downsize

From Two Incomes to Frugal Living

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Many families start living a frugal lifestyle because one partner wants to stay at home with the kids. If you are going from a two-income household to one, you may be afraid of what all has to be done to live frugally. Below are several steps you can take to make the transition easier.

1. Start with cutting down your debt. Credit cards have to go. They are way too tempting to have around when you are trying to cut back on spending. Cutting your debt is the easiest way to find extra money in your budget. It will take a while but is worth it.

2. Look at what is necessary. For example, do you really need to pay a water service for a water softener when they are relatively cheap through a home improvement store? For less than one year’s rental on a softener unit, you can purchase one and cut the rental from your monthly bills.

3. Be frugal in your decisions. You are looking to keep your household running smoothly without having to go to work. Work with your partner to make a list of financial priorities. Make plans for the future.

4. Take on extra work. If you are highly skilled, you will probably be able to find some way to add to the family income while staying at home. Whether it is crafts that you sell locally, babysitting or catering, you can do things that you enjoy and make a little extra money for the budget.

5. Have an emergency fund. When only one person works, if they are injured or have an accident, chances are that nothing will be coming in. If you are a stay-at-home mom and become ill or hurt, you will need to have someone watch your children. An emergency fund helps cushion your budget from emergencies. You should have at least three months’ worth of expenses in an emergency fund. That way, when things go wrong, your budget doesn’t suffer.

Why Decluttering Saves You Money

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Clutter. It’s terrible for the soul, and terrible for all other life aspects as well. Clutter not only drags you down mentally, but it is also a huge waste of your financial resources. How exactly does clutter waste money, and how does getting rid of it help you save financially?

You Find Items You Forgot You Had

When you declutter, it can be like going shopping. As you clean, you will likely come across many objects that you forgot you had. You may need more pens and find close to one hundred. You just never know what you are going to find when you declutter. The rescued items can be organized from this point on and used as needed.

You Don’t Have to Buy New Items Because You Lost the Old One

We’ve all been there. You have an item you need, and you are sure you bought it already. You know that you have it somewhere, but you have so much clutter lying around that you may never find the item. You inevitably end up buying a new one, only to find the original several months down the road.

With piles and piles of seemingly random things being stored in your home, it can be near impossible to find what you are looking for when you need it the most. Decluttering can make your home more organized so that you never have to waste time looking for things you bought and misplaced or buy a duplicate item.

It Encourages You to Buy Less

When you have spent a large amount of time decluttering your home, you realize what a timewaster it is to have too many items. It can be the most effective way of convincing yourself to buy less. You will save a large amount of money if you take the simple step of curbing your spending patterns. Buy less, and your life will instantly go in a positive direction.

You Can Downsize

The amount of real estate that clutter takes up is amazing. When you declutter, it makes you feel good, and you will want to keep going. When you have gotten to a point where you are closer to being a minimalist, you will find that you truly do not need a lot of space to enjoy the home you live in. You may even find yourself seriously considering downsizing your home in order to save money and prepare for the future.

You Can Create Income Selling Old Items

Decluttering leaves you with not only a lot of junk, but also with many perfectly good items that you simply do not need. By selling these old items, you are not just saving money, but making some. This can be an added incentive to your decluttering efforts. Whether it be through a garage sale, word of mouth or an online ad, sell your old items and make some extra cash.

Decluttering is good for the mind, body and soul. It is also good for the wallet. If you are hoping to save money and be more responsible with what you have, take these thoughts into consideration.

Decluttering can and does save you money, and in a big way.

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