quickly if you play them. The odds are stacked against you, deliberately, by those who own the game.
Luck favours the bold, special need, or those under the protection of the saints. Betting is not brave, it's a compulsion, and no god watches out for gamblers. Examine the feelings that surround your impulse to gamble; you will find they eat away at the energy of your life.
Food. There is food that nourishes, and food that enervates. The former is cheaper: fresh fish, fruit, vegetables, clean water. The latter is more expensive, more garishly packaged, and more poisonous: potato crisps, sweets, fizzy drinks, burgers. Consider that you don't fancy junk food if you are sick; your body knows it takes too much energy to digest, and does not nourish.
Clothes. Do you need to buy fashionable clothes, so you can look like everyone else? If you need to blend in, fine. You can be sure the leaders of fashion don't. They head to charity shops and buy Harris tweed and old lace for pennies. They get suits made to measure by sweated labour in Thailand. That's how they get that 'unique' look. What's that, you don't like the idea of sweat-shops? Guess what, that's where a lot of fashionable clothes get made anyway. It's called 'outsourcing' and 'offshoreing'.
Automobiles. Running a car in the UK costs about ?5000 ($9000 USD) a year, all-in. Save, by buying a second-hand auto. Save, by buying a less powerful, more fuel efficient model. Save further by thereby getting lower insurance and road-tax.
Personal foibles: I used to buy a lot of internet magazines. These cost up to ?5 each, or about $10 in USD. I found a lot of information about the internet, was already on the internet, so I stopped buying the magazines. There are very few papers or magazines worth reading. Find the few that inform, rather than titillate, waffle or distract. Visit the local library, it's free. Drop in to a 'Borders' bookshop, and have a free read.
Debt. Don't buy what you can't afford with someone else's money. Credit cards are an expensive way of getting a loan. Try your friends or relatives first. Your local credit union is a good option; better rates, better terms, friendlier faces. Better yet, don't borrow. Live free. Keep away from the loan-sharks. You can manage without that holiday.
Put your saved money in a high interest, 180-day notice account. Put it in a bank different to your current one, in case the latter goes bust. Make a mental note that it's for emergencies only, then contrive to live 'safely'.
Save up enough to last you a year and a day off work, and notice how much calmer and confident you feel!
About the author: T. O' Donnell (http://www.tigertom.com) is an ecommerce consultant in London, UK. His latest project is a loan and mortgage calculator, available at http://www.tigertom.com
monthly home cleaning Buffalo Grove ..You can learn the secrets of world monetary flow if... Read More
Let's quickly review the principles discussed in the first part... Read More
In my last article on Creating Residual Income I mentioned... Read More
As you know, we're now well and truly in theInformation... Read More
Loose change that is, if you want a easy way... Read More
The idle are a peculiar kind of dead that cannot... Read More
In light of the dominant mindset overshadowing the market these... Read More
According to Wallace Wattles, in his popular wealth treatise called... Read More
Let me ask you a very simple question. Do you... Read More
What is "The Commodity of Kings""Power is simply "the ability... Read More
A surprising number of readers want to know "Can a... Read More
I counsel a LOT of people about money. I see... Read More
There is no questioning that the amount of unclaimed money... Read More
Simple tips on saving can very often make quite a... Read More
I have given many prosperity lectures over the years and,... Read More
Living on credit is fashionable. Indulging oneself is fashionable. Saving... Read More
Is the ghost of "Money Past" haunting you? Do you... Read More
Money is probably the most challenging thing for many people... Read More
Have you ever asked yourself what your highest income producing... Read More
There are many forms of investing online. While I can... Read More
As a woman Netpreneur, I sat down via e-mail with... Read More
In today's unpredictable global economy, you obviously never know what... Read More
A residual income is one that comes in no matter... Read More
For most of us, the idea of retiring simply on... Read More
Uncle Sam and his band of merry-men, better known as... Read More
scheduled maid service Mundelein ..I want to share an experience I had in common... Read More
How Much Money Will I Need to Earn to Retire?This... Read More
Yesterday we learned that 74% of all wealth is created... Read More
The inability to come up with the necessary cash when... Read More
Imagine being able to steal untold millions of dollars in... Read More
Whether an established conglomerate or a fledgling company, a business... Read More
It's no secret that the market goes UP...the market, goes... Read More
What if I were to tell you that almost everything... Read More
It's the beginning of a brand new year: a time... Read More
Every day you work is one day closer to your... Read More
There are many wealth creation strategies and investment techniques available... Read More
For most of us, the idea of retiring simply on... Read More
Want to be one of the lucky ones on the... Read More
You know about compounding right? You understand what pyramiding your... Read More
As someone who loves to shop, enjoys holidays and owns... Read More
If you're reading this article, it means you are a... Read More
No one has complete control over their thoughts. But with... Read More
Self-Made Millionaires are not smarter or better than you. They... Read More
Is the ghost of "Money Past" haunting you? Do you... Read More
Key 1 Pay your self firstkey 2 Saving is not... Read More
AS THE MARKET FLIES HIGHER, GOOD BUYS ARE BECOMING HARDER... Read More
Bottom line. No exaggeration. No hype. If you want to... Read More
Is it hard to get rich? If you're young, not... Read More
U.S. Supreme Justice Louis D. Brandeis"I live in Alexandria Virginia.... Read More
You can learn the secrets of world monetary flow if... Read More
Wealth Building |