Small things can save you big!

There are tons of ways to save money, but are you willing to do them?

Some people feel that they will be depriving themselves.  Says who?  OH, that's right, the Jones' or the advertisers.

When did we stop thinking for ourselves?

Sure, everyone likes to have a big house, a big car, a big boat.......  And they also have BIG BILLS to go along with them.  Don't think because someone has more than you, nicer than you, or bigger than you that they are not MORE in debt than you.  And why should you try to keep up?  So you can look as happy as they do, and once the doors are closed, be miserable?

We all lead the life we want.  We all make the choices we do.

We have chosen, after some curve balls, to live a bit more simply.  To not have the newest, fastest, brightest, biggest ______.  (You fill in the blank)

We want to be happy with where we are at.  We want to continue to pay down our debt and enter into the stage in life where we can put a little something more away for a rainy day.

As a couple, we decided that I would stay home and work at making our home a nice place to come to.  To have a garden, to make bread, to have healthy meals on the table.  To knit items for ourselves and as gifts.  To take care of the dog.

How do small things save you big? as the title of this post states.

Well, sometimes it's the little things, done over time that save you money.

Take the time to reuse containers.  They could be glass jars that your spaghetti sauce came in, or the containers that your vegetables came in.

Take time to remember your handmade grocery bags.  They save the environment, which is big.  You are doing something, not just for yourself, but for the world as a whole.

Before you throw something away, think if it could be repaired, reused in another way or recycled.  Such as my trough garden.  These items would have been thrown away into recycle yes, but they will have a much more productive life as a garden.

Look around your home for the appliances that you do not use everyday that are plugged in.  How many do you see?  If they aren't important, meaning the freezer, refrigerator or an appliance you can't unplug, unplug them when you aren't using them.  We have three in the wall air conditioning units.  In the off season, I unplug them.  Do I know how much this saves us?  No, I've never actually worked that out, I suppose I should, but I know that there is a little green light on the plug and it has to be using some electric if it's lite all the time.  I do the same with several lights in rooms we don't use often, as well as the coffee pot and the toaster. 

Give it a try, it's a small thing to do, but can save you big over time.