Uniba speech

The speech you will give as a best man will be the toughest
speech you give in your life. Or at least it would have been
before you discovered this incredibly useful Madlibs-style
template
The speech you will give as a best man will be the toughest
speech you give in your life. Or at least it would have been
before you discovered this incredibly useful Madlibs-style
template, which will shave your speech preparation down from
a couple of weeks to 10 minutes
For your speech to be truly perfect, however, you must respect
these two rules as you feel in the blanks:
1. Maintain the right emotional balance. The perfect best man's
speech makes the audience laugh at the beginning and cry at
the end. Don't get too emotional too quickly, or they will
snicker at you.
2. Keep your anecdotes accessible. There is nothing worse than
a speech that only the best man and groom can understand.
Your jokes should feel like inside jokes to as much of the room
as possible.

The Universally Perfect Best Man's Speech
Good evening, everyone. Thanks for putting down your forks
for long enough to give me your undivided attention. For those
of you who don’t know who I am, I’m the best man. And before
I say anything else, I’d like us all to take a moment to
appreciate and raise our glasses to [names of parents who paid,
starting with mom] for what has been thus far a wonderful
celebration on such a special occasion. Now, I know that most
of you don’t make it out often and only came here for the free
[main course — probably chicken], so I’ve been asked by
[bride’s name] to instruct you not to make a scene — I’m
looking at you [troublesome uncle or youngest child in
attendance].
I first met [groom’s name] at [authentic first meeting occasion],
but I really got to know him at [another early meeting that
supports coming anecdote].

Don’t worry, [bride’s name]. I’m not leading to the story you’re
worried about!
So when I first saw [groom’s name] at [early meeting that
supports coming anecdote], I couldn’t believe that he was
[weird behavior that at least 80% of room will recognize]. Now,
I know they say that you never get a second chance to make a
first impression, but let’s just say that[groom’s name] should be
grateful that that’s just a myth!
[Groom] stopped doing [aforementioned weird behavior] not
long after that meeting, but, happily, he didn’t lose his [positive
personality trait driving weird behavior]. And for anyone who
doubted that he did, let’s not forget about our night at
[bachelor party venue]… Just kidding, [bride’s name]. [Groom’s
name] was as well behaved… ahem, dull… as [grumpiest person
in attendance].
But there’s a lot more to being [positive personality trait driving
weird behavior] than [aforementioned weird behavior]. We’ve
all seen [groom’s name] bring his [positive personality trait] to
his work as a [groom’s profession] and to his pursuit of
[universally recognized hobby or pastime]. And it’s definitely

been a driving force in a friendship that has lasted [length of
time of friendship], with a lot of years yet to come.
And, in any case, we all knew that [aforementioned weird
behavior]wouldn’t last forever. (At least we all hoped it
wouldn’t!) If it had, then[bride’s name] probably wouldn’t have
given [groom’s name] a second look at [venue of their first
meeting], where they first met. Walking into[venue of their first
meeting], I’m sure neither [groom’s name] nor [bride’s name]
expected it to be the start of a journey that would lead us here
today. After all, [bride’s name] was so busy with her [estimable
occupation/hobby/passion of that time], while [groom’s name]
was so busy with his [ridiculous/juvenile hobby], that neither
thought that they had room for another person in their life.
On [approximate date of first meeting], destiny changed their
plans.
And this was the first of many changes to come in [groom’s
name]’s life. First of all, gone were his [bad lifestyle habit] and
his [bad fashion trademark]! But, more importantly, we started
to see [groom’s name]shine in ways we never knew possible.
[Bride’s name], whether it was through her [positive

personality trait] or her introducing [groom’s name]to [positive
group activity], brought a new dimension of happiness to him
that even I had never seen. But, having got to know [bride’s
name]’s family a bit more in recent weeks, now I understand
where this happiness comes from.
In fact, tonight I see two very happy families coming together.
And we all know how delicate interfamilial relations can be —
particularly when one family is [nationality or religious
denomination of groom’s family] and the other is [nationality or
religious denomination of bride’s family]. But whether it’s over
a steaming plate of [traditional meal associated with nationality
of one group] or getting together around the [icon associated
with religious denomination of other group], it all comes down
the same thing: love and mutual respect. And I think you would
all agree that there’s a lot of that in this room today, and I think
you’d also agree that there’s a lot of that between [groom’s
name] and [bride’s name].
So let’s all raise our glasses to the happy couple. [Groom’s
name] may not[aforementioned weird behavior] anymore, but

with [bride’s name] at his side, his [positive personality trait
driving weird behavior] is now perfectly matched. Cheers!
money makes every one perfect

This Is Why Poor People's Bad Decisions Make Perfect Sense
Posted: 11/22/2013 5:18 pm EST Updated: 06/19/2014 1:59
pm EDT
LINDA TIRADO
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There's no way to structure this coherently. They are random
observations that might help explain the mental processes. But
often, I think that we look at the academic problems of poverty
and have no idea of thewhy. We know the what and the how,
and we can see systemic problems, but it's rare to have a poor
person actually explain it on their own behalf. So this is me
doing that, sort of.
Rest is a luxury for the rich. I get up at 6AM, go to school (I have
a full course load, but I only have to go to two in-person
classes) then work, then I get the kids, then I pick up my
husband, then I have half an hour to change and go to Job 2. I
get home from that at around 12:30AM, then I have the rest of
my classes and work to tend to. I'm in bed by 3. This isn't every
day, I have two days off a week from each of my obligations. I
use that time to clean the house and soothe Mr. Martini and
see the kids for longer than an hour and catch up on
schoolwork. Those nights I'm in bed by midnight, but if I go to
bed too early I won't be able to stay up the other nights
because I'll fuck my pattern up, and I drive an hour home from
Job 2 so I can't afford to be sleepy. I never get a day off from
work unless I am fairly sick. It doesn't leave you much room to
think about what you are doing, only to attend to the next thing
and the next. Planning isn't in the mix.

When I got pregnant the first time, I was living in a weekly
motel. I had a minifridge with no freezer and a microwave. I
was on WIC. I ate peanut butter from the jar and frozen
burritos because they were 12/$2. Had I had a stove, I couldn't
have made beef burritos that cheaply. And I needed the meat, I
was pregnant. I might not have had any prenatal care, but I am
intelligent enough to eat protein and iron whilst knocked up.
I know how to cook. I had to take Home Ec to graduate high
school. Most people on my level didn't. Broccoli is intimidating.
You have to have a working stove, and pots, and spices, and
you'll have to do the dishes no matter how tired you are or
they'll attract bugs. It is a huge new skill for a lot of people.
That's not great, but it's true. And if you fuck it up, you could
make your family sick. We have learned not to try too hard to
be middle-class. It never works out well and always makes you
feel worse for having tried and failed yet again. Better not to
try. It makes more sense to get food that you know will be
palatable and cheap and that keeps well. Junk food is a
pleasure that we are allowed to have; why would we give that
up? We have very few of them.

The closest Planned Parenthood to me is three hours. That's a
lot of money in gas. Lots of women can't afford that, and even
if you live near one you probably don't want to be seen coming
in and out in a lot of areas. We're aware that we are not
"having kids," we're "breeding." We have kids for much the
same reasons that I imagine rich people do. Urge to propagate
and all. Nobody likes poor people procreating, but they judge
abortion even harder.
Convenience food is just that. And we are not allowed many
conveniences. Especially since the Patriot Act passed, it's hard
to get a bank account. But without one, you spend a lot of time
figuring out where to cash a check and get money orders to pay
bills. Most motels now have a no-credit-card-no-room policy. I
wandered around SF for five hours in the rain once with nearly
a thousand dollars on me and could not rent a room even if I
gave them a $500 cash deposit and surrendered my cell phone
to the desk to hold as surety.
Nobody gives enough thought to depression. You have to
understand that we know that we will never not feel tired. We
will never feel hopeful. We will never get a vacation. Ever. We
know that the very act of being poor guarantees that we will
never not be poor. It doesn't give us much reason to improve

ourselves. We don't apply for jobs because we know we can't
afford to look nice enough to hold them. I would make a super
legal secretary, but I've been turned down more than once
because I "don't fit the image of the firm," which is a nice way
of saying "gtfo, pov." I am good enough to cook the food,
hidden away in the kitchen, but my boss won't make me a
server because I don't "fit the corporate image." I am not
beautiful. I have missing teeth and skin that looks like it will
when you live on B12 and coffee and nicotine and no sleep.
Beauty is a thing you get when you can afford it, and that's how
you get the job that you need in order to be beautiful. There
isn't much point trying.
Cooking attracts roaches. Nobody realizes that. I've spent a lot
of hours impaling roach bodies and leaving them out on
toothpick pikes to discourage others from entering. It doesn't
work, but is amusing.
"Free" only exists for rich people. It's great that there's a bowl
of condoms at my school, but most poor people will never set
foot on a college campus. We don't belong there. There's a
clinic? Great! There's still a copay. We're not going. Besides, all
they'll tell you at the clinic is that you need to see a specialist,
which seriously? Might as well be located on Mars for how

accessible it is. "Low-cost" and "sliding scale" sounds like
"money you have to spend" to me, and they can't actually help
you anyway.
I smoke. It's expensive. It's also the best option. You see, I am
always, always exhausted. It's a stimulant. When I am too tired
to walk one more step, I can smoke and go for another hour.
When I am enraged and beaten down and incapable of
accomplishing one more thing, I can smoke and I feel a little
better, just for a minute. It is the only relaxation I am allowed. It
is not a good decision, but it is the only one that I have access
to. It is the only thing I have found that keeps me from
collapsing or exploding.
I make a lot of poor financial decisions. None of them matter, in
the long term. I will never not be poor, so what does it matter if
I don't pay a thing and a half this week instead of just one
thing? It's not like the sacrifice will result in improved
circumstances; the thing holding me back isn't that I blow five
bucks at Wendy's. It's that now that I have proven that I am a
Poor Person that is all that I am or ever will be. It is not worth it
to me to live a bleak life devoid of small pleasures so that one
day I can make a single large purchase. I will never have large
pleasures to hold on to. There's a certain pull to live what bits

