Wants and Needs How to Save and Put Money in the Bank

It isn't always easy to save money when prices are always going up and our dollar is not stretching as far as it used  to. Lets face it when a sale at the grocery store used to mean you could get four boxes of pasta for a dollar or three cans of tuna for a dollar it was much easier to save money. As hard as it may be it is still possible, there are many different tricks you can use to save money for that rainy day.

The first thing we need to realize is the difference between want and need. Do you want it or do you really need it? We use this method in our house with purchase that are not obviously essential. Taking the five or ten minutes to discuss a purchase before making it can work out to savings in the long run. It takes real honesty with yourself to do this.

A great way, is to put your change in a jar each day. (Dont touch it or spend it.) Once the jar is full take it to the bank and add it to your savings account. You will be surprised by just how much you can wind up with at the end of the year if you do this. Our jar adds up to anywhere from $35.00 to 50.00 a month, thats $420.00 to $600.00.  

Another more traditional option is to take $20.00 each week and just put it in the bank. Pretend it isn’t there. In one year you’ll have $1,040.00 in the bank plus interest.

If you usually buy pizza once a week, make it instead. You can buy the dough for around a dollar and a jar of sauce and some shredded cheese puts you at around $5.00 to make a large Pizza. If you want to add toppings or make your own dough that’s a great way to save. It can also be a lot of fun if you have kids to include them in the process and let them put what they want on the pie. My kids all love doing this it becomes a great family activity.  We invested in a soda stream a couple of years ago and its does save money especially on pizza night when all anyone wants to drink is soda.

It all comes down to you and what you are willing to do to save money. There are many things we take for granted that we really don't need. Like buying prepackaged meals, you might think you're saving, but you're only really saving time and freshness. If you can stick it in a crockpot before you run out the door you can make your life more convenient.

the goal here is to learn to be smarter about our money and how we spend it. I am always looking for items on sale either at the end of season or after Christmas. Another option is to check online for school supplies or college books. If you can store something, that is a better buy in bulk then buy it, or if you don’t have the space see if a friend or two would be interested in splitting it. We all need to get away from this (I am an island) mentality and realize that your friends or your neighbor may be in the same boat. 

If you're looking for organic there are many farms on the internet that sell beef, pork or even chicken that is organic and not shot full of antibiotics. Pool your money and divvy it all up. You will find that in the long run you are saving money vs. what you would pay in the grocery store. Your friends or family may thank you for including them in the idea.

If you have any great idea’s for how you save money please feel free to share them or email them to me.

Saving money isn’t just about watching the thermostat or turning off the lights. Its about the bigger picture. Remember its starts with baby steps.