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"A Dozen Ways to Pay Off Those Credit Cards in the New
Year,"
by Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ CoachT
There will probably be two items on many of our New Year's
Resolutions this year: lose weight and pay off debt.
Both have simple solutions! The way you lose weight is to
burn less calories than you take in; and the way to pay off
debt is to earn more than you spend. How to start? Cutting
back on living expenses.
1. Don't underestimate the power of soap and water.
There are so many products out there now for cleaning that
cost a fortune, when the basic is soap and water.
Experiment with soap and water in the mop bucket, on your
face and body, on the kitchen counters, on the dog, on the
car, and when shaving your legs!
2. Consider other remedies from simpler times. You can
cover a lot of territory with Merthiolate , baking soda and
hydrogen peroxide.
3. "Water" it down.
Most products today are over-charged. Add water to your
dish detergent and laundry detergent. Add generic bath oil
to your bath salt scrub. Add more liquid to your soups,
casseroles and mashed potatoes. Mix a little margarine in
with the butter.
4. Use less.
Tomorrow morning when you shower, take a look at how much of
that expensive shower gel you put on the scrub brush.
Generally you can cut it back to about 1/4th. Likewise
toothpaste, makeup base, shampoo, cologne, shaving crè.
Spray just a dash of Pam® or put a dab of Crisco® on a paper
towel and brush it over the cooky sheet or pan. We tend to
overdo!
5. Guard your health.
Need I mention health care costs. How we manage our
emotions and how we experience stress directly affects our
immune systems. Maintain a health regime, including
developing your Emotional Intelligence, so you can build
your resilience, emotionally, physically and mentally.
6. Pay attention to what your kids are doing.
Children are into having fun. They empty whole bottles of
shampoo into their bath to "make bubbles," leave water
running, spill whole boxes of cereal, dump a cup of catsup
on their plate, drop brand new jars of mayo and jugs of
milk, and are otherwise in need of being watched!
7. Go generic when you can.
I remember reading in a magazine that all cosmetics are made
of the same thing, that you're only paying for the label. I
haven't found this to be true. Certain more expensive items
are worth the extra price, many times over, but SOME are
NOT. Experiment and find the generic products that do the
job satisfactorily. I will pay for perfume, makeup base,
cereal, canned goods and clothes. These things seem to be
fine from the dollar store: hand lotion, pens, clothes
hangers, shampoo, paper goods like toilet paper and paper
towels, alarm clocks, and candles. It's better to buy
quality used clothes than originally cheap clothes - the
lines, fit, and make are better.
It may strain your aesthetic taste a bit, but a Piaget
doesn't keep better time than a Timex, nor does a Cross pen
write better than a Bic. Be willing to eliminate some of
the "designer" in your life.
8. Or find cheaper ways to go "designer."
eBay offers some great bargains, so do local Goodwill and
Thrift stores in your town. It's the same book inside
whether it's new from B&N, or "used" from amazon.com for a
fraction of the cost but has few pencil marks inside. A
search engine can lead you to everything from recycled
printer cartridges to retro'd headsets. Take advantage of
the Internet. Don't forget the library.
9. Get a mentor, a resource person.
When you're ready, the teacher will come. There's someone
in your life-space who's a master at this. I have a client
right now who does this for a hobby; he just refuses to "pay
retail." (Remember, the millionaire next door is a
millionaire because she doesn't spend money.) He's alerted
me to Cracker Barrel's book tape "rental"; growing your own
tomatoes; which chains have the "two-fers" which nights;
what chains consider a 'senior' to be 50; shopping in
stores like WalMart that show you the unit price; got his
wife interested in learning how to cut his hair; and the
possibility of negotiating or bartering for practically
everything. (Coaches are good for this too.)
10. Do the (physical) work.
Yes, clearly things like cleaning your own house, mowing
your own lawn, doing your own nails and hair, and but also
things like this. Don't buy those little bags of potato
chips for your kids' lunches, buy the largest bag and some
cheap "baggies" and "you do the work." Pour some juice into
a cup for them and leave those little bags with the straws
to those who have more money than sense.
11. Do the (mental) work.
Waiting is also work- get the video instead of going to the
movies. Using your brain is also work - the time to buy
Christmas decorations is the day after Christmas. The time
to buy sweaters is in August.
12. If you've got a "heavy foot," switch venues, and don't
forget the emotional component.
Meaning, if buying things is something you love to do, take
it down a notch. Go to garage sales and thrift stores and
buy away. You'll have the experience without busting your
budget.
While you're doing this, don't focus on what you're giving
up, celebrate your ingenuity, problem-solving skills and
creativity. It's the Emotionally Intelligent things to do!
©Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ CoachT, http://www.susandunn.cc .
Susan helps clients get their lives in order and reach new
heights with the power of Emotional Intelligence, through
coaching, distance learning, and eBooks. Take The EQ
Foundation Course© for the New Year!
Click Here .
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