CUT BACK !
Are you trying to cut back on your expenses using a dull knife?
North, south, east or west it’s almost impossible not to have a friend who is finding it difficult to deal with today’s economy-and yes that does mean people from “all works”.
The best vaccine-“the cut back on expenses injection”. Has immediate effects and you will be feeling like a bowl of cherries the next day…did I mention no Doc’s prescription needed and that it has zero costs?
How do we begin the medication?
We concentrate on a few small things and train our minds to “budget think before we act”! Spending, consuming energy, cosmetics, pleasures –they work like little blisters- we only feel them after the damage is done !
Don’t make the big things priority when we think of our expenses (car payments, the mortgage due on the house or the huge credit card payments we somehow accumulated over the months).
Concentrate on the small things! Think of David and Goliath-“the small helps to take down the big ”.
Take a cup of espresso for example. If we calculate 4 cups a day-we are spending over 50 euros a month on coffee. If we make 5 “useless phone calls” per day on the cell phone-even considering a low ball expense of 40cents per call, you are spending over 50€ a month-if you’re a smoker, and smoke a pack a day, you are spending over 80€ a month-if you are drinking 2 coca colas/or other “deadly over marketed items” you are spending over 50€ a month.
For all of you “spendaholic’s” here is the perfect spending list-it could save you anywhere from 50€-200€ per month; abuse it all you like !
*Spend less time drying your hair
*Spend less time under the shower-a simple cut back of 5 minutes per day
*Spend less time driving and more time walking
*Spend less time in commercial centers
*Spend less time with the washer/dryer/dishwasher
Lets really see what “David” is worth after 30days.
Coffee/50€…Cell Phone/50€…Cigs/80€…Soft Drinks/50€…“Spending List”/50€
Grand Total: 280€ per month-and that’s not even including the occasional “it’s on me” when in company.
280€ can really come in handy when paying off one of the “Goliath’s” at the end of the month. Even if you cut back 50% -you will still be ahead 140€ a month-so we don’t have to sacrifice our life’s pleasures completely! Keep in mind the more we add to our “Spending List” the bigger the savings. This helps the bad times go by easier while we await the “balance of economy” to bounce back to normal.
Chef Guerrieri
1 comentários:
Well, I would like to tell you about a few rules I have, and two principles I have adopted,mainly concerning food and clothes.
The principles: seek for balance and go open minded.
First, some simple rules for the
Supermarket:
1 - start to make a list as soon as things start to run out.
2 - Check everything before leaving the house.
3 - This way you won´t be bringing things you already have and missing the ones you truly need.
4 - Each week replce a product ( juice, for instance)for one similar, but cheaper.
5 - For cleanings, try the products from the supermarket without a brand.
6 - Try to stick to the list.
Try to achieve balance: if you buy a really nice expensive fish, buy cheaper meat.
7 - Don´t buy already cooked food, it is too expensive and you won´t learn how to cook.
But, at the same time, you must be open minded: if they are having some nice offer, even if it is something which you didn´t considered before, buy some portions and put it on the freezer.
For clothes I do almost the same.
1 - I only buy expensive things, like a coat or a suit, on sale or at the outlet.
2 - That kind of clothes should be black, brown, grey, dark blue or white. They must be well taylored, have great quality and be able to last a few seasons without looking old fashioned.
3 - A classical suit is always safe, don´t go for nothing too shining.
4 - Leave colours for cheap things like a scarf, a bracelet, a t-shirt, something you can put away next season, when colours change, again!
5 - That way you´ll still look great with your grey suit.
6 - If you go to the outlet, don´t buy the first thing you see, ask them to keep it for a few minutes. Go see the other stores, think for a while and then make a decision.
Don´t forget if the coat isn´t black, but dark grey it will have to manage.
Soon, You will lookin sharp, and richer. With that extra money one can always take a trip, payed in cash!
Yours, truly
Sofia, Oprah, Rocha
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