Monthly sacrifice.

[MeganFyne]

I've decided in order to help save, I'm going to make one sacrifice a month. It will just be for a month so I know that it won't be forever and will be do-able, and also setting goals and keeping them can't be bad. This little project will also force me to take an honest look at my life and where I'm wasteful. Hopefully it will be so easy I'll incorporate more than one on a regular basis.

Ideas:

• alcohol in the house
• fancy coffee
• any store-bought coffee
• buying lunch
• dropping off my laundry instead of doing it myself (I don't have a washer/dryer - there's a laundry room in my building but it closes at 9pm for some reason)
• Wednesday Breakfast cookies (I don't go in to work until 11 on Wednesdays and usually walk to work and stop by a cafe and get a coffee and a cookie)
• bottles of water/seltzer
• alcohol at all
• books (I'm an addict. I'm a book addict. I will use my library card I promise)
• energy drinks
• notebooks (oddly I always forget my notebook and when I have ideas I like to write it down so I just go buy another one. I have about 20 notebooks with the first 3 pages filled out)
• cabs

Any other ideas? Anyone with me?

 

[beansmom]

for me it would have to be travel then shopping and impulse trips to the market.

 

[annsteere]

"Cabs" looks scary to me. Other than that, any of the choices look doable. Good luck.

I pick two or three months (Jan, Sept, and maybe one summer month) per year and go "cold turkey"--NO impulse, optional spending for the month. I can see how your plan might be easier.

 

[MrsPete]

Sounds a little like the season of Lent.

 

[DisneyCrazyX5]

I live in a very rural area so my list would be very different then yours.
I enjoy hearing from others who live in other areas of the country and how our expenses are different.

Hang clothes on the line instead of using the dryer
Make only one trip to town a week for groceries and errands.
buy pre-made pizza instead of ordering

 

[MeganFyne]

Sounds a little like the season of Lent.

Well yes, but it's that last 10 days that are killer. I'm omitting them

 

[MeganFyne]

Ah another thing to add to my list - fancy cheese. This sounds ridiculous. I know that it is ridiculous. But I love really good cheese. Aged Gouda, Epoisses, Bavarian Lindburger, Roquefort. I'm in fact a nerd and spoiled brat about it. I will give it up. (unless, of course, someone hands it over for free!)

I am going to start tomorrow (in the literal sense - April 11, 2011)
I am going to major in fancy cheese with a minor in books. I'm only going to go to May 9th though, because that's my birthday!

 

[MeganFyne]

I live in a very rural area so my list would be very different then yours.
I enjoy hearing from others who live in other areas of the country and how our expenses are different.

Hang clothes on the line instead of using the dryer
Make only one trip to town a week for groceries and errands.
buy pre-made pizza instead of ordering

I also enjoy hearing about others! How wonderful that something brought us all together! I don't have a clothesline but I'm sure I could use my indoor drying rack. Also, pre-made pizza instead of buying is a good tip for me, too!

 

[Disneybuckeye]

This is an interesting plan and you might even learn that you can live without certain things easier than you might of thought. I pack my lunch everyday and walk to the library to get books, but I'm sure if I put on my thinking cap I can come up with something. Every penny saved is more for Disney.

 

[pigletto]

This is an interesting plan and you might even learn that you can live without certain things easier than you might of thought. I pack my lunch everyday and walk to the library to get books, but I'm sure if I put on my thinking cap I can come up with something. Every penny saved is more for Disney.

Agree with this. While you try this experiment you may decide that there's some things on that list that you can't go without. And you will also likely find yourself thinking "Why in the world did I waste money on this stuff?" to other things. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing thing.. but cutting back even in a little in all of those areas will net you quite a savings.
Also, if I may suggest.. it is so much easier for me to look at things as a bonus rather than a sacrafice. For example.. that coffee from the coffee shop doesn't taste so great when I know it could go in my disney fund and get me to my trip sooner. I like a positive goal.. even if it's not for anything specific but just a nice balance in the savings account

 

[mrsklamc]

cable tv?

 

[disneywatcher]

I'm going to give up pay per view movies. I can wait for them to come out on DVD and rent them for cheaper anyway.

Buying "fat pills" at bakeries. I dont need them anyway and I would gain back the lbs I've lost so far....so good bye to you glazed doughnut and delicious chocolate cupcake...I will miss thee!

 

[TPQS]

I've been trying to eat out less. Saves me money and makes me thinner. Win-win!

 

[eyor44]

Every penny saved is more for Disney.

Fabulous idea posting this thread! I began cutting back in January when we didn't get a raise, not even cost of living, and probably won't for the next 5 years. I tried cold turkey and that didn't work. But cutting back is douable. Now before I buy something I ask myself "do I really need to buy this?"

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Once you start taking books out of the library you will hate paying for them again! I use my library like Amazon, I can order books from other branches and have them shipped to my local library. So easy!

 

[aclov]

For me I would add online shopping!