Because we just weren’t getting ahead, Jesse and I decided to stop using our credit cards last month. Here are some tips that we have been following to help us spend less than we make:
- Always pay your bills first. (The money that goes towards bills isn’t your money – it already belongs to someone else. You can’t just decide not to pay your bills.)
- Always pay your tithes. Prove God and see if He will bless you. Keep in mind that He may decide to bless you in a way other than financially.
- Cut out convenience foods. You can really save a ton by making most things from scratch. (As soon as I started paying attention to this, we cut our grocery bill in half.)
- Eat a lot of oatmeal, beans, ramen, potatoes, and rice. Find foods that really stretch the dollar.
- Only buy directly from your grocery list. If you didn’t need it before you saw it in the store, you don’t really need it.
- To save gas, only use the car when it’s absolutely necessary.
- Fix or mend things that are broken.
- Give yourself a small cash allowance every month, but never dip into your checking account if you run out of cash. Use your allowance to purchase wants (including junk food, kitchen gadgets, or anything that you are capable of living without).
- Cancel any subscriptions or memberships that you don’t really use.
- Sell the stuff you are too busy to use (lake lots, instruments, video games, books, etc).
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