I really want to get the Trailer in time for use next summer...steps must be taken to save the bucks for the trailer, the seasonal site, the fix up, the maintenance....and the For Sale sign when I realize I don't actually like camping after all.
The recession shows little signs of improvement; I need to do these things Trailer or not. But the goal of the "saving for the Trailer" is so much less depressing than "saving to pay dentist in hopes of keeping teeth from falling out".
-Goodbye Sendik's (equivalent to Zupan's, Whole Foods, the gourmet gas station). Hello Trader Joe's!
-No more Goodwill. This seems counter-intuitive, but I can spend as much at Goodwill as anywhere else...especially at a good one.
-Downgrade Cable service. Going to basic and giving up the DVR dropped the bill by 1/2! Yes, I miss the DVR, but somehow I found the time this week to clean the bathroom grout.
-Move to a smaller, cheaper apartment. Done!
-Negotiate everything. I'm learning that asking doesn' t have to be rude or insulting, and that "Don't ask, don't get" is true.
-No more using coupons! Or discount cards or email offers! Hmmm...had no plans to order from that catalog until I got that coupon in the mail. Had no plans to get that item until I saw that email. And so on.
-Speaking of email offers...delete my name from every retailer email list. Unsubscribe baby! Until I started doing this, I didn't grasp just how many temptations I was allowing right into my front door as it were. Literally dozens and dozens every week, every day.
-Use up every single bottle, jar and tube of moisturizer in the house before buying any more.
-Bring my lunch. This sounds simple, and I'm told that many people have always done this. But this is a hard habit to develop for the only kid who actually liked "hot lunch" (the nifty divided tray alone!).
-Sell the overflow of furniture and household stuff from the apartment downsizing on Craigslist and eBay. I sold three things this week already!
-Cancel all automatic electronic bill payments. Sit down and write a check for each bill, each month. When it's just zapped out of the account I have little control, but worse, it's not real to me. Sitting down and looking at each expense will push me to make better choices and deeper cuts.
-Split the cable internet bill with the neighbor and share via wifi. Done! Full disclosure: this was my neighbor's idea.
-Rent the dog out to bachelors...ok, maybe not. But never say never, anything for the Trailer!