Saving Spree: It's The New Pink!

 

My wife and I are in the process of building a new house. In the beginning we had a whole year to save up some money to add to the down payment. A few months ago we found out our window of savings is cut in half. Yowzers; time for a savings spree!

To maximize the amount I can save each month, I have tried to cut almost all personal spending... no new Ipad to buy and sell stocks at coffee and lunch , no beers after work on Fridays with the boys, no eating out at all. A lot of people tell me that I'm not not living life to the fullest. Holy shit! Does anyone these days know what it's like to sacrifice trivial things in order to obtain something significantly better? If eating nachos and drinking beer is living life to the fullest, then I'm a frick'n rock star.

It's a lot easier for a man, and by that I mean a manly man, to cut their budget to Nil. Clothing is an easy fix. I have a pair of work boots, street shoes and dress shoes. If you own more shoes then that, you are not a manly man. If you buy your underwear individually and not in a package of at least 3, you are not a manly man. My wife on the other hand does not share my opinion on my clothing budget, but sacrifices must be made!

We looked over what bills we were paying in a month and tried to cut things out that we didn't need. Our HD channel package was increasing from $9.95 to $13. We axed that because most of the shows we watch are on the HD channels included in our package. Good-bye womens beach volleyball on TSN HD, you will be missed. We also axed some options in our auto insurance that were increasing that we didn't really need. I was told to increase our deductibles, but in the end it did not lower our premiums enough to make it viable. My wife was put in charge of paying the power bill in order to battle her rare genetic predisposition of needing the lights to be on in other rooms, especially if no one is in there. The treatment is working.

We used to spend $400 a month on groceries which is more then enough for two people. My wife never complained at all at how much we spent... until she had to pay for them. I did lower our budget to $300, but now that it's getting into crunch time, I might have to make due with $50 a week. Lots of rice, beans, fruit and vegetables. Kraft dinner is a weekly event in our kitchen but even if I was a millionaire, I'd still buy the stuff. I make a list Friday when all the new flyers are available and I plan out our weekly meals with what's on sale. I stock up on the loss leaders and if it's not on sale, I embrace my country's mosaic culture and buy it at Wal-mart or SuperStore. I hate going to those places, so I usually get up early on Saturday to beat the crowds. I love the smell of sebah baharat in the morning.....

In the end it all comes down to how much you are willing to sacrifice to obtain your goal. I owe a lot to my wife to keep the saving spree on a frugal level and not on the edge of madness. Without her, I would be eating hot dogs with baked beans, I'd be a level 8 wizard in the latest RPG video game, and have all my friends thinking I'm terminally ill because I've been sick every time they want to hang out, just to save money.

Find a balance that works for you and keep the end prize in mind when making purchases you don't need. Do you want a cup of $4 coffee everyday, or a new house? Do you want to order a $35 dollar steak prepared by a high school student who thinks his hands are clean because he didn't get any pee on them so there's no need to wash , or a new house? Do you want the latest techmo thingie that's obsolete in 6 months, or a new house?  I myself would rather have the new house.

Do you have anything to add? Let me know in a comment below!