With her nose stuck in a book...

 A. A. Milne for inspiration today

Not sure why I have Winnie the Pooh and A.A Milne in my head tonight, but here's one of his illustrations. I thought it looked the most like 'being frugal' which is mostly the reason for tonight's post. I see this picture and think how kind Christopher Robin is by trying to repair something he loves so much and using what materials he has. Simplicity--love it. 

I consider myself to always have been frugal. Growing up our family was always aware of not being wasteful and thinking about saving rather than spending. It was something I was good at. I still am. You talk about someone who saved pennies. I remember taking rolls of them to the bank to be deposited. That bag was pretty heavy, but nonetheless it was logical practice. Something I am still grateful to have even today when it is perhaps appreciated and understood more than in my younger years. I understand why it is so important now because I have become a grown up. 

I never realized how money can put such a damper on things until now. I dread having to worry about one day being in debt or not being able to provide for daily necessities. Is our world really getting to be that bad? Well, yes yes it is. as much as I wish I had the dream job I always wanted I am very grateful to be in the good position I am in. Although I am in the beginning stages of moving away from home (hopefully permanently) I am humbled that my parents have never forced rent upon me or daily payments on such things as insurance, groceries, and phone bills.  This is not to say that they shouldn't be compensated, and I plan on giving them a 'thank you for being so supportive' stipend, but that they understand what it means to struggle and wish to keep me from that while they can. They are very merciful you see. :) Furthermore, I see them struggle more now than ever before and it makes me think twice about superfluous expenses and things I could really do without. 

Some things I have done to help save some $$$, though they may be small and silly...

•  Coupons. Although I am not nearly as awesome with this as some people.  
• Name brands aren't everything as long as it is quality. Sometimes this is hard to do, but I have been going more or less for the cheaper lesser known brands. And most of the time it's just as good. 
• Thrifting. You would not believe how much money I have saved. Clothes are so darn expensive! Save a few bucks and supporting recycled goods at unbeatable prices. 
• Similarly to thrifting I have been trying to go for cheaper stores such as Big Lots and Dollar Tree. Although some things are not any cheaper and aren't readily available, you can still save a few dollars by getting specific items there that you know are cheaper than anywhere else. Just make sure you aren't being jipped by quantity.
• Grocery shopping wise Aldi does a pretty good job of offering low prices and pretty decent food items. Granted they are much smaller than the average grocery store, you still save by buying items here. Anything else we can't find there we buy at our regular grocery store but it's all about trying to save yourself some money to use for other important things.
• Need vs. want. We all struggle with this one, but since money is so precious nowadays I have really begun to think twice about what I need to get and what I really should be getting. I have saved alot of money just be dealing with this idea. 
• Investing in the purchase. This is somewhat a vague idea, but I have been applying it to things by asking myself how much it will last compared so another item and if it is worth paying the extra 30cents. Some things that you may not realize are that for example some bars of soap last way longer than say liquid soap. Little things like that can save you from buying some items so frequently.
• Using a smaller amount of toothpaste. Okay I know this one is silly, but seriously they say on the back of the tube that a pea-sized amount is what you should use! Come on people you can use half that and still have a quality clean brushing. And your toothpaste will last longer by months!

I am also trying to pay off my loan at twice the minimum payment to get that debt down alot sooner. I want to be able to proudly say I am debt free and to stay that way. I think I am lucky in that it's manageable and could easily be paid off in full at this very moment, especially so fresh from graduating. (Not sure I want to do that though and leave myself with very little cushion..) Regardless, the thought of getting behind in payments and not using my money wisely scares me. It keeps me on my toes and lets me know the reality of the situation our country is in. We need to practice healthy spending and saving.

Those are my world-saving tips for the day. I hope they were meaningful. Happy saving, friends. :)