25 ways to stretch the dollar

Money, they say is the root of all evil. It’s not the money itself that is evil, but the lust for it,that if left uncontrolled, can get you into some bad situations. Believe it or not you do not need a ton of money to survive and make it through life. Consumerism’s past hype wanted you to believe you had to have extravagant things and you must keep up with the Jones’, commercials boasted New and Improved products that you must have and services that you don’t need. The truth, now we are all beginning to realize, is that many people have been living beyond their means. Because of the recession many people are now finding out they need to be frugal and very careful with their money and how they spend it. Here is some of the best money advice I’ve heard:

1. Make use of everything. Get creative and see what you can make with things that you normally would throw away. How can you use those bread wrappers or an empty milk jug or plastic grocery bags?
2. Put cash into an envelope and that is all you have to spend for the week, period. You run out of cash and that’s it.
3. You don’t need brand names, the generic is usually just as good for half the price.
4. If you don’t have it, don’t spend it!
5. Make a grocery/errand trip only ONCE a week and try to prevent yourself from spending on impulse items. Whatever you forgot to get will just have to wait until next weeks trip. Make do or do without.
6. When finished with a whole turkey or chicken, put the remaining bones and little bits of meat into a crockpot, cook overnight and you have broth to make soup or stew with.
7. Ask yourself when purchasing something, do you really need it? Figure out your needs vs. your wants. Give yourself a week to think about it. If you still want it after a week, then try to find it at a thrift store, yard sale, online, ask friends or neighbors if they know of where you can purchase the item cheaper.
8. Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without. Waste not, want not.
9. If you can’t pay cash, then don’t buy it.
10. Learn how to cook good meals, so you don’t go out to dinner or grab fast food. Make it a rare occasion to eat out. Cook ahead and store in the freezer, that way you won’t be tempted to go out. It’s cheaper than buying frozen meals and is fast and easy on the nights you don’t feel like cooking.
11. Put $10 a week into a savings account and don’t touch it, forget it’s there and then by the time you’re ready to retire you’ll be set.
    Only buy what you have money for RIGHT NOW! Don’t gamble against the future, because you could easily lose.
12. If you want something you don’t have the money for, SAVE for it.
13. Don’t live beyond your means!
14. Don’t have a problem with buying used, used can be just as good as new and sometimes even better depending on the item. You don’t need to buy things new.
15. Recycle anything and everything that you possibly can. Reuse, reduce, recycle. Make it your mission to be frugal and have a more frugal mindset.
16. Make a shopping list and stick to it. Determine your shopping budget , how much can you or are you willing to spend on groceries this week? Stick to your budget, even if it means putting things back.
17. Buy fresh vegetables and fruits and freeze them if you won’t be able to use them all before they go bad.
18. Eat leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day, you can throw something else in them to make them a little different, so you’re not eating the same thing again. Make your food stretch out as much as possible. Throw little to nothing away. Save the little bit of vegetables left over from a meal and throw it into a gallon bag and freeze. When you have a full  bag take it out and see if there’s anything you need to add. Add chicken or beef to it and now you have a free vegetable soup from leftovers.
19. Live below your means and plan for a rainy day.
20. Practice delayed gratification. This has almost died out in our society with the majority of people, until now that we are in a recession. Everyone wants everything they want now and they can use a credit card to get it now, but they will pay double, if not triple for it later. Now more people are realizing just how consumerism and the frantic need to buy, buy, buy or buy above your means, can hurt everyone.
    Turn off the lights, don’t use as much water, be mindful of how much electricity and water you are using. Cut down the thermostat and put on a sweater or cover up with a blanket.
21. Realize you don’t need to replace a perfectly good item and if it doesn’t work you may be able to repair it before replacing it. Try to repair first and then replace if you cannot fix it.
    Buy quality stuff that will last a long time.
22. Don’t eat out frequently. You don’t have to completely stop eating out, but drastically reduce the amount of times you eat out. Limit yourself to maybe once a week or once a month, by how much you can afford and how much you are willing to budget on eating out.
    Realize that true happiness does not come from having stuff. Money or objects will never make you happy. You will only continue to have an insatiable appetite and thirst for more. Break your bad habits now and realize that LESS is MORE.
23. Separate your needs from your wants and use a very sharp knife!
24. Ask yourself how many hours of work will I have to put in to afford this? Seriously think about it and then think if it’s worth it to you or not. Then think, is it really worth it?
25. Skip the convenience foods and cook yourself. Stop buying soda and drink more water, milk, juice or maybe kool-aid or lemonade. Use powdered milk for cooking.