of life you can while there's money in your pocket, because no
matter how responsible you are you will be broke in three days
anyway. When you never have enough money it ceases to have
meaning. I imagine having a lot of it is the same thing.
Poverty is bleak and cuts off your long-term brain. It's why you
see people with four different babydaddies instead of one. You
grab a bit of connection wherever you can to survive. You have
no idea how strong the pull to feel worthwhile is. It's more
basic than food. You go to these people who make you feel
lovely for an hour that one time, and that's all you get. You're
probably not compatible with them for anything long-term, but
right this minute they can make you feel powerful and valuable.
It does not matter what will happen in a month. Whatever
happens in a month is probably going to be just about as
indifferent as whatever happened today or last week. None of
it matters. We don't plan long-term because if we do we'll just
get our hearts broken. It's best not to hope. You just take what
you can get as you spot it.
I am not asking for sympathy. I am just trying to explain, on a
human level, how it is that people make what look from the
outside like awful decisions. This is what our lives are like, and
here are our defense mechanisms, and here is why we think

differently. It's certainly self-defeating, but it's safer. That's all. I
hope it helps make sense of it.
Additions have been made to the update below to reflect the
responses received.
UPDATE: The response to this piece is overwhelming. I have
had a lot of people ask to use my work. Please do. Share it with
the world if you found value in it. Please link back if you can. If
you are teaching, I am happy to discuss this with or clarify for
you, and you can freely use this piece in your classes. Please do
let me know where you teach. You can reach me on Twitter,
@killermartinis. I set up an email at killermartinisbook@ gmail
as well.
This piece has gone fully viral. People have been asking me to
write, and how they can help. After enough people tried to
send me paypal money, I set up a gofundme. Find it here. It
promptly went insane. I have raised my typical yearly income as
of this update. I have no idea what to say except thank you. I
am going to speak with some money people who will make sure
that I can't fuck this up, and I will use it to do good things with.

I've also set up a blog, which I hope you will find here.
Understand that I wrote this as an example of the thought
process that we struggle with. Most of us are clinically
depressed, and we do not get therapy and medication and
support. We get told to get over it. And we find ways to cope. I
am not saying that people live without hope entirely; that is not
human nature. But these are the thoughts that are never too
far away, that creep up on us every chance they get, that prey
on our better judgement when we are tired and stressed and
weakened. We maintain a constant vigil against these thoughts,
because we are afraid that if we speak them aloud or even
articulate them in our heads they will become unmanageably
real.
Thank you for reading. I am glad people find value in it. Because
I am getting tired of people not reading this and then
commenting anyway, I am making a few things clear: not all of
this piece is about me. That is why I said that they were
observations. And this piece is not all of me: that is why I said
that they were random observations rather than complete
ones. If you really have to urge me to abort or keep my knees
closed or wonder whether I can fax you my citizenship
documents or if I really in fact have been poor because I know

multisyllabic words, I would like to ask that you read the
comments and see whether anyone has made your point in the
particular fashion you intend to. It is not that I mind trolls so
much, it's that they're getting repetitive and if you have to say
nothing I hope you can at least do it in an entertaining fashion.
If, however, you simply are curious about something and
actually want to have a conversation, I do not mind repeating
myself because those conversations are valuable and not
actually repetitive. They tend to be very specific to the asker,
and I am happy to shed any light I can. I do not mind honest
questions. They are why I wrote this piece.
Thank you all, so much. I don't know what life will look like next
week, and for once that's a good thing. And I have you to thank.
poverty
Linda's story is part of a Huffington Post series profiling
Americans who work hard and yet still struggle to make ends
meet. Learn more about other individuals' experiences here.

Have a similar story you'd like to share? Email us at
workingpoor@huffingtonpost.com or give us a call at (408)
508-4833, and you can record your story in your own words.
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Freeman
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IN my last year on Wall Street my bonus was $3.6 million — and I was angry because it
wasn’t big enough. I was 30 years old, had no children to raise, no debts to pay, no
philanthropic goal in mind. I wanted more money for exactly the same reason an
alcoholic needs another drink: I was addicted.
Eight years earlier, I’d walked onto the trading floor at Credit Suisse First Boston to
begin my summer internship. I already knew I wanted to be rich, but when I started out
I had a different idea about what wealth meant. I’d come to Wall Street after reading in
the book “Liar’s Poker” how Michael Lewis earned a $225,000 bonus after just two
years of work on a trading floor. That seemed like a fortune. Every January and
February, I think about that time, because these are the months when bonuses are
decided and distributed, when fortunes are made.
I’d learned about the importance of being rich from my dad. He was a modern-day Willy
Loman, a salesman with huge dreams that never seemed to materialize. “Imagine what
life will be like,” he’d say, “when I make a million dollars.” While he dreamed of selling a
screenplay, in reality he sold kitchen cabinets. And not that well. We sometimes lived
paycheck to paycheck off my mom’s nurse-practitioner salary.
Dad believed money would solve all his problems. At 22, so did I. When I walked onto
that trading floor for the first time and saw the glowing flat-screen TVs, high-tech

computer monitors and phone turrets with enough dials, knobs and buttons to make it
seem like the cockpit of a fighter plane, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the rest
of my life. It looked as if the traders were playing a video game inside a spaceship; if you
won this video game, you became what I most wanted to be — rich.
RELATED IN OPINION

Why We Like to Watch Rich People JAN. 16, 2014
IT was a miracle I’d made it to Wall Street at all. While I was competitive and ambitious
— a wrestler at Columbia University — I was also a daily drinker and pot smoker and a
regular user of cocaine, Ritalin and ecstasy. I had a propensity for self-destruction that
had resulted in my getting suspended from Columbia for burglary, arrested twice and
fired from an Internet company for fistfighting. I learned about rage from my dad, too. I
can still see his red, contorted face as he charged toward me. I’d lied my way into the
C.S.F.B. internship by omitting my transgressions from my résumé and was determined
not to blow what seemed a final chance. The only thing as important to me as that
internship was my girlfriend, a starter on the Columbia volleyball team. But even though
I was in love with her, when I got drunk I’d sometimes end up with other women.
Three weeks into my internship she wisely dumped me. I don’t like who you’ve become,
she said. I couldn’t blame her, but I was so devastated that I couldn’t get out of bed. In
desperation, I called a counselor whom I had reluctantly seen a few times before and
asked for help.
She helped me see that I was using alcohol and drugs to blunt the powerlessness I felt as
a kid and suggested I give them up. That began some of the hardest months of my life.
Without the alcohol and drugs in my system, I felt like my chest had been cracked open,
exposing my heart to air. The counselor said that my abuse of drugs and alcohol was a
symptom of an underlying problem — a “spiritual malady,” she called it. C.S.F.B. didn’t
offer me a full-time job, and I returned, distraught, to Columbia for senior year.
After graduation, I got a job at Bank of America, by the grace of a managing director
willing to take a chance on a kid who had called him every day for three weeks. With a
year of sobriety under my belt, I was sharp, cleareyed and hard-working. At the end of
my first year I was thrilled to receive a $40,000 bonus. For the first time in my life, I
didn’t have to check my balance before I withdrew money. But a week later, a trader who
was only four years my senior got hired away by C.S.F.B. for $900,000. After my initial
envious shock — his haul was 22 times the size of my bonus — I grew excited at how
much money was available.
Over the next few years I worked like a maniac and began to move up the Wall Street
ladder. I became a bond and credit default swap trader, one of the more lucrative roles

in the business. Just four years after I started at Bank of America, Citibank offered me a
“1.75 by 2” which means $1.75 million per year for two years, and I used it to get a
promotion. I started dating a pretty blonde and rented a loft apartment on Bond Street
for $6,000 a month.
I felt so important. At 25, I could go to any restaurant in Manhattan — Per Se, Le
Bernardin — just by picking up the phone and calling one of my brokers, who ingratiate
themselves to traders by entertaining with unlimited expense accounts. I could be
second row at the Knicks-Lakers game just by hinting to a broker I might be interested
in going. The satisfaction wasn’t just about the money. It was about the power. Because
of how smart and successful I was, it was someone else’s job to make me happy.
Still, I was nagged by envy. On a trading desk everyone sits together, from interns to
managing directors. When the guy next to you makes $10 million, $1 million or $2
million doesn’t look so sweet. Nonetheless, I was thrilled with my progress.
My counselor didn’t share my elation. She said I might be using money the same way I’d
used drugs and alcohol — to make myself feel powerful — and that maybe it would
benefit me to stop focusing on accumulating more and instead focus on healing my
inner wound. “Inner wound”? I thought that was going a little far and went to work for a
hedge fund.
Now, working elbow to elbow with billionaires, I was a giant fireball of greed. I’d think
about how my colleagues could buy Micronesia if they wanted to, or become mayor of
New York City. They didn’t just have money; they had power — power beyond getting a
table at Le Bernardin. Senators came to their offices. They were royalty.
I wanted a billion dollars. It’s staggering to think that in the course of five years, I’d gone
from being thrilled at my first bonus — $40,000 — to being disappointed when, my
second year at the hedge fund, I was paid “only” $1.5 million.
Photo

CreditOwen Freeman
But in the end, it was actually my absurdly wealthy bosses who helped me see the
limitations of unlimited wealth. I was in a meeting with one of them, and a few other
traders, and they were talking about the new hedge-fund regulations. Most everyone on
Wall Street thought they were a bad idea. “But isn’t it better for the system as a whole?”
I asked. The room went quiet, and my boss shot me a withering look. I remember his
saying, “I don’t have the brain capacity to think about the system as a whole. All I’m
concerned with is how this affects our company.”
I felt as if I’d been punched in the gut. He was afraid of losing money, despite all that he
had.

