We are all getting interested in living on less these days.\u00a0 That is if we haven\u2019t already been living this way.\u00a0 And I\u2019m sure we have always done a certain amount of modest living, in certain areas.\u00a0 Other areas we\u2019ve maybe been a little more extravagant.<\/p>\n
Our generation, in general, has not had to count pennies, or use all of those cute sayings, \u201cuse it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without\u201d.\u00a0 We are going to have to interview all of our grandmas to learn tricks on how to cut corners, make from scratch, or even heaven forbid, do without.<\/p>\n
Food can be an easy area to cut corners.\u00a0 Lot\u2019s of us go out to eat for our food, or we buy premade foods at the grocery store.\u00a0 Cooking from scratch is usually a lot cheaper (only if you\u2019re looking at just a few simple, easy to find, ingredients).\u00a0 Couponing is still popular (be sure to ask your store if they will double coupon).\u00a0 \u00a0Buying in bulk at a really great sale price will make a difference in your budget in the long term.
\nUtilities are often on our \u201cfixed\u201d portion of the budget; there\u2019s nothing we can do about that bill when it comes in the mail.\u00a0 Wrong!<\/p>\n
Research the lowest possible price for TV\/cable, cell phones, etc., and ask them to match, or you switch.\u00a0 Control the usage of your electricity and gas by lowering or turning off.<\/p>\n
Entertainment can be free (or almost) if you do a little research and look around locally.\u00a0 Library, dollar movie house, on foot or hand powered recreation, board games, old fashioned communication on the front porch\/visiting with the neighbors.<\/p>\n
Debt should be paid off as fast as possible, doubling, even tripling, the principle as you save money in other areas.\u00a0 Call your creditors for lower interest rates.\u00a0 Stop charging on your cards.\u00a0 Use cash only.<\/p>\n
Sell all your unused items.\u00a0 Clear out your garages, attics and corners.\u00a0 Begin making sacrifices by choice, before you\u2019re forced to.\u00a0 Downsize your cars, your wardrobes, your toys, your spending habits.<\/p>\n
Luxuries are not gone forever.\u00a0 We just need to view luxuries differently.\u00a0 Most true luxuries are actually free:\u00a0 time, safety, love, happiness, comfort.<\/p>\n
Our attitude will probably need some adjusting.\u00a0 That\u2019s okay, the challenge of that is rather exhilarating.\u00a0 A penny saved is satisfying and motivating.\u00a0 Outsmarting Wall Street and all those sadly misplaced big spenders is what should keep us going.<\/p>\n
We can do this.\u00a0 We should have already been doing this.\u00a0 We will do what it takes and find joy in the doing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We are all getting interested in living on less these days.\u00a0 That is if we haven\u2019t already been living this way.\u00a0 And I\u2019m sure we have always done a certain amount of modest living, in certain areas.\u00a0 Other areas we\u2019ve maybe been a little more extravagant. Our generation, in general, has not had to count […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[54],"class_list":["post-132","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-preparedness","tag-thrift"],"yoast_head":"\n