30 Day Money Challenge: Learning to Spend Less
This is part 3 in the 30 Day Money Challenge
Just in case you missed Part 1 Learning to Live on Less and Part 2 Free Date Night
I talked a lot about living below our means and not giving into temptation with things we don’t need in part 1 of the series. Today we are going to talk about spending less. We should all be wanting to spend less so we can save more and get out of debt. Why throw away our money on useless things when we can save it for things we need or want like vacation (my husband would say that’s a need 🙂 or a good downpayment for a house later. Here are some links to a previous series I did on how to save money and be environmentally conscious.
Saving Money On Your Electric Bill
Learning to save money is a gradual concept. We can’t just expect to wake up one day and become a pro. My husband and I are learning this everyday! Sometimes my husband encourages me that it is ok to spend a little money and to not be so uptight about not spending anything.
One thing we do that works really well for us is using a cash system for groceries, personal spending money (I get $15 a month unless money is really tight then I get nothing), date nights, and bathroom products. That way when we run out of money we run out and we can’t spend more then we have! It all started when are bank couldn’t figure out how to send me a debit card with my new name on it and how to send it to my address and not my parents. After they tried about 8 times we gave up and said forget it we don’t need a debit card! Crazy to think I Amy do not have a debit card! But for me, this has helped a ton, because I used to just swipe my debit and not even think about it. Didn’t have a budget or anything. If I needed more money I just moved more over. Now I can’t do that and I can’t spend more then I should!
Stay tuned for the next part where I talk about budgeting!
What are some ways you try to save money?
This was part of the Homestead Barn Hop, the Morris Tribe, Sew Chatty, Sew Can Do, Craft-O- Maniac, Homemaker on a Dime, Frugally Sustainable, Thrifty Decorating, Real Food Forager, Jam’s Corner, String Town Home, Deep Roots at Home
Ways I try to save money: Almost always order water when going out to eat, don’t use paper towels unless necessary, if I want to buy something for myself I think about it at least a week and end up talking myself out of it. Works for me!
I do all of those except the waiting a week! Thats a smart idea! Some things I will buy on the spot like my craft dresser thing. But most things like clothes and stuff I just avoid since I know I can’t afford them! But when we actually have money to spend I will definitely use this trick! Thanks for sharing Sarah!
Great post, found you through Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways and looking forward to following you!
I cook almost everything from scratch and we raise our own chickens for meat and eggs. This summer we have already butchered 18 chickens for in the freezer and we have another 4 turkeys to butcher in fall and 20 laying hens for eggs. It is nice that we don’t have to buy our poultry in the store. We also butcher our own beef (we share with our extended family. One beef is too much for us) and our own pork! A bit of an investment in buying the animal and some hardwork for a day ends up saving us lots of money on meat. (Thanks to our parents for teaching us while we were growing up how to butcher animals)!
Cindy that is amazing! I wish someday we can have our own little homestead. Except I couldn’t raise meat anything I have attachment issues :)! But I respect that you do it! Its so much more eco-friendly, sustainable, and down right awesome! Thanks for sharing!