From that moment on, I started to see Wall Street with new eyes. I noticed the vitriol
that traders directed at the government for limiting bonuses after the crash. I heard the
fury in their voices at the mention of higher taxes. These traders despised anything or
anyone that threatened their bonuses. Ever see what a drug addict is like when he’s used
up his junk? He’ll do anything — walk 20 miles in the snow, rob a grandma — to get a
fix. Wall Street was like that. In the months before bonuses were handed out, the trading
floor started to feel like a neighborhood in “The Wire” when the heroin runs out.
I’d always looked enviously at the people who earned more than I did; now, for the first
time, I was embarrassed for them, and for me. I made in a single year more than my
mom made her whole life. I knew that wasn’t fair; that wasn’t right. Yes, I was sharp,
good with numbers. I had marketable talents. But in the end I didn’t really do anything.
I was a derivatives trader, and it occurred to me the world would hardly change at all if
credit derivatives ceased to exist. Not so nurse practitioners. What had seemed normal
now seemed deeply distorted.
RECENT COMMENTS
Rob
19 January 2014
"For the LOVE of money" is a ROOT of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in
their greediness, and pierced...
JPFerg
19 January 2014
I LOVE THIS STATEMENT, UNQUALIFIED. This ethic he describes is so pervasive, that any ethics
and any sense of shared destiny, or negative...
arbitrot
19 January 2014
Mitt Romney Style!This is the keenest insight I've ever read into why we missed -- but not by that
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I had recently finished Taylor Branch’s three-volume series on the Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement, and the image of the Freedom Riders
stepping out of their bus into an infuriated mob had seared itself into my mind. I’d told
myself that if I’d been alive in the ‘60s, I would have been on that bus.
But I was lying to myself. There were plenty of injustices out there — rampant poverty,
swelling prison populations, a sexual-assault epidemic, an obesity crisis. Not only was I
not helping to fix any problems in the world, but I was profiting from them. During the
market crash in 2008, I’d made a ton of money by shorting the derivatives of risky
companies. As the world crumbled, I profited. I’d seen the crash coming, but instead of
trying to help the people it would hurt the most — people who didn’t have a million
dollars in the bank — I’d made money off it. I don’t like who you’ve become, my
girlfriend had said years earlier. She was right then, and she was still right. Only now, I
didn’t like who I’d become either.

Wealth addiction was described by the late sociologist and playwright Philip Slater in a
1980 book, but addiction researchers have paid the concept little attention. Like
alcoholics driving drunk, wealth addiction imperils everyone. Wealth addicts are, more
than anybody, specifically responsible for the ever widening rift that is tearing apart our
once great country. Wealth addicts are responsible for the vast and toxic disparity
between the rich and the poor and the annihilation of the middle class. Only a wealth
addict would feel justified in receiving $14 million in compensation — including an $8.5
million bonus — as the McDonald’s C.E.O., Don Thompson, did in 2012, while his
company then published a brochure for its work force on how to survive on their low
wages. Only a wealth addict would earn hundreds of millions as a hedge-fund manager,
and then lobby to maintain a tax loophole that gave him a lower tax rate than his
secretary.
Continue reading the main storyContinue reading the main story
DESPITE my realizations, it was incredibly difficult to leave. I was terrified of running
out of money and of forgoing future bonuses. More than anything, I was afraid that five
or 10 years down the road, I’d feel like an idiot for walking away from my one chance to
be really important. What made it harder was that people thought I was crazy for
thinking about leaving. In 2010, in a final paroxysm of my withering addiction, I
demanded $8 million instead of $3.6 million. My bosses said they’d raise my bonus if I
agreed to stay several more years. Instead, I walked away.
The first year was really hard. I went through what I can only describe as withdrawal —
waking up at nights panicked about running out of money, scouring the headlines to see
which of my old co-workers had gotten promoted. Over time it got easier — I started to
realize that I had enough money, and if I needed to make more, I could. But my wealth
addiction still hasn’t gone completely away. Sometimes I still buy lottery tickets.
In the three years since I left, I’ve married, spoken in jails and juvenile detention centers
about getting sober, taught a writing class to girls in the foster system, and started a
nonprofit called Groceryships to help poor families struggling with obesity and food
addiction. I am much happier. I feel as if I’m making a real contribution. And as time
passes, the distortion lessens. I see Wall Street’s mantra — “We’re smarter and work
harder than everyone else, so we deserve all this money” — for what it is: the
rationalization of addicts. From a distance I can see what I couldn’t see then — that Wall
Street is a toxic culture that encourages the grandiosity of people who are desperately
trying to feel powerful.
I was lucky. My experience with drugs and alcohol allowed me to recognize my pursuit
of wealth as an addiction. The years of work I did with my counselor helped me heal the
parts of myself that felt damaged and inadequate, so that I had enough of a core sense of
self to walk away.
Dozens of different types of 12-step support groups — including Clutterers Anonymous
and On-Line Gamers Anonymous — exist to help addicts of various types, yet there is no
Wealth Addicts Anonymous. Why not? Because our culture supports and even lauds the

addiction. Look at the magazine covers in any newsstand, plastered with the faces of
celebrities and C.E.O.'s; the superrich are our cultural gods. I hope we all confront our
part in enabling wealth addicts to exert so much influence over our country.
I generally think that if one is rich and believes they have “enough,” they are not a
wealth addict. On Wall Street, in my experience, that sense of “enough” is rare. The
money guy doing a job he complains about for yet another year so he can add $2 million
to his $20 million bank account seems like an addict.
I recently got an email from a hedge-fund trader who said that though he was making
millions every year, he felt trapped and empty, but couldn’t summon the courage to
leave. I believe there are others out there. Maybe we can form a group and confront our
addiction together. And if you identify with what I’ve written, but are reticent to leave,
then take a small step in the right direction. Let’s create a fund, where everyone agrees
to put, say, 25 percent of their annual bonuses into it, and we’ll use that to help some of
the people who actually need the money that we’ve been so rabidly chasing. Together,
maybe we can make a real contribution to the world.
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7 Frugal Habits Everyone Should Develop
by GUEST CON TR IBUTOR · 1 , 13 5 COMMEN TS




 Email
One of the most direct way to change your life, you need
to change your attitude.
No one else is responsible for what happens to you but you, so you
can either complain about the things you don’t like in your life or
you can set about changing them. Not surprisingly, this directly
relates to the state of your finances.
If you’re tired of living paycheck to paycheck, having your
phone regularly cut off, or making excuses to skip dinners with
your friends, then you can use these seven habits to take
control of your money situation and live a happier
and more frugal lifestyle.
Habit One: Be Proactive
The first habit to develop is to take responsibility; if you fail, you
have no one to blame but yourself. Regardless of how you were
raised or how you were treated at school, you can choose your
behavior now. Being proactive means understanding that YOU
are in control of your day-to-day interactions, and thereby, the
direction your life takes. This is in stark comparison to a reactive

person, who is often affected by their environment and will find
external sources to blame for their behavior. For example, if the
weather is good, they’re in a good mood, but if the weather is bad,
it affects them and they blame the weather for their bad mood.
[Here are 6 action steps to take when you feel financially
vulnerable.]
What most people forget is that though you can’t control the
stimulus, you can control your response. One of your most
important choices is your words; the language you use is an
effective indication of how you see yourself. If you use proactive
language, such as “I can” or “I will,” you’re starting with a more
positive attitudethan someone who uses language like “I can’t”
or “I have to” or “If only.”
How to be proactive for effective frugality:
 Take the first step. You cannot take control of your finances
until you make the commitment to do so; the more you ignore
the situation, the worse it will get. Instead, take a long hard
look at your finances — your budget, debts, income, and
expenses, and try to understand where your money is going and
where you can budget better. (To help you out, here are 25
ways to pay off your debt more easily.)
 Tell people. Using proactive language to vocalize your hope of
being more financially responsible not only helps you crystallize
your goal, but it can also help you avoid the peer pressure that
makes budgeting and frugality hard. If you explain to your
friends and family that you’re trying to live a more frugal
lifestyle, they’ll be less likely to pressure you into one more
round of drinks or another dinner out.
 Listen. Listen to yourself and to the reasons you give each time
you make a purchase outside of your budget or decide not to
put spare money into your savings account. Taking the time to
stop and listen to the reasons you give yourself for spending
more than you earn will give you the opportunity to hear just

how shallow many of those reasons are. This can stop you from
making purchases that impede your goal of effective frugality.
Habit Two: Begin with the End in Mind
Those who are effective in achieving their goals are able to
envisage their desired end result in spite of the obstacles. Effective
people adhere to this habit based on the principle that all things
are created twice; there is first the mental creation, then the
physical creation. The physical creation follows the mental
creation the same way that a building follows its blueprints.
If you don’t visualize what you want, then you’re at risk
of other people and external circumstances influencing
your life – because you’re not influencing it yourself. Instead,
begin every day and every task with a clear vision of where you
want to go and how you’re going to get there. Make that vision a
reality with your proactive skills from habit one.
How to visualize effective frugality:
 Define your goal. There are many ways to live a frugal
lifestyle, and you need to decide how frugal you want to be. Do
you want to be debt free, build a savings account of a certain
value, or live on one income in a two-income household?
 Decide how you’re going to get there. This will again draw
on your budget, but you need to be aware of the obstacles that
are standing in your way. These may be literal obstacles, such
as credit card debts, or they may be obstacles you’ve identified
in your behavior. An example of a behavioral obstacle would be
spending $10 every day on junk food on your way home from
work, because you’re starving. Instead, you could be packing an
inexpensive granola bar to keep you going until dinner. Or, do
you find that when you go shopping with your sister, she always
helps you justify a frivolous purchase, when you could leave
your credit card at home?

