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Personal Growth:
How to Live with Less and Still Enjoy Your Life!
By Ellen Corsi
You hear it on the news every day that we are in the midst of “challenging economic times.” I guess it depends upon who you are and what your circumstances look like. With gas prices rising, food prices rising, and all of the services we normally utilize are going up in price as well, now may be the time to “tighten our belts,” as they say.
If you have ever lived with minimalism in your lifetime, it can be a juggling act; however, it can also totally change your outlook on what you really need to have in your day-to-day life. Many of us don’t realize how good we have it; there are millions of people in the world who are in dire straits, with no running water, no electricity and housing that amounts to mud adobes. Think about having to wash your clothing on rocks, for example. If you have traveled around the globe, it is easy to see the differences in lifestyles. For whatever reason the world is the way it is, most people don’t realize how little they can live with when times get tough.
So, you are sitting at your kitchen table looking at all of the bills that just keep on coming, and trying to decide what can get paid and what can’t be paid right now. Go through them, and decide which items could be deleted from your bill-paying list. Really take a serious look at where you are spending your money, and whether these items are really needed, or are just a “want.” When tough economic times hit hard, you need to hit back just as hard. How about your gas credit card? How’s that looking this month? It’s probably pretty high. Are there ways to cut back on your gas consumption? Wouldn’t it be a hoot if everyone carpooled, and all of our errands were run in bunches, geographically, to save mileage on our cars, and gas costs, of course? You can bet the price of gas would drop like a rock. I always tell people that we should be thankful that our gas prices are what they are, because as of a few years ago, people in Brazil pay $6.00 a gallon on a regular basis! You can also take a look at your monthly car payments. Are you driving a vehicle that’s a little over the top for your budget? Cutting back on monthly car payments can really help you breathe again.
Let’s talk about other large monthly payments. How is your house payment looking these days? Are you over the top on the amount of house that you own? Are your house payments eating up your monthly income? A couple of options are to sell the house, buy something less expensive and take some pressure off, or refinance the house. You can save hundreds of dollars on your mortgage per month through re-financing. You can also include credit card balances to consolidate into your refinanced mortgage, which will give you even more breathing room.
Doesn’t anyone cook anymore? Restaurants are bombarded every day with people for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s at least four times more expensive to eat out than to cook a meal at home. Wow, home cooking, what a concept! There is a ton of money in your monthly budget that can be saved each month by only eating at restaurants a couple of times a week. If you do this, it will become a treat again instead of the norm.
How much of your budget is being spent on things that are “wants” instead of “needs?” If you walk through your daily spending, it’s easy to start cutting back on things that you really don’t need, such as, fitness memberships. This is an easy trap to fall into, especially when you don’t use it much of the time. You just keep paying out and paying out, when you can do the majority of exercising in your own home and believe it or not, get the same results! You can even go for a run outside and it’s free. It just takes a little time to put together a workout routine at home with some inexpensive exercising equipment to get you started and on your way. However, some people will say, “But the kids, they need the membership.” I say, tell them to go outside and play like everyone else did when we were kids! We were all in great shape playing kick the can, tag, basketball, touch football, badminton, tennis, swimming and riding our bicycles all over the place. And, we had a great time, too! As an added bonus, we actually knew all of our neighbors. This brings me to sports activities for kids. I never realized how expensive it can be for kids to play, say, baseball. Allowing one extracurricular organized activity will save expenses there, as well.
Do you really need the super duper satellite package or cable service? Many people pay over a hundred dollars a month to get every channel known to mankind. Think about it. Another way to save is to rent movies instead of going to the movie theater. For say, $3.99 you and your friends or family can enjoy a movie without the cost of seeing it in a theater. And, you can make your own popcorn! I like watching movies better at home anyway. I don’t have to listen to that couple in front of me that are talking through the whole thing!
Arbitrary or impulse-spending can be a killer to your budget when it’s time to cut back. When you are in the grocery store line, (because you’ve started cooking again), and you see a $5.00 magazine with the latest on the wonderful people of Hollywood, for example. You can get that information on one of the local network entertainment shows free anyway. Don’t spend your hard-earned money on something you really don’t need. Look at it this way. Sometimes there are “fat” times and sometimes there are “lean” times.
Whatever your circumstance is, and for most people it is a time to cut back, find ways to reduce your monthly expenses and become creative about ways to enjoy the things that you love without breaking your bank account. You will breathe easier, sleep better and really appreciate it later.
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