For every day I don't buy a scratch-off lottery ticket, I put the $2 I would have spent on it, and put it into an envelope and as it builds up I take it and apply it to a debt. It seems like found money and feels great making the payments
It has been said that the Lottery is a game for people who are very, very bad at math. I was grinning about this (I'm pretty good at math so I don't play it) and feeling somewhat smug, until I realized there are other things I do that are a total waste of money. One poster mentioned mags and candy; I dropped my mag subscriptions, and seldom buy candy. However, I bake brownies at least once a week, and eat ice cream every night. These things get expensive, but I will not give them up. I always buy my ice cream on a "2 for 1" special, and I use flour, cocoa, chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, oleo, milk, walnuts, etc. purchased from Aldi so I save a bundle there.
Another poster mentioned cigarettes, and that's another item I won't give up, until I *choose* to. I have quit them but disliked the void they leave in my life when I put them down.
So how do I save money with these and other non-negotiable expenses in my life? I seek a buyer's market. I try to buy things before I have to have them, giving me time to watch the specials or order online. If my old car is beginning to clunk (that's what 'clunkers' do) and I can't fix it, I put the word out that I'm looking for a vehicle with certain attributes and I'm willing to pay $(however much I'm willing to pay) for it. My cap is usually $1K or lower. Everyone will tell me there's no way I'll get what I'm looking for at that price, but I just smile and say, "Yes, I will." And I really will, but it may take awhile. I don't *have* to buy today; my old bucket of bolts still runs. This fact makes it a buyers market and as long as my old clunker will keep clunking I don't have to be in a hurry. The deal will come in its own good time. I used this concept to buy a van back in '99, telling everyone I was looking for an old van to haul my musical equipment, and I'd pay $500 for it. Everyone laughed and said, "Man, you ain't gon' find a van that runs for $500!." It took some time but a van found me: '89 Ford E150 conversion van. They wanted $1000 for it but I just didn''t want to spend that much. It didn't sell, they got back in touch, and I'm still driving the van (when my '84 Volvo wagon won't do). Remember: if you *must* have an item today, it's a seller's market. If you can anticipate your needs and shop accordingly, all the rules change in your favor. And even if you are in a hurry don't let the seller know that. Slow yourself down, take it easy, and make a wise decision so you don't get stuck with a bigger problem than the one you're trying to replace.
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