MoneyNing Tip: Make sure your goals are SMART!
Habit Three: Put First Things First
Knowing WHY you’re doing something is an incredible motivator
in helping you transform a mental creation into an actual physical
creation of your goal. Ask yourself what the things are that you
find most valuable and worthy to you. When you put these things
first, you’ll be organizing and managing your time around your
personal priorities to make them a reality.
For many people, it’s hard to say no, but this is exactly the
skill you have to learn to keep your goals as your first
priority. While we are constantly told we can have it all, in
reality, having it all is really about prioritizing what is most
important to YOU to have, and then focusing on that.
How to put effective frugality first:
 Recognize the effects of your finances. You may not
dedicate as much time as you should to managing your finances
and practicing frugal principles because you feel there’s
always something more important to be doing — whether it’s
work, taking the kids to soccer practice, or getting ready for
dinner with the girls. If your finances aren’t under control,
however, and you’re regularly spending more than you earn,
then they’re having a negative impact on every other aspect of
your life, from your work to your family and friends. You need
to recognize that being frugal is your first priority.
 Just say no. It’s easy to spend more than your budgeted
amount each month when you’re worried about missing out on
a dinner with friends, feel as though you have to cater a
birthday party for your son and 50 of his closest friends, or
don’t want to wear the same suit to a work conference two years
in a row. If you recognize that you don’t have to take on

everything and that it’s okay to say no, then you’ll find you’re
more in control of your spending and your budget.
Habit Four: Think Win-Win
Most of us are taught to base our self-worth on comparisons to
others and competition against our peers. We think we can only
succeed if someone else has failed. We’re also taught that there’s
only so much pie to go around, so if you get a big piece, then
someone else is missing out. When you think like this, you’re
going to feel like nothing is ever fair. As a result, many of us
retaliate and take the pie before someone else can take it from us.
Thinking in a win-win mindset allows you to see mutual
benefits from all of your interactions. By doing this, you’ll
see that the pie tastes even better when it’s shared. If you can
approach conflicts and problems with a win-win attitude, you’ll be
able to express your ideas and feelings with courage, while still
maintaining consideration for the feelings and ideas of others.
When you have an abundance mentality, you’re able to see
that there is enough for everyone, and that by balancing your
confidence with empathy, you can achieve your goals while
helping others achieve theirs.
How to create frugal win-win situations:
 Recognize that you don’t always know the full story. As
you aim to implement frugal principles and stick to a budget,
you may often find yourself thinking “it’s not fair.” It’s not fair
that they get to go out to dinner. It’s not fair that they get a new
car. It’s not fair that they get to go on vacation, and I don’t.
Take the time to realize, however, that you’re only seeing a
small part of the finances of your friends and family who seem
to “have it all.” And though it’s hard to watch your best friend
take a dream European holiday, or your brother buy the car you
covet, you’ll get there, too — if you manage your finances

frugally. And the best part? There will still be plenty of holiday
destinations and fast cars when that time rolls around.
 Understand the difference between possessions and
net worth. While your friends and family may seem to have a
fuller lifestyle because their house is bigger or their car is
newer, you need to consider that it could just be a facade
covering their mountains of debt. True wealth is not
measured in possessions, but in assets. When the value
of your assets is greater than the amount you owe on
mortgages, car loans, and credit card debts, then you have a
strong net worth and are truly wealthy. By trying to live a more
effectively frugal lifestyle, you’ll be able to achieve true wealth,
rather than just a life full of stuff.
MoneyNing Tip: When building wealth, remember to look
at the big picture, too.
Habit Five: Communication
At its base, communication is the desire to be heard and
understood. Most people will listen with the intention to reply to
what you’re saying, rather than to understand what you’ve
said. To effectively communicate, you need to first
understand. If you communicate with the sole intention of
being understood, you may ignore what others are saying and
miss their meaning entirely. Don’t just wait for your turn to talk;
pay attention to what people are trying to tell you.
How listening can help you be effectively frugal:
 You are not the only person in your life. Chances are
you’re married or in a relationship, have friends or children, or
all of the above. As a result, you’re not the only person being
affected by your decision to live a more frugal lifestyle. To be
effective in your goal of frugality, you need to be able to listen to
and understand the goals and behaviors of the other people in
your life, too. Consider how effective your frugality would be if

you were taking packed lunches to work and avoiding the
afternoon coffee run, while your partner was going on shopping
sprees during their lunch break. Instead of living a more frugal
lifestyle, you’d really be saving on one end and spending on the
other.
 Understand the goals and needs of others. While it’s
important to explain your desire to live more frugally, it’s also
important that you understand the goals and needs of those
around you. This way, you can find a way to be more frugal
without them having to give up all of the things that are most
important to them. You can’t know what those things are
unless you listen.
Habit Six: Synergize
Interactions and teamwork are some of the most important ways
you can learn new skills and more effective behaviors. Synergizing
is the habit of creative cooperation — working as a team to
find new solutions to existing problems. Synergy is not
something that just happens. It’s a process where you bring all of
your personal experience and expertise to the table, enabling
more effective results than those you would have been able to
achieve individually. The whole is greater than the sum of its
parts.
When you have genuine interactions with people, you’re able to
gain new insights and see new approaches to your problems —
ones you might not have thought of before.
How to synergize for effective frugality:
 Look for new ways. In a society that excels at consumerism,
you’ve probably already realized that you need to find new ways
of doing just about everything to be frugal. It’s easy to buy your
lunch every day, but it’s more frugal to pack it. It’s easy to drive
to work, but it’s more frugal to take the train. It’s easy to buy a
new cocktail dress, but it’s more frugal to make one.

 Surround yourself with other frugal people. To be
successful in your quest for frugality, surround yourself with
like-minded people. Find people who are where you want to be
by joining online frugal-living forums, striking up a friendship
with a fellow coupon-cutter, or starting a sewing club. When
you’re around people with the same goals as you, you’ll be able
to share ideas and learn from each other.
MoneyNing Tip: Learn to embrace the positive influence of
saving money.
Habit Seven: Sharpen the Saw
You’re the greatest asset you have on your journey to
achieving the lifestyle you want, so you need to look after
yourself physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Taking
the time to renew yourself in these areas of your life will give you
strength to maintain the previous six habits, which are essential
for your success.
How to frugally renew yourself:
 Physically. By eating better, you’ll feel better. Take it another
step further and start your own vegetable patch, which will save
you money at the supermarket and be healthier for you.
Exercising keeps you fit and healthy, and it doesn’t cost you
anything to go for a walk, ride a bike, or skip rope in the
backyard. To rest your body, you don’t need to go to a day spa;
you can simply relax in the tub at home.
 Emotionally. Interacting socially with others allows you to
make meaningful connections, and it makes you feel good. This
can be achieved by chatting with the woman at the coffee shop
or by calling your mom once a week.
 Mentally. Exercising and expanding your mind through
learning, reading, writing, and teaching can be done frugally.
Visit your local library, or volunteer at a school or retirement
home to teach others a skill you may be taking for granted.

 Spiritually. Spend time close to nature and expand your
spiritual self through meditation, music, art, or prayer. Take a
quiet moment to center yourself and empty your mind before
going to bed. Or, go for a hike and be grateful for the beauty of
nature surrounding you.
Frugality doesn’t mean having to give up all the luxuries
and things which make you happy. Don’t get burned out by
developing habits one through six without taking the time to
renew yourself. Frugality is something you want to develop and
maintain for the long-term. Follow these seven habits, and you’ll
be on your way to becoming a highly frugal person.
Do you consider yourself a highly frugal person? How
did you get there?
This post was originally written by Alban, and a parody of the
amazing book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He’s a
personal finance writer for Finder.com.au.
Click to reply all
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7 Frugal Habits Everyone Should Develop
by GUEST CON TR IBUTOR · 1 , 13 5 COMMEN TS



 Email
One of the most direct way to change your life, you need
to change your attitude.
No one else is responsible for what happens to you but you, so you
can either complain about the things you don’t like in your life or
you can set about changing them. Not surprisingly, this directly
relates to the state of your finances.
If you’re tired of living paycheck to paycheck, having your
phone regularly cut off, or making excuses to skip dinners with
your friends, then you can use these seven habits to take
control of your money situation and live a happier
and more frugal lifestyle.
Habit One: Be Proactive

