Setting Frugal Goals

Last year I set a goal to lose some weight.  I wrote down my goal and even started a blog to help me lose weight.  I started attending a weight loss group and I followed a weight loss plan.  The results of that goal were that I lost 77 pounds this year and I look and feel GREAT!  Debt can parallel well with weight loss.  You have to have some goals for getting rid of it and you have to have a plan of action for what you are going to do in order to have any success.  Writing down your goal seems to make it more realistic for people.  You can post it somewhere and see it everyday as a reminder of what you are trying to do to reach it.  Having a goal also gives us a reason to be frugal.  We need to think about what we can do to be more frugal and write some of those goals down too.  Now is the time of year to start thinking about writing down these goals.  It is also a good time to reflect on your spending from last year. I would start with a monthly budget.  Then decide how much you want to save and then decide on what kind of frugal things you can do to save money.

Here are 10 easy frugal things you can do to save money:

1.       Shop at thrift stores, yard sales, and consignment shops

2.       Pack your lunch

3.       Eat at home more

4.       Give up soda

5.       Don’t buy magazines (You can get a lot for free on the web or go to the library to view them)

6.       Have a meatless meal once a week

7.       Make your own cleaning supplies

8.       Get rid of cable (I have found that you can watch a lot of your favorite shows online and this will save you at least $50 a month!)

9.       Change light bulbs to CFL bulbs (These use 75 % less energy than standard bulbs and last 10 times longer!)

10.   Line dry your clothes