I have recently joined a new Yahoo group, one I found from the Refundcents.com website. These women are discussing their monthly shopping budget, sharing ideas on how to save money and encouraging one another to set some goals (or budgets for spending).
SavingCentsEveryday's goal is to provide you with the links, resources, ideas and best of all, a community to share as we all venture to save our time and money in 2009. I hope that some of you will take advantage of this blog forum, attend a SavingCentsEveryday workshop, and join the Good Deal Alert. Remember, it's an investment in your future -- and, if we all have our eyes and ears out for a good deal (and share it here) -- we'll all be that much closer to our goals.
For me, my goal is to improve upon (and use frequently) the organizational tools that I share with you -- and those are what make saving money a reachable goal. When we can streamline the process and commit to what may start out as a new routine -- it does get easier.
Someone recently asked me during a workshop how much time it takes to save money. I replied that it is like any other hobby, job or lifestyle change you wish to learn. There is a new process, a new routine, and if you don't resist change -- you'll have more change in your pocket at the end of the month. There's a learning time -- and then a time when you realize that not only is it worth it -- it can be fun!
To answer her question in plain, number terms: I probably spend 2 hours a week at the tasks involved in saving as much money as I do. If that seems like alot, consider that I have revolutionized my daily routine with tools and resources which save me a whole lot of time too.
When I go shopping, I save an average of $30-50 dollars at any one time. Do the math and you can see what I made for my time well spent. Multiply that by 4 and you can realize what I save in one month's time. That $200 dollars is only in cash register receipts for food & household. That does not include coupons I've printed off the Internet (or received in the mail), freebies received in the mail, money saved when online shopping, money saved on monthly bills (promotions and calls to Companies to get the best deal on services, etc), comparison shopping savings, freecycle/trading successes -- the list goes on....
Time and Money are precious resources -- and it takes one to make the other. I take seriously my daily life and, of course, factor in a whole lot of family time and "memory making" time.
As my children get older, I am seeing that the time I spend saving us money and getting the best deal (not to mention the organizational skills) -- they are picking up on those. So, even that time spent is time well spent. They value their money, time, resources -- and they often ask "where's the best deal" -- or at least realize that money needs to be intentionally spent.
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