I don’t know
about you, but I hate wasting time or money. Both seem to come in short supply,
and even in times of abundance, they melt away as quickly as spring snow. I’m
no expert, but I have found a few ways to save. I hope these ideas help you in
this New Year.
Saving Time—
#1: Handle it Once
When you’re tired, or pressed for
time, it’s easy to drop stuff on a nearby surface to get to later. But we make
more work for ourselves that way. Take the time to put it away while you still
have it in your hands; then it’s done. It’s just as easy to put things in the
right place as the wrong place. Handle it once; you’ll save time and be glad it’s
done.
#2: Use a Timer
Your timer can be your friend—keeping
you from spending too much time on projects you love and pushing you to work on
projects you dread. In the first case, set the timer to limit the amount of time you spend, then stop and clean up when it
goes off. In the latter case, set a goal
for 15 minutes to an hour. You can quit when it goes off and admire the progress
you’ve made. You’ll be surprised how much you can accomplish in small
increments if you stay focused (and off your phone).
These next three save both Time and Money.
#3: Make It Ahead
There’s nothing better than coming
home from work, or in from yard work, to a readymade dinner. You can fill a
crock pot with meat, soup, or a one dish meal and divide into containers. Other
things you can make ahead—dry ingredient mixes, cookies, muffins, fruit, and
veggies—baked, bagged, and frozen. These can save time and money when you need something
quick.
#4: Make a Shopping List
Limit yourself to one trip a week and
keep a list. Whenever you see you’re almost out of something, put it on the
list so you don’t have to make an extra trip. The more times you shop, the more
you’ll spend. Decide on your menu ahead of time when having company, and check recipes
to see what you’ll need.
#5: Buy and Divide
When possible, buy meat and more
expensive items on sale or with coupons. Buy large packages of meat and divide as
soon as you get home and put in the freezer. Or cook the whole amount and
freeze in smaller quantities for quick and easy meals later. Do the same with chips, snacks, or desserts
for lunches. This not only saves buying individual packages, but initiates
portion control for you and your family.
Saving Money—
#6: Recycle
There’s more than one way to recycle.
Separating cans, glass, junk mail, newspapers, and cardboard is a great idea. There’s
also creative recycling. Use produce bags for lunch sacks, and grocery sacks
for garbage can liners. Wrap presents in newspaper, or make cards using pictures
from calendars or magazines. Use paper printed on only one side for scrap
paper. And instead of buying plastic containers, wash and reuse containers from
products you use.
#7: Make Your Own
Recipes abound for homemade cleaners,
hand soaps, lotions, hand sanitizer, and laundry detergent. You not only save
money on the products, but reduce the amount of garbage that goes into our
landfills. You can add your own scents, or go scent-free. You also save money
by making your own cake, muffins, granola, and spice mixes. They don’t take that
much longer than readymade, and can be full of fresh, natural ingredients.
#8: Wash and Re-use
It’s handy to use disposables when traveling,
but these products are filling our landfills at an alarming rate; that’s not
only expensive, but bad for our environment. Instead of buying throwaway wet
wipes, cleaning cloths, and single use dusters, use washcloths and rags cut from
worn out towels and t-shirts. Instead of throwaway water bottles, fill one at
home and keep in your car.
#9: Maintain What You Have
My dad told me, “If you take care of
your tools, they’ll take care of you.” Hose the underside of your machine after
mowing the lawn so wet grass doesn’t build up. Wipe dirt from garden tools so
they don’t rust. Sharpen blades on tools and knives. Carry garbage from your car
when you get home to keep crumbs and odors from working their way into the
crevices of your vehicle. Maintaining our homes, machines, clothes, and bodies will
make them look and run better, and last longer.
#10: Spend More
Even though I’m big on saving money,
sometimes you save by spending. If you want appliances and furniture that
last, it’s wise to pay more for quality design and craftsmanship, rather than a
“cute” product made of cheap materials. I buy a lot of clothes at thrift shops,
but some I shop for new to save in the long run.
This is an
unusual post for me, but I firmly believe we need to be good stewards of the
resources God gives us. I hope these ideas spur you on to make changes, and
challenge you to budget, save, and give to the glory of God.
#moneysavingtricks
#savetime #householdhints #stewardship #savingenvironment
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