3 Full Proof Tips for Living Well Beneath Your Means

April 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Contrary to popular opinion, the key to financial freedom isn’t solely based on the amount of money you bring into the household each month. It’s about learning how to manage your money and prioritize your spending. This is also known as living beneath your means.

Below, you’ll find some great suggestions for living beneath your means in order to build savings. You won’t have to move into a shoebox or completely forgo entertainment and shopping – but the tips below will help you learn how to make better spending choices.

Consider these strategies:

1. Have a slice of humble pie. If you’re constantly in a competition with your neighbors, coworkers or friends, you’re never going to stop spending. In the back of your mind, you’ll always try to “beat” them by having the newest car, biggest house, most expensive clothing, and more.

Once you eject the competitiveness from your mind, you’ll be able to effectively trim the fat from your budget. 


If you’re a smoker, now is the time to quit. If not for your health, do it for your financial future. In some states, a pack of cigarettes can cost $10. If you’re a pack-per-day smoker, you can save $300 per month by ditching this harmful habit.

Work with what you have. There’s no need to upgrade your car if the one you’re driving now gets you from point A to point B. If your current home isn’t to your liking, make some updates or redecorate – it’s a far less expensive fix than purchasing an extravagant estate.

2. Trim your grocery budget. Coupons aren’t the only way to save money on your grocery bills (though they certainly help). You just need to be conscious of your purchases. It’s possible to feed a family of four for under $10 – with a high quality meal to boot!

Never go grocery shopping hungry or tired.

Three nights per week, cook up something very inexpensive for dinner, such as beans and rice or homemade soup. It’ll be a nice change of pace, without feeling deprived. And of course, the biggest bonus is that you’ll save money!

3. Make savings a priority. Savings isn’t optional. It’s necessary for financial emergencies – and they always come up in some form or another. Treat it as any other bill each month. Place this, as every other bill, in your budget workbook. You do have a budget workbook, don’t you?

If you’d like, break it up into pay periods. In order to save $800 per month in a 2-income household, each partner would have to set aside $100 per week. A $400 goal would be just $50 per week. When a savings goal is broken into manageable pieces, it’s a far less daunting figure.

When you’re unable to meet your savings goals, either find a way to make more money or spend less money each month. If you’re able to trim the fat from your monthly expenses, there will always be a way to meet your savings goals.

Budget your “fun money” as well. When you budget a set amount for unnecessary shopping trips and entertainment, you can’t shop until you drop. When the money runs out, you’re done.

Your entire life doesn’t need to change in order to live below your means. It’s all about minimizing your expenses where possible and refusing the urge to live larger – even if you have the means to do so. By implementing these simple tips, you can slash hundreds of dollars – if not more – off your monthly bills and stash it into your savings account!

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The Worlds Best Places to Live Cheaply

June 2, 2011 By

Did you know that some of the best places to live cheaply are also some of the most beautiful? If your idea of living is being able to still enjoy many of the finer things in life including nice weather and beautiful scenery you may be surprised that some of the best places to live can also be some of the cheapest. It may be a silly question to ask but is this is what you really  want? Well it may time for you to pack your bags and simply choose from the following list of exotic locations where you can live well and cheap.

Philippines

If you like beautiful beaches, great golf courses, and excellent shopping for around $500 a month, head for Cebu where you can rent an apartment for about $130 a month. Other towns are even cheaper. A room in Damaguete City goes for around $40 per month. Food is also cheap at around $200 a month.

Thailand

Perhaps the Land of Smiles is for you. If you head up north to Chang Mai you can find a small apartment for around $30 a month. Closer to the coast you can get a room for $90 and up. You can get a meal from one of the street-side food stalls for about a dollar.

Costa Rica

The cost of living in San José is among the lowest in the world. You can easily live for less than $600 a month. It’s even cheaper when you leave the city where you can find houses that go for $250 a month. A meal in a fine restaurant is about $4 and the local markets are even cheaper where you can get bananas for $0.50 a bunch.

Belize

If you’re looking for paradise at a bargain price, try Belize. They have wonderful beaches, subtropical climate, and the official language is English. Best of all, the cost of loving in Belize is similar to Costa Rica, and if you are 45 or over, you can retire there tax free.

These are just some of the best places to live cheaply, but you better hurry because today’s cheap places may become tomorrow’s not-so-cheap places.

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Healthy Ways to Feed Your Family on a Budget

March 17, 2011 By

If you’re trying to become a healthier and more conscious eater, you will find out very quickly that healthy eating in America is not cheap. This may sound backwards but you’ll rarely see a homeless vegetarian…. That’s because eating healthy is rarely inexpensive, especially if you go organic. However, with a little creativity, it’s very possible to find healthy, budget friendly food choices so your family and your pocket can reap the benefits!

Below I have provided some quick tips on how you can save instantly and eat healthier.

Saving Tips That Can Instantly Save You Money!

Consider the following tips that are sure to cater to your wallet and your palate:

1. Stop Eating Take Out. Staying at home and cooking meals often has two wonderful benefits:

• One, your food expenses will be significantly less per month because buying food at a restaurant is almost 100% more expensive than you might realize.

• Two, eating at home is usually healthier because you control what goes in your meals and not leaving it up to a some cook or chef who’s adding hundreds of calories to the meal with preservatives and sauces. Even if you order something that sounds healthy, there’s a strong likelihood that overall your meal won’t be healthy enough for your liking.

2. Grow your own herbs and vegetables. You’d be surprised at how much savings you can accrue if you grow your own vegetables and herbs at home. Even if you live in a modest home with very minimal outdoor space, it’s still possible to have your very own vegetable garden.

• Fresh herbs and vegetables are tasty and healthy, yet quite expensive if you buy the organic versions at the grocery store. By growing your own, you’ll know that they’re organic, picked at the peak of perfection and nutrition, and you’ll save money as well.

Cooking Techniques That Are Affordable and Healthy

Try these healthy cooking ideas for a change of pace and more change in your pocket:

1. Less Frying, More Grilling. If you have kids in your family, then you’re all too familiar with friendly inexpensive meals like fish fingers and chicken nuggets that most kids love to eat. However, while these fried items may be less expensive than their grilled or rotessier counterparts, they’re rarely not as nutritious.

• It’s easy to avoid the unhealthy way of preparing these things for your kids by grilling or oven-cooking their favorites.

2. Use homemade condiments. A great alternative to unhealthy store-bought condiments is to make your own sauces at home. The added benefit is that they’ll be much less expensive than the grocery store variety.

3. Stop Buying Juices, and Start Making Your Own- You’d be surprised at how much sugar or artificial sweetener is contained within many of those “zero sugar” juices on the market. Why not save yourself the extra dollars and your family the extra calories by making juices yourself? Fruits are relatively affordable – especially if you buy them locally and in season – so buying your own and making your own juices is a healthier and more affordable option.

Many people end up choosing the more expensive and less healthy eating options for their families simply because they assume healthy eating is more expensive. While it can be more expensive in certain instances, a little creativity and imagination can definitely allow you to have a healthier option on a budget.

So if you want to start finding ways to eat healthier and save money at the same time, then you find smarter ways to eat with healthier and money-saving outcomes! Your limited pocket doesn’t have to equate to limited nutrition; find creative ways to make “2+2″ equal healthy and affordable alternatives!

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