Speaking of Saving Money....an article I wrote in 2010

http://voices.yahoo.com/speaking-saving-money-5445941.html?cat=3




Speaking of Saving Money



Speaking of saving money, there are some things you can do. Normally one of the easiest places to save money is on groceries. Buy less, eat less or buy lots of rice and beans. Both of these things seem to go a little further than average. You can also make lots of fry bread. All you need for that is a little flour, water and oil.



Well most everyone knows how to save money on groceries. So instead of cutting back on groceries there could be something else you could do depending on where you live.



You could take your lunch and snacks to work with you. You could share lunch with a co-worker. (Taking turns of course.)



You could walk to work. This is only a good idea if there are sidewalks if not it's not worth the effort. It's better to just not work if you will have to walk in an area that has no sidewalks. It's just not safe.
You can save money by going to bed earlier, turning the lights off and keeping them off more. Not having pets is another way to save money.



Maintaining your own vehicle will also save you some money provided you have the ability to work on your own vehicle.



The ability to change your own oil, tires, brakes, etc. is not only beneficial it is a very good way to save money.



Staying healthy is the greatest way to save money because if you get sick, you may find it difficult to work. Not having an income can cause you to have serious problems in all areas. So this is very important, stay healthy, so you don't spend all your income on medical bills, or worse end up losing your job, and acquiring a lot of debt.



You can use coupons to save money; you can share some items with someone else. For instance instead of buying a new lawnmower if your neighbor has one, ask to borrow it when you need to cut grass. Also remember to return it as soon as you're done. Always return any items you borrow in excellent condition. Remembering to fill up the gas tank, and check the oil. It is not only polite; it is the right thing to do. Never ever borrow any item that you cannot return in excellent shape.



Every little bit that you are able to save will help you to reduce your cost of living. Prices on many things are just very high. So look for items you need on sale, clearance and reduced prices.
This can be a great way to buy things you need.



Ok, so besides the normal things I mentioned above, just how can you save a lot of money?
Well, let's say you have a rather large family, or several close friends. All of working age, with jobs of course. Now this will not work for everyone but may work for some people. What you do is rent a house just big enough for everyone. Then everyone pays part of the rent or mortgage, utilities, groceries etc, and everyone contributes to a central fund for day to day living expenses.



If enough people are able to work together like this no one individual has the whole burden of supporting everyone. With cooperation, this can be a great way to save money. Without cooperation, and lots of understanding this can also be a great way to have a very bad headache.



Finally the best way to save money is to not spend no more than you need to ever. Wait on any major purchase, even wait on small purchases.



Set aside money for things you may want. Even setting up a personal "lay away account" for items that you may want, putting aside a certain amount every week. But instead of just paying the lay away out to a store, pay in to yourself. Then if you still want the item several weeks down the road, you'll have the money ready and available.