Here are some things I’ve done to help change my spending habits:

- Cooking more at home ? Eating out is very expensive especially if you do it a couple times a week
- Shopping online ? You can find better deals than in the store and you save on gas (I recommend http://www.shoptivity.com)
- Paying the full balance on credit cards each month ? Interest charge is like giving away free money
- Don’t forget to pay yourself ? Set up an online savings account (they pay higher interest than a normal savings account)
- Setting a budget and goals ? It’s good to have your goals written down so you see them everyday and don’t lose focus on your ultimate objectives

Again, saving money requires a lot of patience and hard work. However, you’ll thank yourself later on in life. Good luck everyone!! =)

I like what Alan Alda said on Tavis Smiley’s show, “Keep score your way”, from his “Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself” book.

Never buy anything on impulse. Buying is like a craving, if you can get past the moment, it’ll go away. Like #8, when we buy items now, we don’t see the price tag as the cost, but rather the hours we need to work as the cost. We always ask, need or want.

Nate, from the Oprah show, said something that pretty much sums up household stuff. He never keeps anything in his home that doesn’t have meaning to him. It’s so easy to accumulate stuff. Not only does it take your money, but then it steals your time. You have to clean, maintain, and worry about it. Just make sure it is worth your time and the ongoing price. Did you ever notice in interviews of actors, the number that actually don’t own or watch TV. We should take a cue from them ;-)

The best gift of all is “time”. I took time off to spend with my mother who was in a hospice. Talk about financially scary. My father had previously died suddenly. My mother received “things”, but all she wanted was to see her kids, and grandkids. Everyone was so busy working, making money, to pay for the things. Sounds like what young kids want from their parents, not stuff, but time. Rather than buy something, ask your loved ones if they need anything done around the house. When one is on death’s doorway, it won’t be the junk that was bought that brings solace. Really, what special meaning can a mass produced knickknack, made of some material, in some condition, in a far a way place like China, have to a person?

Oprah had a show, “What would you dare live without” where she asked two families to change their lifestyles for 1 week. Which meant, no eating out, drink filtered water, 1 hour of tv or video games, etc. At first it was interesting to see how dysfunctional our families have gotten. Second, it was amazing to see the transformation, especially in the little kids. They didn’t miss the stuff, and were actually reading books.

Beth

For those wondering about Twitter’s usefulness, I was skeptical at first, but now I’m hooked. It’s all about who you follow. I get a lot of tech news and tips (relevant to my work) and find out about a lot of useful things that way. Essentially, it’s become the ‘breaking news’ of useful things on the Web.

I am ‘EdenJaeger’ on Twitter if anyone wants to follow me and I recommend seeing who the people you follow are following to start building up a good list.

Thanks for the links!

Of course, it isn’t always that black and white, but doing this has worked very well for me so far. Thanks for the mention. :)

My personal favorite was Being Frugal’s post on (Not) Keeping Up With Our Parents. Many a financial mistake has been made by trying to “keep up” with parents, friends, etc. My wife and I knew two couples early in our marriage who were good friends of ours, and we constantly compared our situation to theirs. Problem was, they had been working and saving for the first ten years of marriage with two incomes and no kids. We were living on one income with two kids – apples and oranges. Once we recognized we would never keep up with them, financially, we became content with our own financial lives.