The first habit to develop is to take responsibility; if you fail, you
have no one to blame but yourself. Regardless of how you were
raised or how you were treated at school, you can choose your
behavior now. Being proactive means understanding that YOU
are in control of your day-to-day interactions, and thereby, the
direction your life takes. This is in stark comparison to a reactive
person, who is often affected by their environment and will find
external sources to blame for their behavior. For example, if the
weather is good, they’re in a good mood, but if the weather is bad,
it affects them and they blame the weather for their bad mood.
[Here are 6 action steps to take when you feel financially
vulnerable.]
What most people forget is that though you can’t control the
stimulus, you can control your response. One of your most
important choices is your words; the language you use is an
effective indication of how you see yourself. If you use proactive
language, such as “I can” or “I will,” you’re starting with a more
positive attitudethan someone who uses language like “I can’t”
or “I have to” or “If only.”
How to be proactive for effective frugality:
 Take the first step. You cannot take control of your finances
until you make the commitment to do so; the more you ignore
the situation, the worse it will get. Instead, take a long hard
look at your finances — your budget, debts, income, and
expenses, and try to understand where your money is going and
where you can budget better. (To help you out, here are 25
ways to pay off your debt more easily.)
 Tell people. Using proactive language to vocalize your hope of
being more financially responsible not only helps you crystallize
your goal, but it can also help you avoid the peer pressure that
makes budgeting and frugality hard. If you explain to your
friends and family that you’re trying to live a more frugal

lifestyle, they’ll be less likely to pressure you into one more
round of drinks or another dinner out.
 Listen. Listen to yourself and to the reasons you give each time
you make a purchase outside of your budget or decide not to
put spare money into your savings account. Taking the time to
stop and listen to the reasons you give yourself for spending
more than you earn will give you the opportunity to hear just
how shallow many of those reasons are. This can stop you from
making purchases that impede your goal of effective frugality.
Habit Two: Begin with the End in Mind
Those who are effective in achieving their goals are able to
envisage their desired end result in spite of the obstacles. Effective
people adhere to this habit based on the principle that all things
are created twice; there is first the mental creation, then the
physical creation. The physical creation follows the mental
creation the same way that a building follows its blueprints.
If you don’t visualize what you want, then you’re at risk
of other people and external circumstances influencing
your life – because you’re not influencing it yourself. Instead,
begin every day and every task with a clear vision of where you
want to go and how you’re going to get there. Make that vision a
reality with your proactive skills from habit one.
How to visualize effective frugality:
 Define your goal. There are many ways to live a frugal
lifestyle, and you need to decide how frugal you want to be. Do
you want to be debt free, build a savings account of a certain
value, or live on one income in a two-income household?
 Decide how you’re going to get there. This will again draw
on your budget, but you need to be aware of the obstacles that
are standing in your way. These may be literal obstacles, such
as credit card debts, or they may be obstacles you’ve identified
in your behavior. An example of a behavioral obstacle would be

spending $10 every day on junk food on your way home from
work, because you’re starving. Instead, you could be packing an
inexpensive granola bar to keep you going until dinner. Or, do
you find that when you go shopping with your sister, she always
helps you justify a frivolous purchase, when you could leave
your credit card at home?
MoneyNing Tip: Make sure your goals are SMART!
Habit Three: Put First Things First
Knowing WHY you’re doing something is an incredible motivator
in helping you transform a mental creation into an actual physical
creation of your goal. Ask yourself what the things are that you
find most valuable and worthy to you. When you put these things
first, you’ll be organizing and managing your time around your
personal priorities to make them a reality.
For many people, it’s hard to say no, but this is exactly the
skill you have to learn to keep your goals as your first
priority. While we are constantly told we can have it all, in
reality, having it all is really about prioritizing what is most
important to YOU to have, and then focusing on that.
How to put effective frugality first:
 Recognize the effects of your finances. You may not
dedicate as much time as you should to managing your finances
and practicing frugal principles because you feel there’s
always something more important to be doing — whether it’s
work, taking the kids to soccer practice, or getting ready for
dinner with the girls. If your finances aren’t under control,
however, and you’re regularly spending more than you earn,
then they’re having a negative impact on every other aspect of
your life, from your work to your family and friends. You need
to recognize that being frugal is your first priority.

 Just say no. It’s easy to spend more than your budgeted
amount each month when you’re worried about missing out on
a dinner with friends, feel as though you have to cater a
birthday party for your son and 50 of his closest friends, or
don’t want to wear the same suit to a work conference two years
in a row. If you recognize that you don’t have to take on
everything and that it’s okay to say no, then you’ll find you’re
more in control of your spending and your budget.
Habit Four: Think Win-Win
Most of us are taught to base our self-worth on comparisons to
others and competition against our peers. We think we can only
succeed if someone else has failed. We’re also taught that there’s
only so much pie to go around, so if you get a big piece, then
someone else is missing out. When you think like this, you’re
going to feel like nothing is ever fair. As a result, many of us
retaliate and take the pie before someone else can take it from us.
Thinking in a win-win mindset allows you to see mutual
benefits from all of your interactions. By doing this, you’ll
see that the pie tastes even better when it’s shared. If you can
approach conflicts and problems with a win-win attitude, you’ll be
able to express your ideas and feelings with courage, while still
maintaining consideration for the feelings and ideas of others.
When you have an abundance mentality, you’re able to see
that there is enough for everyone, and that by balancing your
confidence with empathy, you can achieve your goals while
helping others achieve theirs.
How to create frugal win-win situations:
 Recognize that you don’t always know the full story. As
you aim to implement frugal principles and stick to a budget,
you may often find yourself thinking “it’s not fair.” It’s not fair
that they get to go out to dinner. It’s not fair that they get a new
car. It’s not fair that they get to go on vacation, and I don’t.

Take the time to realize, however, that you’re only seeing a
small part of the finances of your friends and family who seem
to “have it all.” And though it’s hard to watch your best friend
take a dream European holiday, or your brother buy the car you
covet, you’ll get there, too — if you manage your finances
frugally. And the best part? There will still be plenty of holiday
destinations and fast cars when that time rolls around.
 Understand the difference between possessions and
net worth. While your friends and family may seem to have a
fuller lifestyle because their house is bigger or their car is
newer, you need to consider that it could just be a facade
covering their mountains of debt. True wealth is not
measured in possessions, but in assets. When the value
of your assets is greater than the amount you owe on
mortgages, car loans, and credit card debts, then you have a
strong net worth and are truly wealthy. By trying to live a more
effectively frugal lifestyle, you’ll be able to achieve true wealth,
rather than just a life full of stuff.
MoneyNing Tip: When building wealth, remember to look
at the big picture, too.
Habit Five: Communication
At its base, communication is the desire to be heard and
understood. Most people will listen with the intention to reply to
what you’re saying, rather than to understand what you’ve
said. To effectively communicate, you need to first
understand. If you communicate with the sole intention of
being understood, you may ignore what others are saying and
miss their meaning entirely. Don’t just wait for your turn to talk;
pay attention to what people are trying to tell you.
How listening can help you be effectively frugal:
 You are not the only person in your life. Chances are
you’re married or in a relationship, have friends or children, or

all of the above. As a result, you’re not the only person being
affected by your decision to live a more frugal lifestyle. To be
effective in your goal of frugality, you need to be able to listen to
and understand the goals and behaviors of the other people in
your life, too. Consider how effective your frugality would be if
you were taking packed lunches to work and avoiding the
afternoon coffee run, while your partner was going on shopping
sprees during their lunch break. Instead of living a more frugal
lifestyle, you’d really be saving on one end and spending on the
other.
 Understand the goals and needs of others. While it’s
important to explain your desire to live more frugally, it’s also
important that you understand the goals and needs of those
around you. This way, you can find a way to be more frugal
without them having to give up all of the things that are most
important to them. You can’t know what those things are
unless you listen.
Habit Six: Synergize
Interactions and teamwork are some of the most important ways
you can learn new skills and more effective behaviors. Synergizing
is the habit of creative cooperation — working as a team to
find new solutions to existing problems. Synergy is not
something that just happens. It’s a process where you bring all of
your personal experience and expertise to the table, enabling
more effective results than those you would have been able to
achieve individually. The whole is greater than the sum of its
parts.
When you have genuine interactions with people, you’re able to
gain new insights and see new approaches to your problems —
ones you might not have thought of before.
How to synergize for effective frugality:

 Look for new ways. In a society that excels at consumerism,
you’ve probably already realized that you need to find new ways
of doing just about everything to be frugal. It’s easy to buy your
lunch every day, but it’s more frugal to pack it. It’s easy to drive
to work, but it’s more frugal to take the train. It’s easy to buy a
new cocktail dress, but it’s more frugal to make one.
 Surround yourself with other frugal people. To be
successful in your quest for frugality, surround yourself with
like-minded people. Find people who are where you want to be
by joining online frugal-living forums, striking up a friendship
with a fellow coupon-cutter, or starting a sewing club. When
you’re around people with the same goals as you, you’ll be able
to share ideas and learn from each other.
MoneyNing Tip: Learn to embrace the positive influence of
saving money.
Habit Seven: Sharpen the Saw
You’re the greatest asset you have on your journey to
achieving the lifestyle you want, so you need to look after
yourself physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Taking
the time to renew yourself in these areas of your life will give you
strength to maintain the previous six habits, which are essential
for your success.
How to frugally renew yourself:
 Physically. By eating better, you’ll feel better. Take it another
step further and start your own vegetable patch, which will save
you money at the supermarket and be healthier for you.
Exercising keeps you fit and healthy, and it doesn’t cost you
anything to go for a walk, ride a bike, or skip rope in the
backyard. To rest your body, you don’t need to go to a day spa;
you can simply relax in the tub at home.
 Emotionally. Interacting socially with others allows you to
make meaningful connections, and it makes you feel good. This

