Being a Military wife for many, many years it was an absolute necessity to pinch pennies. The Military does not make very much and if you are in the Military or the wife/husband of a Military person, you know I am not telling any stories out of school. Now I do it because we are retired and live on a fixed income. But, I also enjoy it. I love going to thrift shops and finding bargains. The one thrill is finding an outfit I love and it fits, but it is also brand new, at a very reduced price. Some people I know think I spend a lot of money for my clothes, if they only knew!! When it comes to penny-pinching, I like to think I can pinch a penny as tight as anyone. I like getting unexpected checks from the consignment store where I take my no longer used clothes. I always balance bottles of shampoo upside down to get the last drop out. I remember my mother telling me when I was young, "a penny saved is a penny earned", and those pennies turn into dollars. Penny pinching is not about how much or how little you have. You can have all the stuff you want and still pinch pennies. Thats the key, though--the stuff you want. Saving money is about having more of what you want and less of the things that get in your way. So what if youre not keeping up with the Jones!!! Penny pinching is using what we have and re-using, if possible. Not being fooled by fancy packaging and glitzy advertising but being able to appreciate value and usefulness. We have countless appliances that will do every task imaginable. We seek out the latest convenience foods so we can spend less time in the kitchen; we streamline so we can accomplish more and more each day. To me dinner is not from a box; it is a home cooked pot of soup and homemade bread. To me saving money is not a cake mix, but a cake made from scratch. To me life is not always wanting more stuff, but learning how to enjoy and appreciate what I have. Using our time and money wisely so that what inspires, and brings enjoyment can be achieved. Being penny pinching in daily life only brings abundance in the important areas of who we are and what we are all about. It is living the lifestyle you choose, without envying what others have chosen. It is being where you want to be, placing your priorities exactly where you want them. If you have a hard time finding the motivation to be penny pinching or save money, consider challenging yourself to tuck away what you save. It can be very motivating to watch your money grow. Set a bowl or jar up on a top shelf, to make weekly deposits of what you have saved from your money saving efforts. If in one week you bought yourself an outfit at a thrift store for $10 that would cost $30 at a retail store, put the $20 you saved into your bowl or jar. You may need to keep record in a notebook of what you saved before making your deposit so you won't forget. With that thought, just keeping a record of what you save can be motivation enough to start saving money. If you look at it like a job, maybe you'll be more likely to put effort into it. Who wouldnt like to keep a few more of your dollars in the bank? Chances are you could be saving more by using a few penny pinching tips. Check out my web site and see which ideas can help you get a little more bang for your buck. http://www.pennypinching-grandma.com |
