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Saving Money Can Open Up a World of Opportunity

12/14/2017

 
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Updated 1/26/19
I'm a huge believer in household budgets, and in writing them to be very conservative. What I mean by that is that I am an unabashed, even passionate, advocate for living not just within our means, but well beneath our means whenever and however possible.

There are a number of reasons for my conviction about this, but here’s one simple and straightforward one that applies to every one of us who is not wealthy:  you have absolutely no idea what life could throw your way, and it’s a very smart idea to be prepared.

One need only look at the people who faced the stress and financial uncertainty in the recent government shutdown to understand the value of saving for that proverbial rainy day. And it was not that long ago that people lost their homes in the recent Great Recession, which highlighted how the practice of taking on a mortgage smaller than the maximum we can afford on paper is actually a great idea. Socking away extra savings to ensure we have a safety net for hard times is an idea that never becomes outdated.  Quite simply, living on less can provide great peace of mind. 

But living simply on a budget and saving bring far more benefits than just providing a sense of security. Because, c
ontrary to what many people think, budget living actually affords us the chance to spend when and where it matters to us, instead of frittering it away on things we don't need and won't remember. With nothing to show for  it. 

Saving and having some extra cash in the bank and in our investment accounts allow us to take advantage of unexpected opportunities that might come our way. 

Here are some examples of what I'm talking about.


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17 Ways to Spend Less Time and Money Doing Laundry

12/5/2017

 
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Laundry consumes way too much time and money in many households.  But, as my husband and I learned early in our life together, there are ways to streamline and economize on the process to save hundreds of dollars a year and greatly reduce the hours spent on this chore. 

I
t took a while for us to figure things out, though. 

When we first moved to New York City so he could earn his degree, we lived in a very small apartment in Bay Ridge, an “affordable” (a relative term, no doubt) neighborhood in Brooklyn that was about a 90-minute combined walking and subway commute from my job in mid-town Manhattan. 
​
Half of my very modest take-home pay went to pay the rent, so our budget was tight, tight, tight. We learned to cut expenses wherever we could. And one place we did that was with our laundry. 

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    The Author

    Hi, I'm Nancy Maje Gillis, and I hope to help you find ways to live more cheaply and mindfully to  help you get through this uncertain COVID-19 time  so that you have less stress and more money in your pocket.

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