Money is something that it seems all of us are thinking about more and more. How to save money, what is actually worth spending our money on, and how can I get more of it?
I think this is one I might relate a little bit more to lifestyle choice. You see, we eat pretty healthy around here. I don’t keep junk food or sweets in my house and the foods I buy are wholesome, organic foods for meals with the occasional healthy snacks. I think it’s funny to hear people talk about how expensive it is to eat healthy and organic. So you’re telling me it wasn’t expensive to stock up on soda because there was a sale, toss an extra package of Oreos or Doritos into the cart and hit a fast food place on the way home? Please tell me you’re kidding. Guess what, I spend not even $50 a week on organic groceries how much did that last shopping trip with all those junk foods cost? How about the $20 you just laid our for greasy burgers and fries for your family? Don’t get me wrong, we do eat out occasionally and I like Oreos, but I think we save so much money by simply not buying items that are purely junk snacks. Those foods are convenience foods and you are paying for the convenience of not having to make them yourselves but then sacrifice quality and health. I also use coupons if they happen to be in the weekly ad I pick up during my shopping trip, but I’m definitely not an extreme couponer by ANY means. So just think of how much money I could REALLY save then. =)
Zephyr Hill says
Hey, I would say that if you’re 22 and you will soon have a paid off house and no debt then you are most certainly NOT naive and you are in an excellent position to be giving advice about money!
I completely agree that debt should be avoided when at all possible. The borrower is a slave to the lender. Our family is also working diligently to pay down debt and pay cash for purchase, and we have no credit cards, no cable tv, no iphones, video games, etc. We try to keep things simple and live within our means.
Being smart with money is not rocket science; it’s common sense! Thanks for a great post.
Kassie Groll says
You’re so right! We don’t have credit cards or cable tv either but I will admit we pay for Hulu, lol.
For people I know, school loans are what’s going to put them in the hole. I mean at my age most of them are just graduating (a lot today actually–Congrats guys!)and now they’re starting off in the word in the red already. It’s really sad because a lot of the time I don’t think college kids really understand the terms of their loans and don’t realize that a lot of them begin collecting interest the day you accept the loan and accrues interest on a daily basis. SCARY!
Just Add Cloth says
Good job living within your means!
When I was 23, my husband and I also only made a combined income of $18k. We didn’t have a baby at the time, but if we did, we could have managed. In fact, having more money now doesn’t mean much.
I used to walk a couple miles to work every day and our apartment was small and dumpy, but we paid our bills and were happy. My parents didn’t help me with one red cent and it was good. While all of my friends were racking up debt, I was working my butt off and being a responsible adult. Nothing wrong with that!
Kassie Groll says
You’re so right that having more doesn’t mean much. It seems like no matter if you’re making 18k or 48k for some reason you’re not as comfortable as you’d like. That’s why we try so hard to put all of our money into long term investments and the major things you need in life such as a house, vehicles, etc rather than those small day to day stops that inevitably happen when you do have more money. Those add up quick and can eat up all your extra money if it’s not put into something important quick.
Julie says
Great post and great reminder! I am right with you in the cloth diapering! It isn’t always fun and cheery, but you do what you have to do to save money and make it by!
Kassie Groll says
We’re having a yeast issue right now so definitely not cheery at this point in time. But I’m a true fluff addict already so I don’t think that’s going to get me down. –Especially since I finally found something that is working for the rash!
JKMommy says
You are so awesome! Can I say I’m a bit jealous that at 22 you have a home paid off with cash. We do pretty good by our finances but… not to that extent… 🙂 I can’t WAIT till our home is paid off, which is like the only thing we have left to pay off but… it’ll be a sweet day! Fantastic tips and advice for finances! 🙂
Kassie Groll says
My husband is doing extremely well with business right now and we wanted to make sure we were smart and put all of it into things that would benefit us the most such as a house. Then we don’t have a house payment. His business is seasonal so it’ll be a huge plus to not have a $700/month rent payment.
Amanda says
Wow, you have a great head on your shoulder for only being 22 (yes, I realize that makes me sound old… but I am getting used to being almost 31). I think too often these days parents coddle their kids and then they don’t understand the reality of finances. I hope others can learn from you!