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by: John Trout
Wouldn’t it be great to get a little help with your money
handling? Here are a few simply solutions to try.
1. COUPONS
– These are not just for food! Check online, in print media
and in your postal and email boxes for money saving coupons to
use with your next computer, software, bookstore, office supply
store or any store purchase. Enjoy a social life, too. Head to
the fitness center, take your spouse out to eat and get your pet
groomed – all with coupons. Plan ahead and keep them in a
drawer or specially marked container. Purge monthly or
quarterly. Trade with friends, neighbors, co-workers, church and
organization member, colleges and family.
2. INCENTIVES – Many credit cards, restaurants, movie
theaters, stores and other places offer incentive programs. Find
one or more that fit into your purchasing plans and earn things
like free air travel miles, movies and pop corn, gasoline,
meals, a percentage back in the form of a check, gift
certificates and more back in exchange for your participating in
their program. Keep up with the times, too. If your child is
grown, no need to use your Toys-R-Us Visa and get back
certificates for toys any longer. Call the bank and see which
other programs they have, ask your friends which ones they use,
surf the Internet for new offers - and switch.
3. ALTERNATIVES – Look for alternative solutions before you
spend. Often there are generic packages of the products you want
(items with no brand names) and there are home
remedies and local pharmacists to ask for alternatives to
expensive medications and treatments. And many places offer
discounts for package deals, like family haircuts instead of
individual ones.
4. ATTITUDE – Don’t focus on what you “don’t have.”
Instead, focus on what you “do have.” Make lemonade out of
those lemons; recycle what you can, reuse what you can, donate
what you can. No need to have “new” things all the time, or
even part of the time. Be happy with what you have now and make
it work for you! Head to the library for free help in thousands
in books that can show you step by step how to get exactly what
you want.
5. EDUCATE YOURSELF -
One of the reason most people struggle with money matters is
because they have never been taught how to properly handle their
money. Planning a household budget, getting more bang for your
buck, reducing your taxes, planning a comfortable retirement,
heck even planning an early retirement is not as hard as you
might think when you seek out a little bit of knowledge about
money matters. Read some books, check out some websites, ask
people you know who seem to manage their money very well. A
little money education now could mean the difference between
retiring comfortably later down the road or not being able to
retire at all.
So look before you leap to grab your wallet. Take a time out,
sip some tea and plan ahead with coupons, incentive programs,
alternative buying solutions and educating yourself about money
matters. Make your money stretch just a little bit farther and
give yourself a raise!
"Use Money and Love People, Not
the other way around." - J.T.
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