So, we've come to the end of our series on money. It hasn't been earth shattering, but hopefully it's served as a good reminder to make a budget and use your money in a disciplined manner whether it's cash, debit, or in rare cases credit cards.
I would like today's post to simply be about some great money saving and earning ideas I've come across and personally used. If you have other things that have worked for you, then by all means share them with all our readers!
1. Pay down your debt starting with the smallest amount first. This way you will see payments disappear faster. For example, if you have $2,000 on a credit card, and a $150 medical bill hanging over your head, pay the $150 first. You will have COMPLETELY wiped that bill out, and can move the $150 over to help paying off the credit card.
2. Find things to sell. Whether it's maternity clothes you know you won't wear anymore, toys the kids have outgrown, that stationary bike collecting dust in the corner, sell it. It's all worth money! Use ebay, cragslist, your local consignment shop, or a good old fashioned garage sale. Put the money you earn in a vacation fund, use it to pay off extra debt, or put it into savings.
3. Eat in as much as you can. I will admit, there are those days when I call my husband and have him pick up a pizza on the way home, but that's rare. Not only is it healthier to eat at home, it's WAY more economical. You can cook dinner for about 1/3 of the price of eating out.
4. Look in your local paper, or websites to find cheap or even free outings you can do with the kiddos or the hubs. Many zoos and museums will have free days.
5. Have clothing swaps with ladies from church or work. My friend and I did a scarf swap. We bagged up our scarves and swapped them for a couple months. It gave us new accessories for FREE!!!
6. Clip coupons. I did that just this morning. A coupon for 25 cents off something may seem immaterial, but clip 4 of those and you've just saved a dollar. Savings is savings is savings. This is important, only clip coupons for things you would buy anyways. Don't clip a coupon for something you won't use, just because it's good deal.
7. Swap out services with your friends. Babysitting is a great example. Watch your friends kids one week and ask her to do the same for you the next week. Or, if you're a hairstylist, offer free cuts in return for handyman help, or sewing lessons.
Please feel free to list some other ways you can help your financial situation. If there is some topic that you would like addressed regarding finances, please let us know and we can do that.
Stay tuned for the next couple weeks. Jennifer and I are working on a special series called "14 DAYS OF VALENTINES"!!!! So break out the red and pink construction paper and follow our blog for cute and original valentine activities, gifts, and recipes.
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