Life is Expensive, But Living Doesn't Have to Be
by No. 1 Best Selling Author, Jaci Rae
http://www.jacirae.com
Life is Expensive, But Living Doesn't Have to Be - that's my motto! Who am I? Jaci Rae and I am right there in the trenches with you. How can you get almost anything for free or next to it, even gas and groceries? I go into great detail in my latest book, Shop for a Day with Jaci Rae - How to Get Almost Anything for Free or Next to It (314 pages worth!), but I will start you out with a few strategies to get you on your way.
The American dream of a steady job, a house of your own and extra money in the bank appears out of reach for many in today's economy. However, it doesn't have to be. The tips I am going to share are not 'get rich quick schemes' and there are no hidden costs.
These are straightforward strategies that are easy to understand. Saving money will require effort and work, but think of it as a payday you're giving yourself. You are paying yourself with every dime, dollar and hundred dollars you save!
While I can't put even an eighth of what I would like to share about saving money down in a mere article, I hope you will take a few of the strategies outlined here and think outside the box.
Discounted Ways to Live
Never pay for anything that you can get for free. Would you throw a $1 bill in the garbage can? No. So why are throwing away valuable coupons? Use them during double and triple coupon days at your local stores.
Are you paying for movies when you can get them without cost at your local library? There are no membership fee and you have seven days to view them. Sees Candy offers free candy samples and many car dealerships have free giveaways for a mere test-drive of their latest model.
Back to School Savings
Stores around the country have great sales during specific times of the year. If you stock up during those times, buying things you know your kids and your family will need the coming year, you can pay as little as sales tax alone for an entire wardrobe (especially during 'sales tax sales'). I have walked out of stores paying less than $400 for an entire truck filled with gifts, goods and back-to-school items. I just did it this past Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Very Unusual College Scholarships for Those Who Haven't Had Huge Academic or Sports Success
College is very expensive, even if you are attending a junior college for the first two years. There are so many weird and whacky scholarships available and not just to those who are academically or athletically inclined. Do a Google search to find more information on them. (I have hundreds of scholarships, their websites, requirements and deadlines listed in Shop for a Day with Jaci Rae - How to Get Almost Anything for Free or Next to It and due to space I cannot list everything I would like to here.)
Here are a few examples of fun and whacky college scholarships available to anyone
- David Letterman Scholarship
- Stuck at the Prom Scholarship
- Jennifer L. Duke Memorial Scholarship Fund
- The Horatio Alger Scholarship Program for Overcoming Adversity
- Great Clips Scholarship
- The Brick Awards
- How can you eat, drink and shop for free at restaurants and stores in your neighborhood? Sign up as a mystery shopper - I still keep my hand in the field, even though I tour all over the world. Its fun and I get paid! Tip: Never pay any company money to do their work. They are supposed to pay you!
- Use two-for-one deals and save a lot of money. I have fed six people for one meal at their favorite well-known restaurants for under $10 with left-over's to spare.
- Never put off tomorrow what you can pay today. While you don't want to pay bills too early, did you know that companies rely on people forgetting just past the date a bill is due and then you pay a high penalty? They can make thousands of dollars a year just from that little mistake on one person. That's money you can put in the bank!
- Ping your vegetables and smell them to make sure you are getting what you paid for and do look in the vegetable and fruit portion of the market as they do have coupons available from time to time that will discount your price!
In conclusion, saving money doesn't mean you're cheap, it means you are smart. The rich didn't get rich by spending every last dime to impress their friends. Trust me! Please join me in May and June at the Learning Annex (you can attend live or online) for a three hour intensive course on how you can save money.
A few final tips
Remember, Life is Expensive, But Living Doesn't Have to Be! You have this one moment in time, live it to the fullest!
