Money Saving Tips - Ten Years in the Making
I used to be a photographer. Yes, I got paid. No, I didn’t make a living with it. Along with taking photos I had a blog that is no longer in existence. But before I canceled the website, I downloaded it all into books. I was scrolling through the other morning and came across this post. I laughed and then was so encouraged to see where God has brought me in 10 years. So when you ask how long I’ve been doing this, at least this long. (But really much longer.) Without further ado, here’s a way-back throwback. Keep reading to see how I do things a little differently now. And at the very end you’ll see a few bonus money saving tips as well.
Best Money Saving Tips
Monday, November 14, 2011
I have a little thing for organization and re-purposing and de-cluttering. (Some of you are thinking right now, a little thing? Yeah, right! Liking those things also includes reading blogs and magazines that give tips and ideas on those things. Recently, while de- cluttering, I came across a reader-response “article” in which readers answered the question, “ What cutback has saved you the most money and changed your life the least?“
Here are the quick versions of some of the responses that you can find in the link above:
• stop highlighting hair
• drop cable (I’ve done this and it’s been amazing!)
• using cloth instead of paper napkins and paper towels
• public transit
• bringing lunch from home (I always do this)
• stopped buying wrapping paper (I do this mostly – using brown paper bags, etc that I need to get rid of)
• eat less meat
• stop using dryer sheets (I do this – it’s better on your clothes and dryer! You can buy dryer balls to reuse forever.)
• eat out less
I’d love to hear your response to that question.
Heading out for a photo shoot, circa 2011.
I thought it would be fun to update you on if I still follow any of these money saving tips all these years later. I’ll put my new commentary in bold below.
• stop highlighting hair - I’ve never highlighted my hair and still don’t
• drop cable (I’ve done this and it’s been amazing!) - I only have basic cable
• using cloth instead of paper napkins and paper towels - always cloth napkins, occasional paper towel usage
• public transit - I think I put this in there because I lived in the city, but I’ve never actually used public transit except from the airport
• bringing lunch from home (I always do this) - still do this 99% of the time
• stopped buying wrapping paper (I do this mostly – using brown paper bags, etc that I need to get rid of) - I just use up what I have and then get more (neutral) when I need it
• eat less meat - “less” is a relative word but I probably eat less than the average American?
• stop using dryer sheets (I do this – it’s better on your clothes and dryer! You can buy dryer balls to reuse forever.) - I never looked back when I stopped using dryer sheets but it turns out dryer balls don’t last forever, just a really long time
• eat out less - yes, yes, yes!
And how about some bonus money saving tips for you?
• make your coffee drink at home
• set up automatic savings with your bank
• check your money and drop subscriptions and memberships you don’t use anymore
• use the library (for audiobooks, movies, and games too)
• drink mostly water
• make a list for the grocery store and stick to it
• meal plan and shop your pantry first
So, what would you add? What things have you found that help you to save money?