Home is where the heart is — You still want to go out and have fun, but how about cooking at home and then going out for a drink and a small appetizer with friends? It saves money, and home-cooked meals are undeniably healthier. Consider inviting friends over for drinks and healthy, homemade snacks, and enjoy reconnecting in a more intimate environment. For healthy snack ideas, find a Trader Joe’s in your area and check out all the selections they have to offer.
The little bag that could – Bagging your lunch saves money on food, tips, and gas money, plus, your meal usually turns out healthier. Consider the possibilities of having an hour to sit, relax, network with coworkers, take a walk, or read a book. Environmentally friendly lunch bags are available at local retail stores for under $20. Online shoppers should look into ACME Bags at www.reusablebags.com.
Walk this way – It’s good for the heart and wallet. Gas prices may have dropped for the winter, but we have yet to know what summer will bring. Hayden Hollingsworth of East Meadow, NY agrees that walking is a great idea and says, “On the weekends, I generally try not to drive. From Friday night on, I generally will stay local and walk to the supermarket and local eateries.”
Trail of savings – Gym memberships are expected to increase by 4% in 2009 as mentioned in Forbes’ “Ten Things We’re Still Buying.” Choose not to join and save an average of $300 to $600 a year, depending on the gym. Connecting with nature can be very calming and allows you to work out on your own time, no rushing to get a machine at the gym or trying to squeeze in time before it closes (since not all are open 24 hours). Ask a friend to join you on a nature trail, then enjoy dinner together at your place—another money saver in itself!
Pump up the piggy…bank, that is – Even if you put $100 a month into savings, it’s a start. Allow it to build for 6 months and pat yourself on the back. You can also set up an automatic withdrawal from checking to savings. Seeing the figures increase will be motivation enough to keep it up. Citibank customers can use the Recurring Transfers option via the company’s website to process internal transfers from one account to another automatically and free of charge.
Cash for your thoughts – Make it a vow for 2009 to use cash and not credit cards. When confronted with impulse buying, give yourself 24 hours to sleep on it and re-evaluate the importance of this particular item in your life.
To be or not to be thrifty – Using cash is one thing, but shopping during sales is another. Try to plan your shopping around holidays, but do your best to avoid large crowds and potentially troublesome situations.
Give your clothes the cold shoulder – Not only does it reduce utility bill costs, it decreases the energy used to heat up the water. Washing in cold water is also said to help retain the brightness of clothes. According to the U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, “ENERGY STAR clothes washers clean clothes using 50% less energy than standard washers. Most full-sized ENERGY STAR washers use 18-25 gallons of water per load, compared to the 40 gallons used by a standard machine.”
A bright idea – Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs, also recommended by ENERGY STAR because they are said to “…use about 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer, save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb’s lifetime, produce about 75 percent less heat, so they’re safer to operate, and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling…” Visit www.energy.gov for more ways you can save both energy and money.
Ameenat Kadree of Baldwin, NY also suggests visiting your local library for movies, music, and books, carpooling, using dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers during low peak times, growing your own food, washing dishes by hand, walking or taking public transportation, and withdrawing a specific amount for the week from an ATM machine instead of using a debit card.
Wasting your money can drain your bank account and eventually your emotional life. Sadly, financial issues are often related to marital troubles. Too often we forget that the simple things in life are the most fulfilling. Make it goal for this year to focus on simplifying your life. Be smart about your money now, and soon enough, it will begin to flow into your life.
Article originally posted on the VM Blog.
Trish Parkans is a health-conscious, part-time vegetarian who is currently addicted to yoga and Pilates. She loves kayaking as well as music, animals, traveling, paintball, skydiving, and anything adventurous, fun, and relatively safe. She hopes to inspire people through writing to think more openly and peacefully about the world we share.