Every so often (okay quite a lot actually) I think about little treats for myself or my family. These treats are things that as a frugal person I know that we don’t need or can live without. For example, it might be nice to enjoy a lunch or dinner out, a new book (or paperback swap book), a chocolate bar, a gourmet coffee, an upgrade on my hair cut, a magazine, some trading cards for my son, ice cream out for the kids, etc. They are small things (well, maybe except for the dinner out), but if we were to do them all of the time, they would add up very quickly and bust our budget.
So I take a look at ways that I might earn some extra money for the treat. Whatever extra found money I can make, I figure can go for a treat. It might be to take on an extra freelance writing assignment and give up free time for example. I could baby sit for a few hours to earn some money. Or, I might “earn” the money by selling something we don’t need, such as books, baby clothing, etc. (I usually donate our unwanted items.) Or if I were crafty, I could make something and sell it.
The other way to earn some money for a treat is by finding a new way to save money. Making my own laundry detergent might save me .25 cents a load. Hanging that load up instead of drying it in the dryer will take some extra time and inconvenience, but it can save about 50 cents a load. Instead of driving to the store, I could walk and save money on gas that way. I could turn the heat down and just bundle up for an extra two hours to earn myself $6 or more. I could rake the driveway when I normally use the leaf blower and save some change.
Why don’t I do all of those things anyway when I am not looking to earn myself a treat? Well, mostly it is because they take so much time or inconvenience that I just don’t want to make them part of my daily life. But, when I look at them as ways to earn a special treat, then I find that I am looking forward to the practices.
How would you earn a treat?
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
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