can be achieved by chatting with the woman at the coffee shop
or by calling your mom once a week.
 Mentally. Exercising and expanding your mind through
learning, reading, writing, and teaching can be done frugally.
Visit your local library, or volunteer at a school or retirement
home to teach others a skill you may be taking for granted.
 Spiritually. Spend time close to nature and expand your
spiritual self through meditation, music, art, or prayer. Take a
quiet moment to center yourself and empty your mind before
going to bed. Or, go for a hike and be grateful for the beauty of
nature surrounding you.
Frugality doesn’t mean having to give up all the luxuries
and things which make you happy. Don’t get burned out by
developing habits one through six without taking the time to
renew yourself. Frugality is something you want to develop and
maintain for the long-term. Follow these seven habits, and you’ll
be on your way to becoming a highly frugal person.
Do you consider yourself a highly frugal person? How
did you get there?
This post was originally written by Alban, and a parody of the
amazing book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. He’s a
personal finance writer for Finder.com.au.
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Me Little Steps: 100 Great Tips For Saving Money For Those Just Getting Started By Trent Last
updated August 19, 2014 pennyYesterday, I discussed how anyone can turn their financial life
around if they j
To
Naushad Shaukat
Today at 6:14 AM
Me Little Steps: 100 Great Tips For Saving Money For Those Just Getting Started By Trent Last
updated August 19, 2014 pennyYesterday, I discussed how anyone can turn their financial life
around if they j
To
Me
Today at 6:14 AM
Little Steps: 100 Great Tips For Saving Money For Those Just Getting Started
By Trent Last updated August 19, 2014
pennyYesterday, I discussed how anyone can turn their financial life around if they just take that first
step – the first step is always the hardest one. After that, you start taking more and more little steps
and before you know it, your financial life is getting better and better.
What follows is a list of 100 more steps to take. Each of these tactics are simple little moves you can
make to improve your financial situation. Some of them take just a few minutes, others might take an
hour or two, some of them require a bit of regular effort, but they’re all incredibly simple – anyone
can do them. Each of them also save significant money, especially over the long haul, and when
combined together these tips can save you a lot of money now.
Obviously, not all of these tips will apply to everyone. Just go through the list and find ten or fifteen
that do apply to you and use them in your life – you’ll quickly find yourself saving some serious
scratch.
100 Ways to Save Money
1. Switch your bank accounts to a bank that respects you.
You shouldn’t be spending your hard-earned money on maintenance fees – you also should be
earning some serious interest on your checking and savings accounts. Interest rates are not what
they once were, but some of the best free checking accounts and best savings accounts can be
found online. Here’s a guide on how to make that switch.
tv
2. Turn off the television.
One big way to save money is to watch less television. There are a lot of financial benefits to this:
less exposure to guilt-inducing ads, more time to focus on other things in life, less electrical use, and
so on. It’s great to unwind in the evening, but seek another hobby to do that.
3. Turn a critical eye to your “collections.”

Most people collect something – what do you collect? Is it something that consistently brings you
joy? Or is it something that you just do out of habit at this point? Does the collection itself have
value? Could you perhaps “trim the fat” from this collection by getting rid of duplicates or getting rid
of the items you no longer use? Also, could you perhaps cut down on your spending on that hobby?
Focus on trimming the things you don’t feel strongly about – if you dig into things that bother you,
you’re going to eventually relapse.
4. Sign up for every free customer rewards program you can.
Even if you rarely shop at that place, having a rewards card for that place will eventually net you
some coupons and discounts. Here’s the basic game plan for maximizing these programs: create a
Gmail address just for these mailings, collect every card you can, and then check that account for
extra coupons whenever you’re ready to shop. Another good idea is to use Rewards Credit Cards
that give points on purchases at a wide range of stores. Check out this post on the best rewards
credit cards for some recommended cards.
5. Make your own gifts instead of buying stuff from the store.
You can make food mixes, candles, bread, cookies, soap, and all kinds of other things at home quite
easily and inexpensively. These make spectacular gifts for others because they involve your
homemade touch, plus quite often they’re consumable, meaning they don’t wind up filling someone’s
closet with junk. Even better – include a personal handwritten note with the gift. This will make it
even more special than anything you could possibly buy down at the mall, plus it saves you money.
6. Master the thirty day rule.
Whenever you’re considering making an unnecessary purchase, wait thirty days and then ask
yourself if you still want that item. Quite often, you’ll find that the urge to buy has passed and you’ll
have saved yourself some money by simply waiting. If you want, you can even keep a “thirty day list”
where you write down the item and the day you’ll reconsider it, but I prefer just to keep this one in my
head – that way, I often just forget about the unimportant things.
7. Write a list before you go shopping – and stick to it.
One should never go into a store without a strong idea of what one will be buying while in there.
Make a careful plan of what you’ll buy before you go, then stick strictly to that list when you go to the
store. Don’t put anything in the cart that’s not on the list, no matter how tempting, and you’ll come
out of the store saving a bundle.
8. Invite friends over instead of going out.
Almost every activity at home is less expensive than going out. Invite some friends over and have a
cookout or a potluck meal, then play some cards and have a few drinks. Everyone will have fun, the
cost will be low, and the others will likely reciprocate not long afterwards.
9. Instead of throwing out some damaged clothing, repair it instead.
Don’t toss out a shirt because of a broken button – sew a new one on with some closely-matched
thread. Don’t toss out pants because of a hole in them – put in a patch of some sort and save them
for times when you’re working around the house. Simple sewing can be done by anyone – it just
takes a few minutes and it saves a lot of money by keeping you from buying new clothes when you
don’t really need to.

10. Don’t spend big money entertaining your children.
Most children, especially young ones, can be entertained very cheaply. Buy them an end roll of
newspaper from your local paper and let their creativity run wild. Make a game out of ordinary stu ff
around the house, like tossing pennies into a jar, even. Realize that what your children want most of
all is your time, not your stuff, and you’ll find money in your pocket and joy in your heart.
11. Call your credit card company and ask for a rate reduction.
Take any of your credit cards that are carrying a balance, flip them over, and call the number on the
back. Tell them that you want an interest rate reduction or you’ll take your business elsewhere. If the
first person you talk to won’t do it, ask to talk to a supervisor. If you have a $5,000 balance, even a
3% rate reduction saves you $150 a year.
12. Clean out your closet.
Go through your closets and try to get rid of some of the stuff in there. You can have a yard sale with
it, take it to a consignment shop, or even donate it for the tax deduction – all of which turn old stuff
you don’t want to use any more into money in your pocket. Not only that, it’s often a psychological
load off your mind to clean out your closets.
13. Buy video games that have a lot of replay value – and don’t acquire new ones until you’ve
mastered what you have.
My video game buying habits have changed quite a bit since my “game of the week” days. Now, I
focus on games that can be played over and over and over again, and I focus on mastering the
games that I buy. Good targets include puzzle games and long, involved quest games – they
maximize the value of your gaming dollar.
14. Drink more water.
Not only does drinking plenty of water have great health benefits, water drinking has financial
benefits, too. Drink a big glass of water before each meal, and not only will you digest it better, you
won’t eat as much, saving on the ol’ food bill. You’ll also find yourself feeling a bit better as you begin
to get adequately hydrated (most Americans are perpetually somewhat dehydrated).
food
15. Cut back on the convenience foods – fast foods, microwave meals, and so on.
Instead of eating fast food or just nuking some prepackaged food when you get home, try making
some simple and healthy replacements that you can take with you. An hour’s worth of preparation
one weekend can give you a ton of cheap and handy meals that will end up saving you a lot of cash
and not eat into your time when you’re busy.
16. Give up expensive habits, like cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs.
Those habits cause money to flow away from you with nothing in return. Call up your fortitude and
work hard to kick the habits and you’ll find that money staying in your pocket instead of burning up
and floating away.
17. Make a quadruple batch of a casserole.

Casseroles are nice, easy dishes to prepare, but on busy nights, it’s often still easier to just order
some take-out or eat out or just plop a prepackaged meal in the oven. Instead, the next time you
make a casserole, make four batches of it and put the other three in the freezer. Then, the next time
you need a quick meal for the family, grab one of those batches and just heat it up – easy as can be.
Even better, doing this allows you to buy the ingredients in bulk, making each casserole cheaper
than it would be ordinarily – and far, far cheaper than eating out or trying a prepackaged meal.
18. Be diligent about turning off lights before you leave.
If you spend one minute turning off lights before a two hour trip, that’s the equivalent of earning $50
an hour. That’s some impressive savings, particularly if you do it before longer trips. The key is to
use less energy, particularly when you’re not using the device.
19. Swap books, music, and DVDs cheaply on the internet via services like PaperBackSwap.
You can very easily swap the books and CDs and DVDs you’ve grown bored with via the internet
with others. Just use sites like PaperBackSwap, clean out your media collection, and trade them with
others online. The best part? You’ll get a flood of new books (or CDs or DVDs) to enjoy, mailed right
to you – for free.
20. Maximize yard sales.
I like to stop by yard sales if I see them, but I recognize that often the stuff there is junk. Thus, I’m
careful about what I buy and I use clever tactics to find it – and lower the prices. That way, I wind up
with a really big bargain – or else I can just walk away with the money in my pocket, having been
entertained for a bit.
21. Install CFL (or, even better, LED) bulbs wherever it makes sense.
These bulbs might cost more initially, but they both have a longer life than normal incandescent
bulbs and they both eat far less electricity. CFLs tend to use about 25% of the electricity of an
incandescent – LEDs use about 2%. CFLs are cheaper than LEDs right now and produce better
light, but not quite as good as incandescent bulbs. My policy? Put LEDs in closets and out of the
way places, use CFLs for hall and some room lighting, and use incandescent bulbs (until the other
bulbs get better) where you read and do other eye-intensive activities. This will trim a significant
amount from your electric bill.
22. Install a programmable thermostat.
These devices regulate the temperature in your house automatically according to the schedule that
you set. Thus, when you’re not home, it allows the heating or cooling to turn off for several hours,
saving you on your energy bill. A programmable thermostat can easily cut your energy bill by 10 to
20%. Nest is the new generation programmable thermostat that learns and connects to WiFi so it
can be controlled remotely.
23. Buy appliances based on reliability, not what’s cheapest at the store.
It’s worth the time to do a bit of research when you buy a new appliance. A reliable, energy efficient
washer and dryer might cost you quite a bit now, but if it continually saves you energy and lasts for
fifteen years, you’ll save significant money in the long run. When you need to buy an appliance,
research it – start with back issues of Consumer Reports at the library. An hour’s worth of research
can easily save you hundreds of dollars.

