Health & Fitness
The Original "Two Broke Girls!" Knew How to Pinch a Penny!
My mom, Evelyn, was a depression baby. She made dinner for 7 for 25 cents! I learned a lot from my mom about saving money the old fashioned way. Here are 6 tips that might help you too!
Save Money With Lucy & Ethel
The thought for the day is: "Everything Wonderful Costs Money!" We have to overcome that concept by saving money where we can.
Save Money? This is not a new concept. I know that with the recession and unemployment and even homelessness nipping at the heals of most Americans we forget that the pressure to save money, get more for less, and try to scrimp just to get buy is a situation that has been a common theme to mankind, well forever? I'm so old that I grew up watching Lucille Ball and Ethel Mertz coming up with every trick in the book that they could find to either save money or make money. My mom, Evelyn, was a depression baby who regaled me with stories about how when she was nine years old my grandmother would give her a 25 cents to go buy food for dinner. Evelyn came home with: pork chops, potatoes, vegetables, break, milk and had enough money left over to buy apple slices for their family of five! This was the goal I had to live up to!
Ethel & Lucy were right, if you aren't being philosophical and we are on the same page that money can't buy a sunset, a child's smile or the delight of a spring day in Chicago, pretty much, everything wonderful costs money, including a great meal, entertainment or a weekend at the Dells. So whats a shopper to do? The best advice I can give you is to be consistent and save on everything you can daily. But sometimes we forget the tips on how to save money from the era of Lucy, Ethel & Evelyn.
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To Save Money Evelyn Would Say:
1. Save Money & Turn Off the Lights! (I can hear my mom's voice echoing in my ears....electricity costs money!)
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2. Save Money: Eliminate Unnecessary Bills! (Ditch the premium channels, Cancel memberships you aren't using, etc. Texting?)
3. Save Money: Always use coupons and other discounts. Do not pay full price if you don't have to! (Just Do It!)
4. Save Money: Make things last longer! Ever see a 3 year old use an entire roll of toilet paper? That concept is the same for adults; use less & save. Toothpaste, Shampoo, Creme Rinse, Fabric Softener, dish-washing liquid--truly, less is more and if you are careful and consistent you can double what you get from each item.
5. Save Money: Use Free Options Whenever You can! Has anyone ever heard of the library? Get a library card and make the library an important part of family life. There is more to learning than Google! Books that you pay for in hard copy or to download to your Kindle can be checked out free at the library along with video games, DVD's and lots of other fantastic stuff that you don't have to buy! (The internet is a dangerous place to make friends, the library? Not so much!
6. Fix Stuff! Recycling may seem like a new concept when it pertains to glass bottles, cans and computer parts, but "Recycling" is just another name for "Fixing Your Stuff! Sew up the jacket don't discard it. Think of a new use for an old item. The possibilities are endless!
Yup Ethel & Lucy you are right--You were the original "Two Broke girls!" Everything that is wonderful costs money. But you can get a few of those wonderful things if you consistently save money on the necessities. I'm just sayin'
