Waste feature: Saving Money = Making More Money!

Waste Management feature: lead in

 Anyone who knows me personally can tell you that one of my primary  'pet peeves' is waste.

 In any form, making a habit of paying for unnecessary expenses is like pulling a financial anchor around with you. You'll never see any substantial headway as long as you're living with a pattern of "Two steps forward, one step back".

 Some take this problem a step further; They get a small raise at work, and instead of allowing the savings account to grow, they simply spend more...one step forward, two steps back. 

 Happiness is important, of course...within reason.

  Many years ago, when the children were small and money was tight (which is sorta' the same thing in most families), I was working a seasonal, part-time job at a Walmart in Bowie, MD stocking shelves overnight. Most stores hire extra help every Christmas season, and it's a win-win for all concerned.
 Once the season had passed, and all the other 'extra' help had been let go, an assistant store manager was trying to convince me to stay on full time. This was a hard sell because I had a day job that I liked, and it paid better. I stayed around another month, but we both knew I wasn't going to stay, and I left on good terms.

 In the process of attempting to sell me the idea of making Walmart a career, she told me a simple story that stuck to me and became part of who I am today.
 She related this:

 "It's safe to assume that Walmart's founder Sam Walton knew a thing or two about making money...but what he cared even more about was saving money.

  Until he died in 1992, Sam Walton drove the same 1979 pickup truck that he owned when his stores were still a regional chain in Arkansas.
 Mr. Walton became rich enough to buy a new car every other day, so why do you suppose that he kept the old one?

 Because he thought spending money that you didn't need to spend was foolish waste.
 (And, as he said, "What am I supposed to haul my dogs around in, a Rolls Royce?")
This simple man, a shopkeeper from Arkansas, who quickly became one of the wealthiest men in the country, kept his old pickup truck for 13 years!"

 Here's the point of the simple story:
  Even though most of us will never be able to afford a Rolls Royce, it is estimated that regular working folks who keep their cars for 10 years instead of 5 could pocket enough savings to buy one...an extra $250,000 over a lifetime!

 Is impressing the guys at work, or the Joneses next door, worth that much to you?
A small expense to maintain your car will pay off ten-fold.

 Those shoes in the store window are nice...but managing your vanity is much easier than managing a budget that is littered with wasteful spending habits.

I'm a firm believer in the power of small savings...and what better way to save than by keeping money in your pocket instead of replacing what you already own?
 We Americans need to get a firm grasp on this tendency toward disposability.

•  Keep your refrigerator running another 5 years and save $800, plus the interest.
•  Avoid calling a plumber just once, and save $50/hour plus the $40 housecall.
•  A simple laundry booster that works better and costs 90% less to use.
•  A simple paste that costs pennies will save you a $120 headlight replacement.
•  One simple step only a few people do that saves $100 year off the power bill.
•  Simple and cheap exterior changes that add thousands to your home's selling price.
• ...Hundreds more simple money saving tips are to follow on this blog...

 My plan is to focus more often on this type of real advice...Usable information that will add much more 'punch' to your growing arsenal of natural solutions to common problems.

 Here's an appetizer to close today's posting:

  Cobwebs in the corners?
≈  A teaspoon of coconut oil in white distilled vinegar (about a cup), and sprayed wherever webs appear. The vinegar smell may linger a short while, but you house will stay spider free.

   Listeria is a dangerous bacteria that can be spread by deli slicers.
≈  As soon as you get home, transfer the deli cold-cuts to a new, re-sealable bag and write the date on it. Keep them cold, but no longer than 7 days.

 Have a lawn-obsessed neighbor? Me too.
He's cutting it twice a week, and very short.  He's out there constantly with fertilizers, weed killers, sod plugs, sprinklers...He has to be, because his manicuring habits are killing his lawn!

≈  Keep your grass 2-3 inches high. (this is likely the middle setting on your mower) This way, the roots stay strong, it needs less water, and the weeds get shaded out.
 One light 'scalping' in early Spring and some "weed & feed" a few times each season, and an occasional spot-weeding for the tougher invaders is all it takes for a beautiful green carpet that is a pleasure to walk on.
 Just as with your garden, water lightly at night (Never in full sun!) 2-3X a week.

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