24. Clean your car’s air filter.
A clean air filter can improve your gas mileage by up to 7%, saving you more than $100 for every
10,000 miles you drive in an average vehicle. Plus, cleaning your air filter is easy to do in just a few
minutes – just follow the instructions in your automobile’s manual and you’re good to go.
25. Hide your credit cards.
Take your credit cards and put them in a safe place in your home, not in your wallet where it’s easy
to spend them. If you argue that you need it for “emergencies,” just be sure to keep a small amount
of cash hidden in your wallet for these emergencies. Don’t keep plastic on you until you have the
willpower to not use it even when you’re sorely tempted.
26. Plan your meals around your grocery store’s flyer.
Instead of just planning your meals based on a cookbook or whatever you can dream up, plan all
your meals around what’s on sale in your grocery store’s flyer. Look at the biggest sales, then plan
meals based on those ingredients and what you have on hand, and you’ll find yourself with a much
smaller food bill than you’re used to.
27. Do a price comparison – and find a cheaper grocery store.
Most of us get in a routine of shopping at the same grocery store, even though quite often it’s not the
one that offers the best deals on our most common purchases. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to
find the cheapest store around. Just keep track of the twenty or so things you buy most often, then
shop for these items at a variety of stores. Eventually, one store will come out on top for your
purchases – just make that one your regular shopping destination and you’ll automatically save
money.
28. Challenge yourself to try making your own things.
Before I tried it myself, I thought homemade breadmaking was complicated and a waste of time and
money. I came to find out that it was pretty easy and it was actually much cheaper, healthier, and
tastier than buying a loaf from the store. Now, we rarely ever buy bread products at the store – and
we save money by making that choice.
29. Don’t spend money just to de-stress.
Quite often, I used to spend money just to wind down from a stressful day at work. Instead, I’ve
found that I quite often feel much better by going home and taking some quiet time just to stretch
and then meditate. I end up feeling much more together, happy, and ready to face an evening with
the kids in the right mindset than I ever would by just blowing some cash after work. Instead of
spending to de-stress, try some basic meditation techniques, stretching, or yoga and see how you
feel.
30. Talk to your loved ones about what your dreams are.
This seems like an odd way to save money, but think about it. If you spend time with the people you
love the most and come to some consensus about your dreams, it becomes easy for you all to plan
for it. If you’re all planning and working together towards this dream, it becomes easier to stay
focused on it and reach it. Set a big, audacious goal together and encourage each other to be

financially fit – soon, you’ll find you’re doing it naturally and your dreams are coming closer than
ever.
31. Do a “maintenance run” on your appliances.
Check them to make sure there isn’t any dust clogging them and that they’re fairly clean. Look
behind the appliances, and use your vacuum to gently clear away dust. Check all of the vents,
especially on refrigerators, dryers, and heating and cooling units. The less dust you have blocking
the mechanics of these devices, the more efficiently they’ll run (saving you on your energy bill) and
the longer they’ll last (saving you on replacement costs).
32. Cancel unused club memberships.
Are you paying dues at a club that you never use? Like, for instance, a gym membership or a
country club membership? Cancel these club memberships, even if you think you might use them
again someday – you can always renew the membership at a later date if it turns out that you
actually do miss it.
33. When shopping for standard items (clothes, sports equipment, older games, etc.), start by
shopping used.
Quite often, you can find the exact item you want with a bit of clever shopping at used equipment
stores, used game stores, consignment shops, and so on. Just make these shops a part of your
normal routine – go there first when looking for potential items and you will save money.
34. Keep your hands clean.
This one’s simple – just wash your hands thoroughly each time you use the bathroom or handle raw
foods. You’ll keep yourself from acquiring all kinds of viruses and bacteria, saving you on medical
bills and medicine costs and lost productivity. That’s not to say you shouldn’t explore the world and
get your hands dirty sometimes – that’s good for you, too – but basic sanitation does help keep the
medical bills away.
35. Remove your credit card numbers from your online accounts.
It’s easy to spend online when you have your card information stored in an account – just click and
buy. The best way to break this habit is to simply delete your card from the account. That way, when
you’re tempted to spend, you’ll be forced to spend the time to dig out your card – and really think
about why you’re spending this money.
36. Give a gift of a service instead of an item.
For new parents, give an evening of babysitting as a gift. If you know pet owners, offer to take care
of their pets when they travel. Offer up some lawn care as a gift to a new homeowner. These are
always spectacular gifts for anyone – I know that, as a parent of a toddler and an infant, I love
receiving a babysitting gift, probably more than any “stuff” I might receive.
37. Do holiday shopping right after the holidays.
Most people use this technique for Christmas, but it works for every holiday. Wait until about two
days after a holiday, then go out shopping for items you need that are themed for that day. Get a
Mother’s Day card for next year the day after Mother’s Day. Get Easter egg decorating kits the day

after Easter. Get wrapping paper and cards and such the day after Christmas. The discounts are
tremendous, and you can just put this stuff in the closet until next year, saving you a bundle.
38. Join up with a volunteer program.
It’s a great way to meet new people, get some exercise, and involve yourself in a positive project
that can lift your spirit. It also comes without a cost to you and can provide a lot of entertainment and
a fulfilling day when you’re in the right mindset. I’ve come to spend more and more of my time
volunteering, serving on various committees and groups in the community – and it’s the best thing
I’ve ever done.
39. Reevaluate the stuff in the rooms in your house.
Go into a room and go through every single item in it. Do you really need that item? Are you happy
that it’s there, or would you be just fine if it were not? If you can find stuff to get rid of, get rid of it – it
just creates clutter and it might have some value to others. You also improve the perceived value of
your house – and you’re likely to get a lot of cleaning done in the process. It’s a frugal win -win-win.
40. Try generic brands of items you buy regularly.
Instead of just picking up the ordinary brand of an item you buy, tr y out the store brand or generic
version of the item. Likely, you’ll save a few cents now, but you’ll also likely discover that the store
brand is just as good as the name brand – the only difference between the two, often, is the
marketing. Once you’re on board the generic train, you’ll find your regular grocery bill getting smaller
and smaller.
41. Prepare some meals at home.
Get an accessible and easy-to-use cookbook (my favorite “beginner” cookbook is Mark Bittman’s
excellent How to Cook Everything) and try making some of the dishes inside. You’ll find that cooking
at home is much easier than you think – and way cheaper and healthier than take-out or dining out.
Even better, you can easily prepare meals in advance – even handy fast food type meals.
42. Switch to term life insurance.
Repeat after me: insurance is not an investment. Switch to cheap term insurance instead and use
that difference in cost to get yourself out of debt and start building some wealth. Universal and whole
policies are much more expensive and offer a sub par investment opportunity – you’re much better
off getting yourself free of a debt burden than spending extra on such things.
Enter Your Zip Code:
43. Go for reliability and fuel efficiency when buying a car.

A reliable and fuel efficient car will save you thousands over the long haul. Let’s say you drive a
vehicle for 80,000 miles. If you choose a 25 miles per gallon car over a 15 miles per gallon car, you
save 2,133 gallons of gas. At $3 a gallon, that’s $6,400 in savings right there. Reliability can pay the
same dividends. Do the research – it will pay off for you.
44. Don’t go to stores or shopping centers for entertainment.
Doing so is just an encouragement to spend money you don’t really have on stuff yo u don’t really
need. Instead, find other places to entertain yourself – the park, the basketball court, a museum, a
friend’s house, or even in your own home. Don’t substitute shopping for entertainment and you’ll be
way better off.
45. Master the ten second rule.
Whenever you pick up an item in order to add it to your cart or to take it to the checkout, stop for ten
seconds and ask yourself why you’re buying it and whether you actually need it or not. If you can’t
find a good answer, put the item back. This keeps me from making impulse buys on a regular basis.
46. Rent out unused space in your home.
Do you have an extra bedroom that’s not being used? Rent it out. In our home, we could, if times
were tough, rent out our entire basement – it has a “living room,” a bedroom, and a bathroom and
has a stairwell right by the kitchen. If we found the right person, this would bring in a lot of extra
money.
47. Create a visual reminder of your debt.
Basically, just make a giant progress bar that starts with the amount of debt you have and ends with
zero. Each time you pay down a little bit, fill in a little more of that progress bar. Keep this reminder
in a place where you’ll see it often, and keep filling it in regularly. It keeps your eyes on the prize and
leads you straight to debt freedom.
48. Get rid of unread magazine subscriptions.
Do you have a pile of unread magazines sitting around your house? Likely, it’s the result of a
subscription that you’re not reading. Not only should you not renew that magazine, you should give
their subscription department a call and try to cancel for a refund – sometimes, they’ll give you the
prorated amount back. I’ve had to cull my subscriptions in the past, but I’ve never regretted it.
49. Eat breakfast.
Eating a healthy breakfast fills you up with energy for the day and also decreases your desire to eat
a big lunch in the middle of the day. Not only that, breakfast can be very healthy, quick, and
inexpensive. A bowl of oatmeal in the morning is often the one thing that keeps me from running out
to eat an expensive lunch later in the day – and it keeps me peppy and full of energy for the entire
morning instead of in a coffee-laced daze.
50. Swap babysitting with neighbors.
We live in a neighborhood with an army of young children out and about. Because of that, there are
a lot of parents out there who are quite willing to swap babysitting nights with us, saving you the
money of hiring one for an evening out. A few families even take this to incredible extremes. Try to

