7 More Tips to Save Money, Part 2
Several weeks ago I posted 7 Tips to Save Money, Part 1. Before we get to this week’s list I would like to reiterate part one’s first tip because it’s especially helpful with Halloween coming up: Consider what you already own. Instead of buying a costume, which can be ridiculous, consider what you have around your place. Things like electrical tape are good to write words, toilet paper roles and egg cartons can be easily made into things, and old outfits and costumes you or family haven’t worn in years can be reworked. For instance, this year I found out Alyshia had a dinosaur mask (no idea why) and I had an old wedding dress in my costume bin so I was bridezilla. Sometimes looking at what you have available can lead to greater creativity at a cheaper price. Dressing up is fun, but it’s not always wise to spend money on it.
For this week, here are 7 more tips to help save money and to be cheap… remember being cheap should never hurt someone else. Being cheap should be about creativity and personal sacrifice.
Tip 1: Learn to say ‘no’: We need to learn to say no to pushy people whether a salesman, a friend telling us to buy something we shouldn’t or to ourselves when we want something we don’t need, especially if we can’t afford it.
Tip 2: Learn to go without: We are a society of excess. Most of us can live with a lot less food, entertainment and stuff in general. We’ve reached a point where it’s as if we can’t have a function without coffee and snacks. A lot of times having treats out is nice, but it causes unnecessary temptation for unnecessary calories that make us unnecessarily fat. When it comes to stuff, how many of us just buy for the sake of buying? Whether you’re buying from a mall or second hand store, a lot of people can’t stop buying and filling our homes with more unnecessary stuff. We need to re-evaluate our lives and start asking “Can I live without this?”
Tip 3: Ask people for advice: Get in the habit of asking friends what they do for certain expenses. Ask them if they like their insurance company or if they have a tradesman they really trust. You can save a lot of money and time if you have a list of people to go to when you’re in need of a good mechanic, handyman, counselor (Hi, I’m Chad and I’m a good counselor) or that person who seems to know everyone who can direct you to someone when you need help.
Tip 4: Try to do stuff on your own: A lot of the jobs we hire people to do are actually very simple, and could be done on our own, especially when there are so many resources today with books from the library and the internet to help. If you’re really worried about your ability, ask a friend to do it with you so you have two brains working on the problem. At least if you try there’s a chance you can fix it and save money. Plus, you’ll likely learn something helpful for another time in the future.
Tip 5: Be smart where you cheap out on: I get my car oil changed by my trusted mechanic (www.proserveauto.ca). I could do this on my own, but my mechanic will also do an inspection of my car to make sure everything is running smoothly. This improves the chances of him catching a problem earlier before it gets more expensive to fix and/or spares me from being stuck at the side of the road, which is not something I recommend you trying.
Tip 6: Put things away when you’re done: A lot of us take things for granted and we can be lazy when it comes to putting them away. I once helped a former boss move and he had 4 sets of most tools. Sure, it was partly because he just loved buying tools, but it was also because he couldn’t find the tools when he needed them. Talk about a waste of money.
Tip 7: Maintain what you own: Years ago I was using a wheelbarrow and the wheel popped. It turned out I hadn’t checked the tire pressure in awhile and because it was low it couldn’t hold the normal weight causing it to pop. Had I been more careful, I would’ve saved the $15 it cost to fix it.
This week may you find ways to save money that reduce your stress and make your relationships easier to handle.
Rev. Chad David, www.ChadDavid.ca, Learn to love dumb people