10 EASY ways to SAVE Thousands of Dollars Each Month!!!

TweetYum

Are YOU Struggling to Pay your Bills each Month???

If you are struggling to make ends meet, like most Americans, here are 10 EASY ways to save money!!!   First thing, you need to get a small notebook, and write down all the money you spend…. Then look for money that is a “want” not a “need”…..  For instance, you need to buy food for yourself, but do you need to get a Little Caesar’s pizza to go???

Inflation is actually running at 18%, if we used the same measures as 1971, which is the highest inflation we have ever had….  I get anxiety attacks when I go shopping, it seems to me every item has gone up in price, sometimes by a dollar or two dollars!!  And then there are shortages, and I have to go to several stores to get the few items on my list…..

Planning is the Key to Saving Money!!!

I do find that PLANNING is key to saving money!!  Write a grocery list, plan your meals around food that is already in your fridge and will go bad, stick to your grocery list,  go to different stores that will have cheaper prices on certain items, food prep on Sunday, so that you have a yummy, healthy dinner when you get home during the week……

For example:   I start thinking of my weekly menu the previous week, I look in my freezer and fridge to see what I need to eat up…Then I think how much time I have for food prep on Sunday, what I am  in the mood for, do I have any events during the week, and do I need a back-up meal???

Food Prep is the Key to Saving Money!!

I am just cooking for myself, but I did the same process for food prep when I cooked for three teenagers….

Here is my weekly example: This week I am making chicken tenders in a creamy mushroom sauce with artichokes….  Cream, parmesan cheese, artichokes, mushrooms, fresh rosemary, and chick pea pasta are already in the fridge……So I just need to buy some fresh broccoli or zucchini for the side….. Making my first bone broth, so I will eat soup every day for lunch…. Add fresh spinach, carrots, chicken sausage, and a little bit of couscous or noodles, and I have a delicious and healthy lunch!! Starbucks coffee and creamer for my breakfast that I make at home…..    For my snack, I will eat blueberries in cottage cheese and chicken salad on gluten free crackers ( if I go to the gym for a post-workout protein snack)…..  Back-up meal of a small pork tenderloin I can defrost with baby carrots….

So with planning, I have saved at least $50 a day……. Had I ordered a Starbucks every day, ordered Door Dash for lunch, and ate out…. When I plan an outing with friends, I just cook a potluck dinner or brunch, with a theme  that is inexpensive, like street tacos…..

I love Aldi’s for my Shopping!!!

When shopping, I go to Dollar General for dry goods, Sam’s Club for bulk items ( coffee, boneless chicken thighs, white wine,  shaved parmesan cheese, pita bread,  and veggies), and Aldi’s for everything else… At times, I do a little shopping at Kroger for items that Aldi’s doesn’t have…Walmart has been a “hot mess” lately so I avoid Walmart at all costs…..

You can have an AMAZING LIFE and SAVE Money too!!!

My experience of living on a limited budget and still living an AMAZING life is that people overspend on eating out, convenience foods, and vacations….. Vacations in particular, can drain your budget, with constant unexpected expenses, that you did not budget for…. For example, you book an Airbnb, and there is the local sales tax, cleaning fees, and an extra fees…. Or you fly, then have to book a rental car, pay tolls and pay for gas…… And still to buy stuff you need for the beach like beach chairs, umbrella, and beach towels, food you never eat, etc…

Here is the Best Part to Saving Thousands of Dollars a Month!!!

Here is the best part!!!  You can living an absolutely amazing life!!! Live a longer life, a healthier life , and lose that Belly fat!! Save for the future, go on amazing trips ( that you have saved for), while saving thousands of dollars each month following my tips…..

My Ten Easy Steps for saving Thousands of Dollars each month!!!

#1 Make your Starbucks Coffee at Home….

I buy my Starbucks whole beans from Sam’s Club ( 2.5 lb bag), grind them at night, add filtered water, and make my coffee at 4:30 AM when I wake up…. Add full-fat half-half and one scoop of collagen powder…. Drinking coffee in the AM boosts your metabolism and helps you burn more calories the whole day…. Saving $100 a month, calorie savings 200 calories a day….

#2 Stop Buying Beverages…..

Stop Buying Beverages…..I drink filtered water from a mason jar, or metal bottle, water with one scoop electrolyte powder mid-day, cold elderberry tea, hot chamomile tea, bedtime tea, and wine!!   Avoid plastic bottles since they cause an excess of estrogen in the human body…..  Save at least $100 a month and at least 200 calories a day!!

#3 Stop Snacking!!!

Stop Snacking!!!   Human being never snacked throughout the history of humanity…. People ate a midday meal and an evening meal… Fasting for religious holidays was a common practice… Snacking was invented with Cracker Jacks in the 1920s for baseball games…. Food companies quickly capitalized and snacking is now the prevalent way people eat…. As a teacher, I see kids carrying bags of Taki’s and snacking all day…During Pandemic, snacking increased tremendously, as did childhood obesity, which went up 60%….. Snacking makes you  tired sluggish, and fat!!   And poor!!   I snack when I get home from work because I am not ready for dinner…. My snacks are homemade artichoke dip, hummus, brie cheese, ham, carrots, cottage cheese and berries, nuts, chicken salad, and my favorite snack is black bean dip!!   Savings $200 month and 300+ calories a day….

