Thursday 13 - Conserving - 5/15/08

In today’s economy I am finding it necessary to seek out ways to save in order to stretch my budget. Well, if I am ever going to be able to buy another GREAT pair of shoes guilt free, streamlining my expenses is a necessary evil.

It’s not that I buy everything I want, but I like to fool myself into believing I can buy anything I really want. (This is not a truth, but you know if you can fool yourself long enough, your mind will give in and let you believe it. It just makes everything easier.)

Well back to my original thoughts, over the past month or so I have been writing down ways to save, things that I can reduce or eliminate entirely. I have to say that trying to be frugal is hard for me.

So here goes:

1. Turn off lights when not needed. (I am one of those people that just leave the lights on when I leave the room, well because I will be going back in there sooner or later.)

2. Replace old light bulbs with the energy efficient ones. (I have only replaced 3 to date. Those bulbs really cost a lot, but I know in the long run they will save more.)

3. Make a grocery list BEFORE going to the store, and only buying the items on the list. (I seem to make many impulse buys as I am rolling thought the store.)

4. NEVER grocery shop when I am hungry. (This will save me. I don’t know about you, but if I am hungry, I will buy like there is no tomorrow.)

5. Cancel my fax phone line. (I have done this already. This will be a savings of approximately $30 per month. I have had this phone line for 12 years. Who has a phone line just for faxing anymore? This was a hard thing for me to cancel.)

6. Check water level in each wash load. (I started this a few months ago, when my water bill was $90 for 2 people. It is saving about $10 to $15 per bill. I have one of those extra capacity washers. I had no idea about how much or how little water I needed, but I do now.)

7. Comparison shop auto and home insurance. (I don’t mean get some fly by night insurance company. Compare my current rates with another reputable company or 2. Check with my current insurance company to be sure that I am getting all the discounts that I am eligible to receive.)

8. Cancel telephone company answering service. (I can use my answering machine even if I can’t get a message when the phone is in use. I am not that important! A savings of $4 per month)

9. Change cell phone plan. (I have done this. I changed my company to go with one that offered free calling to 5 numbers, plus I reduced my plan. A savings of approximately $22 per month.)

10. Check cell phone plans at my other cell phone company. (Yes, I have 2 cell phones! I know I am crazy, but somehow it just worked out this way. In my defense, I work away from home and I have a fear that I won’t be able to call for help if I need it, so with 2 phones, I feel more secure. As you can see I have “a thing” about phones.)

11. Organize and make a list. (To avoid useless driving and wasted gas, to make sure I know why I am going out and have my errands listed in order . I feel that I will be able to save in many ways doing this. This one will be hard for me to incorporate into my mind!!)

12. Pay for gas at the pump. (This way store personnel will not see me crying….only kidding. This will stop me from buying a snack and a coke, plus help my waistline. A savings of at least $2 per fill up.)

13. List all expenditures for a month. (Now this will be hard for me, but I believe it will be helpful. I am sure this will be the last one I will do.)

Saving is not an easy thing. I am going to do my best to do all the things I have listed above and more as friends and family discuss their plans to off set the rising costs of so many things.

For me I think planning and organization will be 2 things that will save me the most for the long haul. Maybe I will save so much and become so frugal I won’t even care about GREAT shoes!!