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Take stock of what you have

If you’re like most, you have a lot. If you have a roof over your head, a bed to sleep on and food when you wake, the rest is gravy. Look around your home and see what you own. Taking stock of what you have is always a good start to give yourself a little reality check when life seems really bad. Shelter, food and a few basic comforts go a long way toward making life worth trudging through. Got a job? If so, great! If not, you look for one until you find something. Anything.

Take stock of what you have that you don’t use or need

You probably have quite a lot of “stuff” that you neither use nor need. If that’s the case, list it for sale on Craigslist.com, have a garage sale or give it away. Is it time to downsize? Even if you plan to stay in your current home, you can still downsize by getting rid of belongings you don’t need. Eliminating the unwanted stuff in your life will make you feel free from the burden of maintenance.

Save some first, then spend what you must

Start saving money. You need to have funds set aside for the unexpected. Cars break down, dishwashers break, pipes break…the only guarantee you have with most of the things you own is that, at some point, something will need to be fixed or replaced.

But how do you go about saving money when it seems that all the money is going to gasoline, regular bills or food?

 When the paycheck comes in, take out a set amount to save. If you’ve never done this before, start with a small percentage, from 2 % to 5% and put it in a savings account. Most banks will allow you to set up an automatic transfer if you prefer. After making that transfer of funds, you then have to force yourself to live off the remainder. This may mean eating out less, buying cheaper foods or buying them on sale, driving less, and so on. It could also mean giving up half of your 200 cable or satellite TV channels.

Give up unused and unappreciated luxuries

How many times have you gone without reading the daily newspaper? Do your papers stack up during the week because you don’t have time to get to them? Then Sunday rolls around and there’s yet even more paper to get to. The expense of a daily newspaper delivered to your door is wasted money if you’re not thoroughly enjoying it on a daily basis. If you think it’s a luxury you could easily live without, then cancel your subscription. You may only be spending $15 or less each month, but it’s money that could be building up your savings.

Learn to cook, bake and brew – then reap the rewards

Unless you’re watching the Food Network, it seems no one really cooks any longer. Busy lives have sucked up all of the free time that folks used to use preparing meals. The biggest secret, however, is that cooking, baking and brewing coffee at home costs a fraction of eating out. Those TV chefs, of course, are making complicated meals that require some skills, but the reality is that you can get a great dinner on the table relatively quick and with easy preparation.

The hardest part about eating at home is planning ahead. The reason why most people end up going out to eat is that they don’t think about dinner until an hour before they want to eat. Suddenly, dinner becomes a huge issue and no one is prepared to answer the question, “What’s for dinner?”

Start with some basics: pasta, canned sauce, salad, dressing and garlic bread. Then try roasting a whole chicken. Frozen corn and a potato side dish will make a full meal. Casseroles are great because not only can they be made in advance, you can make two: one for dinner tonight and the other for the freezer. Find several basic dishes, plan which nights you’ll cook and which nights you’ll enjoy the leftovers, then shop one time to pick up all that you’ll need for the week. Sometimes, reading the grocery ads online will give you some ideas for meals.

For more ways to save money, here are some articles you may find helpful:

• The Five Best Ways to Make Cash Fast Online or in Real Life
• Five Ways to Live Like a Millionaire Even If You are Broke
• The Way to Wealth: Getting Rich and Creating Wealth the Ben Franklin Way 2
• The Five Best Ways to Save Money on Home Decorating
• The Five Best Ways to Save Money on Electricity
• 10 Painless Ways to Live Below Your Means
• Five Tips to Save Money (Legally) Right Now on Meals
• Absolute Control: Five Proven Tips for Managing Your Money
• Be the Millionaire or Billionaire Next Door: Secrets for Success
• Five Ways to Make a Million Without Getting a Second Job