Payday.

It's Saturday... prime day of the week for unneccisary spending.  As a person who is currently making minamum wage, struggling to save cash, and actively ignoring the excessive clanking in my truck's engine that practically begs for a trip to the mechanics, needless to say I try to save as much money as I can.

Now I don't tend to think that I lead a high matience lifestyle, however I do have my vices.  I like going out to eat, not often, but I like going out for chinese food.  And coffee.  Aside from the fact that I can easily make both of these things at home, it's still different.  It's a whole expierience, getting out of the house and relaxing away from everything you have to do.  Plus it makes for a great date night in if neither one of you want to cook, you just rent a movie and get takeout.

But still, even though I'm constantly searching for a second job, I have to make cuts now.  So here are some of the things that I'm trying to do, even if I do not always succeed.

1. Attempt to pay off my credit card.  Now, I don't have as big a credt card limit as a lot of other people, but debt is debt.  And I really don't want mine.  So I try to pay double my credit card bill, I pay the balance when it's due and then two weeks later I try to put down the same amount.  It usually works, and it definetly helps.

2. Eat in.  So this goes with the whole eat-chinese-food-and-drink-coffee-at-home thing.  Chinese take-out is only $7.00 a meal if you get a lunch special, but every weekend adds up.  Coffee on the other hand, if you like yours with extra expresso like I do, you could spend five bucks a pop.  Not awesome.  So even though although it would be awesome to cut out altogether, I still want to have a life.  So once a month I usually do these things anyways.  I want to save money, not become a miserable shut-in.

3. Thrift stores.  They sound icky on contact, but there are much worse things than buying used.  You're not always going to be unlucky enough to pick up herpes from a funky thirft store find.  I'm not saying go to the thrift stores that smell like 109 year old women, just normal thrift stores where you can pick up books, music, movies, furniture and even clothes sometimes.

4. Library.  Libraries are awesome, free entertainment that should really be utilized more! It's like shopping without money.

5. Shop online.  Always google coupons and save codes for that site before you checkout, it's worth it!

6. Have a cash jar.  All the extra change and loose $1s and $5s get put in the jar, I'm always surprised how it adds up after a few months.

So we shall see how this all goes, as much as I'd love to see a large sum of money in my bank account, I still like to have fun.  However, saving money creates a great peace of mind.  So hopefully I remember that next time I am out and about.

Love,
Alice