Just Say No

I know this will be a touchy post because I think most of us think that we don't waste too much money, but bear with me.

There are dozens of things that we spend money on every month that are not needs, no matter how much we'd like to convince ourselves otherwise. If you can tell yourself to just say no once a month to a few of the things that you so much want to buy, you can save big bucks over the course of a year. It may take a little bit more planning throughout your day, but consider the tradeoff.

For example - eating out. Many of us eat out more than we should because we "forget" to bring our lunch to work, or oversleep and don't have time - or we're too frazzled after a hectic day and just don't have the time or energy to make dinner for our families. To be completely blunt here, most of this is complete bunk. I understand the feeling of being tired after a long day of work, but where is the logic of working an extra hour of overtime for, say, $20/hour (time and a half) just to turn around and spend that $20 (and maybe more) on pizzas for the family dinner because you're too tired to cook?

Just once in the next month, say no to that time when you would normally say, "screw it, we're eating out." Your kids will live if they have peanut butter and jelly for dinner, or grilled cheese, or scrambled eggs and toast (my kids think it's a hoot to have breakfast for dinner). You are NOT obligated to provide your family with a taste sensation at every meal, every day. Get that out of your head. They're much better served being raised in a family that is not constantly stressed about money, and they'll thank you for the lessons later in life.

There are plenty of other examples of times when we could say no, do our bodies and souls some good, and save money. Resist having a cigarette a couple of times a day if you're a smoker. Opt for the office coffee instead of Starbucks a couple of times a week if you're a latte junkie. Go to the library instead of Barnes & Nobles (if you decide after reading a book that you simply must own it, you'll still be able to buy it .. but once you've bought a book and find out that it's worthless you're stuck, since you'd never do something unethical like buy a book, read it, and return it - right?). Make every other "drink" at happy hour a glass of water. Refill your water bottle.

Learn to revel in saving money because you know that ultimately, it's going to help you gain your freedom. Enjoy watching others spend money while you don't, knowing that they're still buying into the hype

Just say no. You CAN do it.

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