A unique look at saving money
Needs vs. Wants–that sounds boring, but read on and you will find this years shopping fun
Nobody wants to say it, but many people this year are going through financial hard times. The economy is struggling, friends are losing their homes and lay-offs are happening even through the Christmas season, but there are many steps you can go through to help get financially fit and give yourself some control over your budget .
1. Quicken has a new software that is free for managing a budget
2. Your Chase credit card has a great tool now to help you schedule long and short term payments
3. Manage your phone minutes and make more calls on your home phone line
4. Eat more dinners with family at home
5. Buy less and save more
6. Only make purchases with your ATM card, never use credit cards
7. Take staycations rather than vacations (vacation where you live and save the airfare)
8. Shop at discount websites like Amazon for a good deal before you buy
9. Be content with what you have (that’s a tough one)
The list could go on and on, but one of the best measures you can take to save money is learn to buy your needs rather than your wants. Many people have been living so comfortably, for so long, that have forgotten the difference between a need and a want. Needs are requirements for life. They are the gifts your parents bought you at Christmas that you didn’t want. But now your needs can become your wants. What do I mean? You can have fun shopping for needs just like you shop for your wants. The only thing you need to do different is the shopping part.
Here’s what I mean. When you want something you often shop at multiple locations, do research and find the best item you can afford for your money. To make your needs shopping more fun do the same here. Shop at multiple stores, draw-out the process, don’t buy the first item you see, make it a game. In other words enjoy the process just like you do when you’re shopping, because you know what you’re doing – you are shopping.
Have fun and Happy Holidays
One last thing… do it with friends, that always makes shopping even better 
Have you ever used mint.com?
Don’t laugh, but if you haven’t been to a dollar store recently, you will be amazed at what you can get and how much you can save. There are several categories of items at dollar stores. The first is stuff made just for the dollar store market. Here you can find three, four, even eight ball point or liquid ink pens for a buck, salmon packets (just right for a great sandwich), fruit, food, first aid stuff–the list goes on. When the grocery stores were selling those little seedless watermelons for $2.49 each, they were a dollar at the dollar stores. Toys, kitchen items, aluminum foil, you name it.
The second category of items is failed products. “As seen of TV but no one cared” items. Lots of interesting things here, such as electronic games that must have sold for $30 now a dollar.
Third category is overstock. THe manufacturer just made too many and is now dumping them. Laser pointers, cell phone chargers, USB cables, all a dollar.
Fourth category is food that’s going to go out of date soon. BOxes of crackers (I’ve seen Cheeze-Its), canned goods, cookies, candy, etc. with only a few weeks before expiration, all a dollar. Yes, the $3 box of food is now only a dollar.
I’ve gotten some excellent kitchen knives there. So don’t think the dollar stores are full of junk. Give them a try. The 99 cent only stores and DOllar Tree are two around here that have some really good stuff.
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