Frugality Forces Americans to Sweat the Small Stuff
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photo credit: Darren Hester
With food, gas, and other prices on the rise, families across the country, and the world, have taken creative steps to lighten their financial load. It can be a challenge, at times, to reduce the budget while keeping the fun factor high, but many families have made the switch, and their experiences can help us all to be a bit more frugal.
Start simply, by changing out your favorite purchases with things you can make at home. Instead of stopping by your favorite coffee shop every morning, purchase an inexpensive espresso maker on eBay, and brew your own each morning, frothy milk optional. Learn how to cook your favorite meals, and make a night of it, enjoying the process of creating a meal and the delicious rewards of your finished project.
In addition to changing your consumption habits, brainstorm low-cost or cost-free activities. For family days, consider taking a picnic to the park, playing a pickup soccer game, and spending the day relaxing on a beach towel in the sun. With your partner or spouse, consider a rented movie marathon, or a bunch of board games enjoyed over afternoon tea and popcorn.
Give yourself time to adjust, since changing habits are not always easy. But don’t fool yourself, little things add up… that daily soda you buy can add up to a cool $5,000 per decade. If you’re in your thirties, that means $15,000 not put toward your retirement fund. Can you afford it?
Tags: Budgeting | frugal living | Gas Prices | Life Hacks
This entry was posted on Friday, July 4th, 2008 at 3:30 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
