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Do you know what the quickest way is to putting more money in your pocket? Spend less. No two ways about it. Doesn’t matter if you make $100,000 or $50,000 or even $20,000 annually, you can give yourself an immediate raise by spending less. The minimalist lifestyle helps with spending less because you don’t buy anything you don’t NEED. Pay attention to that word – NEED.
Too often we buy things that we do not need. Why? There are as many reasons why as there are things to buy. One of the biggest reasons that people buy “stuff” is because they go shopping as entertainment. If you are one of these people who use shopping for entertainment, take stock of everything that you have in your home that you are not using. Look in the closets, the cupboards, the attic, the garage and anywhere else you may store things. Have you opened the boxes? Have you taken these items out of their packaging or removed the tags. Especially look at the clothing hanging in your closet. How many clothes still have the price tags on them? This was an issue that I had to tackle. I would go shopping at T J Maxx and all the great buys would jump at me and I would buy them. When I started down my minimalism journey, I was astounded at the amount of money I had spent on clothing that I had NEVER worn.
Another way we tend to overspend is by going out to eat as entertainment. Not only do we spend a lot of money in restaurants, many times we choose unhealthy options or overeat. What results from overeating? Being overweight. When I moved to rural Florida this was something that actually resolved itself because the closest restaurant was 20 minutes away and not all that good. When we lived in the city, it was too easy to swing into McDonalds or to pick up the phone and order pizza. Everything was right there and ready to eat in minutes which resulted in us not making the wisest choices. What do you think is better for you – a greasy fast food burger or a chicken breast and vegetables?
These days 95% of our food is prepared in our home and eating out is truly reserved for special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Besides more money in our pockets I have lost 45 pounds and have never felt better physically and I will be 52 this year.
If you truly want to move forward in your minimalist lifestyle, take a look at where you are spending your money. In the past few years since I have been self-employed, my stress level is lower, I find more happiness in everything I do and I have paid off most of my debt. Right now I am working on paying off the home we live in and when that happens I will truly be free – and I can’t wait. You too can be debt free. Make smart choices starting today and enjoy your minimalist lifestyle journey.
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