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Saturday, October 27, 2007
Lessons Learned... Tips from an evacuee to save money!
It would have seemed foolish to care about money at a crisis moment, but looking back
there are lessons to learn. Monday started like any other day until we got
the call to evacuate. I consider myself a planner. I planned as best I could for this type of event. I had all of my important
documents packed and ready, gas in both cars, and a plan to get us all out... this included 2 cats, 2 dogs, 2 kids and us
2 adults. We grabbed clothes and toiletries and a few cases of water and we were gone. Although we were told to leave we had
enough time to get these things. Had it looked worse we would have grabbed the kids and animals and gone. I soon learned that there were "missing pieces" to my evacuation plan. #1 If you have pets, include their vaccination records in your important paper box. We ended
up staying the first night in a hotel that was pet friendly, however at over $400 a night we only stayed 1 night until we
could come up with a better plan. The next morning I secured them a spot at a boarding facility. They were understanding and
waived our proof of vaccinations but we ended up having them vaccinated any ways to the tune of over $200 because I wasn't
sure if I could find another understanding boarding facility at the next stop and I didn't want to risk having no place
to take them. Had I had the record, that $200 would have been saved. For the record, the place we had their shots done at
was also evacuated so there was no way to get their records. #2 Plan your
evacuation routes to the east, west, north and south. Imagine a scenario that would have you traveling each way and were you
would go. Had I had a list of pet friendly hotels I most likely could have found a cheaper hotel for that first night. #3 Take whatever help is offered. People have been great around here. I was really worried
about a "Katrina" like response to this disaster that we stayed away from any actual evacuation centers. Once we
returned I was given a tour of one on the evacuations centers and I was beyond surprised! There were no needs or wants forgotten...
Quallcomm stadium even had people giving free hand and arm massages! The
most important lesson I learned is that lives are the most important thing. Money may come and go, but you only get one chance
at being alive! My husband and I have been trading shifts helping the local
fire department answer phone calls from residence about re-population and emergency needs assistance... I am so proud of our
community! My thoughts are with those that are still in a state of evacuation and loss.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Two Mind Tricks To Stop Unnecessary Spending
Now I'm no hypnotist, but these two "tricks" work. One of the keys to living on a budget is
to not overspend on "wants". It's such a great feeling to make your money work for you... by putting it towards
your "needs" and building your savings up for your future.
Trick #1- When you see something you
want determine if it is a "need" or a "want". A need is something that you have to have in order
to survive. Some peoples "needs" will actually surprise others. One person's view of a need might be strictly
basic, like housing and food. Another persons "need" might include housing, food and coffee. You need to determine
your "needs" and when presented with a purchase, really evaluate if you need it, or if it would be better to apply
that saved money from not buying it towards savings. If you would have to use money that is supposed to be used for another
item on your budget, do not spend that money!
Trick #2- Determine how many hours you would have to work in order
to pay for the proposed purchase. I was talking to a bank teller once. She really liked having a cafe mocha every morning. After
determining that she would have to work 25 min. (after tax's) to pay for her mocha, she decided that flavored regular
coffee was a better long term choice for her. She only had to work 3 min. to pay for that!
Today's
Question- I'm sure alot of you have tried these tricks or other variations of them... what are/were your
favorite tricks to get you into the budget/saving mode?
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Thinking Outside The Box When Saving Money
I talk a lot about really taking a hard look at your spending and then cutting back.
It seems to be the hardest thing to actually do, but when you actually start doing it it's actually easy. Simple things
to save on gas is to group trips. When it's time to go pick up the kids from school, do your banking and go to the post
office. When you are out and about remember to keep a mental note of gas prices till you have a feel for the station that
has the best price. When you are getting low on gas and you are in that area of town fill up. Make saving money a regular
part of your life style.
I've read so many styles of saving money... from extreme to hilarius. Some of my favorite
advise (for humor value) suggested saving money by making your own lemonade at restaurants (ask for lemons and sugar) and
rinse out potato chip bags, turn inside out and use as a gift bag. I'll never do either of those, first of all buying
potato chips will cost you in the long run with medical bills, secondly making your own lemonade at a restaurant is just plain
cheap. There is a difference between being cheap and saving money. I do recommend saving money by just ordering water at restaurants.
Around here it costs about $2.50 for a drink, with 4 of us that's a $10 savings... about the same cost as the kids meals.
But even more importantly water is so much better for you. How much water do you drink in a day? The recommended amount is
about 8 glasses a day. Most people don't even come close. So please.... drink your water! Be healthy and save water!
9:07 am pdt
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Hi! I'm Heather Reese, founder of the No Excuse Budget
I realize the importance of having control
of your finances and this website and blog are dedicated to everything personal finance related. Times are changing and everyone
needs advise and encouragement to keep on going while working towards your best financial future.
Discover my proven system for:
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Check back daily for my new blog posts...and welcome to the No Excuse Budget way of life!
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