Would you rather live cheaper or work more hours?

Many of us would much rather go for cheaper living than filling our hours with work to pay higher bills but never make the time to get started or THINK that it is not possible when it really is with a slight adjustment in mindset.

I sometimes wonder how many people are out working to make money to pay for things like food that they could grow cheaper and better for themselves at home.

Or to pay for things that they don’t use.

Or to pay for things that they do use but don’t need.

Related to this is paying for things that you can make cheaper yourself, or make do with something you already have. Instead of instantly thinking to go to the store, have a look at your ‘inventory’ and see what you could make use of instead, or what you may be able to rig up for yourself. It can be a lot of fun and wake up those creative juices as well – which is a sure sign of a happiness and health.

And another big one – spending on credit – then paying interest on the item for months or even years instead of saving, then spending. If you work at funneling your money into your savings instead of onto credit card payment for things that you buy before you have the money for them the money you would have spent on interest goes into your pocket instead and that means less work time.

I’ve been guilty of all these things, finally one day it occurred to me to go for the ‘sure thing’ by working at home for myself and my family starting with the following ‘job responsibilities’.

THE SURE THING

What would that be you may be asking?

It turns out that the sure thing is right up my alley and could be right up yours too.

Mostly it turns out to be self sufficiency and an inner awakening.

• Grow at least some of your own food. In the bargain you may find other things like better health through fresh air, exercise and a sense of peace in nature. Not to mention the feeling of accomplishment at successfully growing a garden – whether it be a few plants or enough to fill your freezer.  It’s not too late to look at growing some of the basics (of course it will depend on where you live) – tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, peas, beans, greens are a few. At the price of fresh vegetables in the stores these days – and the issues such as e-coli and pesticides – it looks might appealing to me. Branch out. Look into backyard chickens for eggs. As weird as it may sound after years of buying eggs, it’s becoming big in some places. It’s quite simple really and enjoyable too. I will be having more on this later. (If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been hiding lately, I’ve been resurrecting my garden loving every minute of it. Pictures are on the way!)

• See what you are paying for but really not using. You may be surprised. Don’t forget to check your online spending – if you have paypal go through your sent payments to see if there is anything you should cancel. Make a habit of really looking at your credit card statements every month – is there anything there that you should cancel? If so resign yourself to taking the time and pick up the phone to make the call. It could be some of the best paid time you will spend.

• See what you do use but could do without. For us it is our tv, internet and phone bundle. There are a lot of things on it that we use but could get by without and I am betting won’t even notice when they are gone. While I was looking on the site to see what’s what I also realized that they have new updated bundles – selling basically the same thing for cheaper. Take a minute to cancel what you don’t NEED and while you’re there, check out any new service’s, bundles etc that may have reduced pricing. Phone companies are a great place to start for this one, also banks.

• Before you buy anything new, ask yourself what you can use that you already have or what can you fix or create instead? A can of paint or a few hours at the sewing machine can add a lot of life very cheaply and make something old become new again.

• Save for your purchases BEFORE you go to the store. This used to be how it was done in the days before credit became so easy to get. And we all know where easy credit has landed us. Get back in the habit of waiting to make your purchase until you have the cash. You will also find yourself automatically spending less on the above – things you don’t need or use – because suddenly that money will be directly effecting your ability to make the purchase that you do really want or need. Take your money to the bank instead of to the store until you have enough to purchase without using credit – this has BIG potential on the larger items.

FIVE THINGS YOU CAN GET TO WORK ON TODAY

1. Grow your own food – start small and work up – every little bit helps.

2. Stop paying for what you are not using.

3. Stop paying for what you don’t need.

4. Use what you have. Get creative!

5. Save before you spend.

How much can you save at your new job?

Try it and see. Don’t forget, every time you make a better effort, you give yourself a raise :0)

It’s great being boss!

MORE MONEY SAVING JOBS YOU CAN DO

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