If you still have your job, you should be saving money every time you get a paycheck. If not, you will find yourself at the mercy of whatever happens in your “short term life.”

WAYS YOU CAN SAVE NOW

1. Start looking around your home for the things you don’t really need and may not even want anymore. Check out what people are purchasing on Craigslist.com and Ebay. Have fun raising extra money. When you “raise” extra, save extra.

2. Do research at least 2 – 3 nights a week on the internet on ways you can save (coupons, coupon codes, extra income streams).

3. Stop watching television or at least stop watching live TV. Television boosts your exposure to buying things you don’t need. You could use a large amount of your “television time” learning how to boost your income outside of your regular job.

4. Whenever you leave your home to go shopping or shop on the internet, make your list of needs in advance and STICK TO THE LIST ONLY. You see so much marketing that you must begin to see it for what it is: A way to get you to spend more. Have a plan – stick to it.

5. Look for ways to entertain your family by using the internet to swap DVDs and other entertainment means. Look for book swaps and other entertainment swaps.

6. Cancel any memberships you don’t regularly use.

7. Keep a journal of each credit card or debit card purchase. Spending with a credit or debit card is what merchants call an “easy purchase.” Make it more difficult. If you are responsible to write down every purchase, you will learn more about your behavior and how to increase saving by reducing spending.

8. Move to generic brands for medicine and other products. You will be amazed at the cost savings and you will also notice the quality is excellent on many generic products.

9. Prepare more meals at home and avoid eating out. This includes inviting friends over to your home instead of going out. You’ll save a ton and find that it is even more fun.

10. Brown bag your lunch and charge yourself a daily fee for lunch that goes directly to savings.

11. Go thru your cell phone bill and look for any fees or services you can remove. Cell phones are almost as bad as credit card companies.

12. Call your cable provider and tell them you must reduce or eliminate your cable bill. Tell them you would love to keep cable, but it is too expensive. Talk to a supervisor if you have to. Many will give you a reduced bill for a year or even two. Oh, and put the money you save in actual SAVINGS...or you are not saving anything.

13. Always ask for fees to be waived. This could include your credit card or any other thing. You see a fee? Ask that it be waived. And save the actual money in savings.

Please remember: Your checking account is a money laundering account for other people’s money. Use any excuse to push money to savings again and again.

Get your money working for you – not YOU working for your MONEY.

HELPING YOUR KIDS GET AHEAD

In this country we don’t do enough to teach our children about money, managing money, saving regularly (and automatically), compound interest and steady investing for a long-term future. As a parent, we are always concerned that they get a good education and go to a good college so they can make a lot of money or have a valued career path. The truth is that we could do our children the biggest favor and one of the best things by sharing with them sound saving and investing principles.

You can join our free Facebook group (or have your children do it, too) by searching in the Facebook bar on your “wall” for “Live The Lifestyle Your Family Deserves.” Click on “become a fan.” It’s free and it ties our free blogs into that group.

If you want to give your children the same information we are giving ours, you can purchase the only thing we sell on any of our blogs or groups. It’s called “How To Survive Any Financial Crisis” and you can get it for only $4.95 at www.middleclassmoney.com.

Thank you for reading our blog and good luck!

Loyd Ford
www.stickyasset.com/blog
www.middleclassmoney.com
www.boostmywealth.wordpress.com
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www.stickyasset.com