1+1=2: Small Cut Can Add Up to Great Savings

The idea of saving money is simple, but it can be difficult to actually do - if you don't have the discipline to save every month.

If you're like most people, you've been taught that in order to save money, you need to make more of it. That's why we do overtime and work extra jobs. It's also why we get a second job.

When it comes to saving some usually think about the big things—the things that will really impact our bottom line. But what about those little things? Those seemingly insignificant decisions that we make every day? Well, it turns out that if you just think about those small items in aggregate, they can add up to big savings. And in today's post, I want to talk about how a small cut can add up to great savings.

I will share one of the contributions someone made in a group discussion with some colleagues on saving money.

"The other day, I was talking with a friend about how much money she spends on her kids' clothes. She told me that she buys them all new clothes every season, and it adds up quickly! She said that when she started buying her kids second-hand clothes, she realized how easy it is to get by without spending so much money on new items.

This got me thinking: how much money do I spend every year on clothing? When I calculated my total wardrobe costs for the last few years, I was shocked by what I found! It turns out that if I had just bought some of my favorite items second-hand instead of brand new ones (like those super expensive designer jeans), then thousands of dollars would still be sitting in my bank account today!"

So the next time you're tempted to splurge on something new, remember: one small cut can add up to great savings!

The first step to cutting down expenses to save more is to figure out how much money you spend on things like coffee and lunch. Then, try making one change each week that reduces your spending on these items by even a dollar or two per week. For example, if your usual coffee order costs $4 each morning, try bringing your own reusable mug and ordering an iced tea instead. This simple change could save you $10+ per week!

Another simple example is the way you cut your hair. If you're a man and you shave your head, instead of getting a haircut every other week or so, you could save some money per month by shaving your head yourself.

If you're a woman who gets manicures or pedicures regularly, consider getting one less manicure or pedicure each week and using that money to buy yourself something nice. You'll save some amount per month doing it this way.

What about buying lunch at work every day? If instead of buying lunch every day, you brought in some leftovers from dinner the previous night, how much would that save? You can save enough in a month for an extra pair of shoes or maybe even a new dress!

Once you've made those changes for a few months, look back over the total amount of money you've saved by making these small changes. Then consider how much more money you could be saving if you made even more changes!

For example, if I save $10 per week by bringing my own mug and ordering iced tea instead of coffee—and then also decide to cut back on buying lunch out altogether by bringing my own food from home—I'm looking at saving $20 per week! That's about $1040 per year.

In Conclusion

If you're like most people, you probably don't think about how much money you could save if you just made a few small changes to your everyday life. But the truth is, saving money doesn't have to be hard. If we all try to make just one change in our daily routine, we can collectively make an enormous impact—and save a bunch of money at the same time.

So what's the big deal? Why is it important that we all do our part?

Because when you add up all the little things we do every day, they really add up. And when those little things are things like turning off lights or turning off appliances when we're not using them, or taking shorter showers and flushing less often… well, then those little things start to add up into big savings! As much as 20% on your monthly electric bill… 10% on your water bill… even 5-10% on your grocery bill!

The bottom line is this: when it comes to saving money, it's not always about finding big ways to cut costs. It's also about finding small ones too—and doing them consistently over time.

So why not put some change aside for an extra vacation? Or invest some into an IRA? The choice is yours—and it's all about finding what works best for you.