find another set of parents or two that you trust, and swap nights of babysitting with them. That way,
you’ll get occasional evenings free without the cost of a babysitter, saving you some scratch.
51. Don’t fear leftovers – instead, jazz them up.
Many people dread eating leftovers – they’re just inferior rehashes of regular meals, not exactly
enjoyable to the discerning palate. However, there’s nothing cheaper than eating leftovers and with a
few great techniques for making leftovers tasty, you can often end up with something surprising and
quite delicious on the other end. My favorite technique? Chaining – using the leftovers as a basis for
an all-new dish.
52. Go through your clothes – all of them.
If you have a regular urge to buy clothes, go through everything that you have and see what you
might find. Take the clothes at the back of the closet and bring them to the front and suddenly your
wardrobe will feel completely different. Take the clothes buried in your dresser and pull them to the
top. You’ll feel like a brand new person who doesn’t need to spend money on clothes right now.
53. Brown bag your lunch.
Instead of going out to eat at work, take your own lunch. Lots of people think that this means “nasty
lunch,” but it doesn’t. With some thoughtful preparation and just a few minutes of time, you can
create something quite enjoyable for your brown bag lunch – and save a fistful of cash each day,
too.
54. Learn how to dress minimally.
Buy clothes that mix and match well and you’ll not need nearly as many clothes. If you have five
pants, seven shirts, and seven ties that all go together, you have almost an endless wardrobe right
there just by mixing and matching. This is exactly what I do in order to minimize clothes buying and
still look professional – I just mix and remix what I wear by using utilitarian clothes options to begin
with.
55. Ask for help and encouragement from your inner circle.
Sit down and talk to the people you love and care about the most and ask them for help. Tell them
that you’re trying to trim your spending and you’d love it if they offered any suggestions and support
they might have – and pay attention to what they tell you. They might have some personal insights
for your situation that will really help.
56. If something’s broken, give a fair shot at repairing it yourself before replacing it or calling a
repairman.
Get a handyman’s book or advice from the internet and give it a shot yourself. I’ve fixed clocks, air
conditioners, and VCRs by doing this before, saving significant cash by saving on a replacement or
on a repair person.
57. Keep an idea notebook in your pocket.
I’ve wasted countless amounts of time and money simply because I’ve forgotten things in my head.
Instead of relying on my memory, I keep a small notebook with me to jot down ideas and things I
need to remember, then I check it regularly throughout the day. This keeps me from forgetting to
pick up milk and having to backtrack ten miles, for starters.

58. Invest in a deep freezer.
A deep freezer, after the initial investment, is a great bargain. You can use it to store all sorts of bulk
foods, which enables you to pay less per pound of it at the market. Even better, you can store lots of
meals prepared in advance, enabling you to just go home and pop something homemade (and
cheap) in the oven.
59. Look for a cheaper place to live.
The cost of living in Iowa is surprisingly low, enough so that I’m quite happy to give up the cultural
opportunities of other places to enjoy Iowa all year around. When I want to enjoy the cultural
opportunities of another place, I’ll travel there – after all, I can afford it. Take a serious look about
moving to a less expensive area – if you can find work there, then a move can definitely put you in
better financial shape.
60. Check out what your town’s parks and recreation board has to offer.
My town has several wonderful parks, free basketball and tennis courts, free disc golf, trails, and lots
of other stuff just there waiting to be used. You can go have fun for hours out in the wonderful
outdoors, playing sports, hiking on trails, or trying other activities – and it’s all there for free. All you
have to do is discover it.
61. Air up your tires.
For every two PSI that all of your tires are below the recommended level, you lose 1% on your gas
mileage. Most car tires are five to ten PSI below the normal level, so that means by just airing up
your tires, you can improve your gas mileage by up to 5%. It’s easy, too. Just read your car’s manual
to see what the recommended tire pressure is, then head to the gas station. Ask the attendant inside
if they have a tire air gauge you can borrow (most of them do, both in urban and rural settings), then
stop over by the air pump. Check your tires, then use the pump to fill them up to where the y should
be. It’s basically free gas!
62. Start a garden.
Gardening is an inexpensive hobby if you have a yard. Just rent a tiller, till up a patch, plant some
plants, keep it weeded, and you’ll have a very inexpensive hobby that produces a huge amount o f
vegetables for you to eat at the end of the season. I like planting a bunch of tomato plants, keeping
them cared for, then enjoying a huge flood of tomatoes at the end of the summer. We like to eat
them fresh, can them, and make tomato juice, sauce, paste, ketchup, pasta sauce, and pizza sauce.
Delicious (and very inexpensive)!
63. Dig into your community calendar.
There are often tons of free events going on in your town that you don’t even know about. Stop by
the local library or by city hall and ask how you can get ahold of a listing of upcoming community
events, and make an effort to hit the interesting ones. You can often get free meals, free
entertainment, and free stuff just by paying attention – even better, you’ll get in touch with what’s
going on around you.
64. Take public transportation.

If the city’s transit system is available near you, take it to work (or to play) instead of driving your car.
It’s far cheaper and you don’t have to worry about parking your vehicle. When I lived in a larger city, I
bought an annual transit pass that actually paid for itself after less than two months of use compared
to using an automobile – and after that, for ten months, I basically could ride to work (and to some
events) for free. That’s money in the bank.
65. Cut your own hair.
I can cut mine myself with a pair of clippers, for example. I just cut it really short every once in a
while and don’t worry about it too much. Just put a garbage bag over the bathroom sink, bust out the
clippers and scissors, and get it done. Two or three cuts will pay for the clippers, and then you’re
basically getting free haircuts. With a bit of practice, you can make it look good, too.
66. Carpool.
Is there anyone that lives near you who works at the same place (or near the same place) that you
do? Why not ride together, alternating drivers each day? You can halve the wear and tear and gas
costs for your car – and for your acquaintance as well.
67. Design your “debt snowball.”
Everyone needs a plan to help them get out of debt, so sit down and plot out what debts you’re
going to pay off and in what order. Simply having a plan goes a long way towards bringing that plan
into action, and paying off debts early is one of the surest ways to put money in your pocket over the
long run.
crock
68. Get a crock pot.
A crock pot is perhaps the best deal on earth for reducing cooking costs in a busy family. You can
just dump in your ingredients before work, put it on simmer, and dinner is done when you get home.
There are countless recipes out there for all variety of foods, and every time you cook this way,
you’re saving money as compared to eating out.
69. Do some basic home and auto maintenance on a regular schedule.
Instead of just waiting until something breaks to deal with it , develop a monthly maintenance
schedule where you go around your home (and your car) and perform a bit of maintenance where
it’s needed. This little activity, taking you just an hour or two a month, will keep things from breaking
down and help you see problems before they become disasters.
70. Pack food before you go on a road trip.
Have everyone pack a sack lunch for the trip. That way, instead of stopping in the middle of the trip,
driving around looking for a place to eat, spending a bunch of time there, and then paying a hefty bill,
you can just eat on the road or, better yet, stop at a nice park and stretch for a bit. Plus, you’ll save a
lot of money and a fair amount of time this way.
71. Go through your cell phone bill, look for services you don’t use, and ditch them.
Sit down and go through each item on your bill and see if there’s anything there that you don’t use,
like a surfeit of text messages or web access or something to that effect. Then call your cell phone
company and ask to have those services eliminated. Boom, you’re saving money.

72. Consolidate your student loans.
Interest rates are quite low right now, so it might be worthwhile to consolidate your student loans into
one low-rate package. Look into the various student loan consolidation packages – even a 1%
reduction on a $10,000 loan saves you $100 a year – and your loan is probably bigger than that (and
the rate cut you could get is probably bigger).
73. When buying a car, go for late model used.
These are typically cars coming straight off of leases, meaning they were cared for by reliable
owners. My truck was purchased with this criteria and has lasted me several years already with only
one significant issue – and I saved a ton of money on the purchase price over buying new. Only now
is it beginning to show significant signs of aging – and with the money I saved on that purchase, I
was able to get out of debt that much quicker.
74. Hit the library – hard.
Don’t look at a library as just a place to get old books. Look at it as a free place to do all sorts of
things. I’ve used it to learn a foreign language, meet people, use the Internet anonymously, check
out movies and CDs, grab local free newspapers, and keep up on community events. Best of all, it
doesn’t cost a dime.
razor
75. Use a simple razor to shave.
I’ve been a big advocate of the basic safety razor for a long time, but that’s just one piece of the
puzzle. For “normal” shaves, I just shave in the shower and dry off the blade afterwards, using just
soap for lather – incredibly cheap, since I only swap blades once every few weeks. The real moral of
the story? Use a simple razor – not an expensive electric one that stops working in three years – and
shave your face when it’s wet. You can get a very good shave with some practice and save a lot of
money over the long haul.
76. Find daily inspiration for making intelligent moves.
I’m usually inspired by my children. Perhaps you’re inspired to make changes by your spouse – or
even by someone in the community you respect. Maybe it’s just a personal goal, like an early
retirement. Find something that makes you want to make positive changes, then use that person or
thing as a constant reminder. Keep a picture of it in your wallet, in your vehicle, and on your
bathroom mirror. Keep it in your mind as much as you possibly can.
77. Find out about all of the benefits of your job.
Most people aren’t even aware of all of the benefits available to them. Spend some time with an HR
person finding out about all the benefits of your job – you might be surprised at what you might find. I
found free tickets to sporting events, free personal improvement opportunities, and an optional
employee match on some retirement funds that maximized the money I was socking away. This not
only cut down on my own spending on things like sporting and community events and educational
classes, but also improved my retirement plan.
78. Make your own items instead of buying them.

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