#4 Bring Your Own Lunch

Bring your own lunch…..  Buy one of those cute, Bento lunch boxes, and pack it full of leftovers from your fridge….. Such as pieces of cheese, ham, berries, nuts, baby carrots, olives, and pickles… Or make a bone broth soup….  Or make a Mason jar salad, keep a bottle of dressing at work and some French fried onions for some crunch….. Savings $200 a month and at least 200 calories a day….

#5 Eat REAL FOOD at Home!!

Eat dinner at home with your family…. Plan on a later dinner and have a healthy snack, some cold or hot tea……. Get all the homework done, phone calls, make your lunches for the next day…….. Put your phone down, light some candles, set the table with real napkins, play your favorite Spotify playlist, and have a real conversation!!  I have a ton of EASY, CHEAP, and HEATHY meals on my blog…..  Eat your favorite meals and  add a side of boiled broccoli ( with olive oil and McCormick’s vegetable seasoning) or baby carrots… If you run out of food prep, cut up chicken sausage, carrots, red onions, cauliflower, or Brussel sprouts…. Brush with olive oil, McCormick’s vegetable seasoning, and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees….. Put all the ingredients on a shallow, parchment lined oven pan…. Bring the leftovers for lunch the next day….. Savings:   Based on eating out for two meals a week ( $500 a month, calories at least 500 calories)….. The best part is the time you spend with your family building priceless memories….

#6 Eat a Healthy Mediterranean Keto Diet….

Stop eating processed foods and sugar….. I eat a healthy Mediterranean Keto diet:  Is there a diet that is scientifically proven to extend your life, reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease while lowering your blood pressure, blood sugar, and levels of inflammation?? The diet ( or more appropriately called a lifestyle) is the Mediterranean Diet….. To lose more weight ( you will lose 60% more weight!!) add a Keto twist!!!

Mediterranean Diet with a Keto Twist to Burn Belly Fat

To add combine the diets you will reduce your carbs to 50-100 grams a day and increase your protein to 100 grams a day…. You will avoid all processed foods, gluten, sugar, starchy veggies such as potatoes, and high glycemic fruit ( such as apples, pineapple, and bananas)…..To get the best health benefits and reverse the aging process, add intermittent fasting. I like the 16/8 intermittent fasting ( I fast every day until noon, then have an eight hour eating window)….. Eat lean protein, lots of fish and sardines, lots of healthy veggies, berries, nuts, and some amounts of dairy…. Since you are not in ketosis, you want to avoid high fat foods, but focus on healthy fats such as olive oil….

#7 Spend Time in Nature instead of Expensive Vacations

Stop going on expensive vacations!!  I have seen time and time again that people go on trips to impress their friends and family on social media……..  Why not buy a kayak, a bike, some hiking poles, or even rent a camper and impress people with your time spent in Nature??? Or look at local events and festivals, and do something different…….Expose your children to a Latin festival, visit a museum, or a Cornbread festival????  I never took my three sons on any fancy vacations, and they developed their own hobbies that give them so much enjoyment as adults…. I personally love to go hiking, go on weekend getaways, go to live music,  or walk around downtown Nashville ( the people watching is amazing) I also love to go a comedy club, ride my bike at Shelby’s Bottom Park in Nashville, then ride around downtown Nashville, paddleboard, or kayak…. Hardly a dull life!!!   

#8 Cut back on Services and do thing yourself..

Stop spending money on services…. I realized that hair extensions were causing my hair to be severely damaged….. So I pulled them out and started my natural hair regime…. I do not use heat on my hair and rub it with pumpkin seed and coconut oil….. I stopped getting spray tans, instead I use a weekly tanning with a tanning mit…….. I find the $20 tanners last forever and are well-worth the money!! I also use a self-tanner on my face, and Lumify drops for my green eyes to brighten my face…..   Drug store make-up and always get the coupons from Kroger is my go-to……. Once I starting eating a high protein, Mediterranean Keto diet my wrinkles disappeared!!! I also take the right supplements, drink collagen in my coffee, drink homemade bone broth, and take vitamin K2 every day……….Hello Beautiful Skin and “Bye-Bye Botox and fillers!!”  Savings:  $200+ month

#9 Eliminate Paper Goods!!

Eliminate paper goods!!   I stopped using tissues ( I never get sick), Lysol wipes, and paper towels…. Paper towels have gone up to over a dollar a roll, and I have seen people use a roll a day…  Use Swedish dish cloths, t-shirt rags, and white tea towels instead of paper towels…. I do more laundry, one load a week…. I also bring pieces of material to school to use as a eraser for by dry erase board….. Make your own cleaning sprays from large industrial sized bottles of Lysol……

#10 Get Rid of monthly subscriptions that you don’t use

 Do away with unnecessary subscriptions that you don’t use…. There are Apps that will do this, or just look at your credit card bill…. Warning,, some subscriptions can be very difficult to cancel and my require a complaint to your credit card company… Also, encourage grown children to pay their own expenses…. Find a job closer to home if possible…. By doing all of these things, I saved $600 a month!!