It’s that time of year again! The time when people are saying “I need to lose weight!” and “I need to pay off [insert bill here]” and “I need to save more money!”. It’s really sad for me to see that so many people don’t know where to start, and so many people will fail because they’re just not prepared for the commitment it takes to change yourself. I desperately want to help everyone who is looking to change themselves for the better. I don’t want anyone to feel disappointed with their self because they didn’t lose enough weight or save enough money or pay all of their bills off completely. You don’t need a personal trainer and dietician to lose weight. You don’t need an accountant and financial adviser to save money.
It is possible. You can lose the weight you want to lose. You can save for your future. You can pay off your debt. It takes commitment and hard work, but you can do it. In the spirit of wanting to help as many people as I can, here it goes!
Save money, the easy way!
Seriously, it’s as easy as getting paid, and all you have to do is remember to do this every time you cash your pay check. Some banks, like Citizen’s Bank, can do this for you if you set it up, or if you use direct deposit, you can usually choose the destination of deposit and just have the money saved before your checking account even sees it. Every paycheck put a pre-determined amount of money into your savings account. I think, a small and reasonable amount is a great place to start, $5.00 for instance. Every weekly paycheck, put $5 in your savings account, if you get paid biweekly, put $10 in. If you do this automagically through your bank, after a while you’ll never notice the difference. You’ll save $260 a year, without putting any thought into the savings. If you’re feeling like saving more than that, you can go with a larger amount.
If you’re stretching your budget thin each paycheck, and don’t feel comfortable putting small amounts in your savings regularly, then you can try saving through spending. There are a few tricks you can try, that have worked for my husband and I, when trying to save money.
1.	Determine your needs versus your wants. You need: healthy food to eat, water, a home, clothing to keep you warm/safe, the ability to keep yourself clean, and access to medication/health care products. Everything else is a want. Everything.
2.	Buy generic. When possible, don’t buy the name brand. Overall, generic is generally cheaper and tastes the same. If you have a store like Wegman’s in your area, the generic probably tastes better.
3.	Make a grocery list. Don’t stray from the list! If you forgot something, make sure you absolutely need it before you buy it. Wegman’s has an app for that, and a website. It’s super handy if you have a Shopper’s Club Card.
4.	Don’t go to the store hungry. You will impulse buy because when you’re hungry, all you’re thinking about is what the next form of sustenance will be. And seriously don’t go to the Wegman’s hotfood bar if you are shopping hungry.
If you combine the two ways to save, not only will you be spending less, and saving more!