Save by Spending

Save by Spending - Money Saving Tips With a Difference by Preventing Deprivation (Over-Spending)

You're sick and tired of not having money, and the minute you have some, it's gone. That's a sure sign of deprivation getting to you. So how can you fix that situation?

By incorporating little indulgences into your daily life! What? Spend more money? Yes, but just a little - where it matters. And save it somewhere else where it won't matter so much.

The key is that you pick something that makes you feel really pampered, preferably over a period of time, while the higher cost compared to its generic equivalent is not that significant.

For example, when I was in graduate school, I would occasionally indulge myself in buying a really cool pair of socks. I'd spend 10 bucks on a pair if I really liked it. But I would wear them a lot, and they would make me smile every time I put them on.

I also like certain shampoos or shower gels. So what if they cost twice as much as the cheapo version at the dollar store. Imagine how many showers you get out of an 8 oz bottle of shower gel. Probably at least several months' worth. So imagine that the bottle of my favorite costs 10 dollars instead of 2, which would be an outrageous upcharge if you think of it as a 500% increase in price. But per shower, it's just pennies. And I take one every day. How many other things give me so much extra pleasure for just a couple of pennies a day?

And if you like eggs and prefer organic, so what! Eggs are still among the cheapest staples out there. The nutritional value of the organic ones is so much higher than that of the regular kind. Plus they taste so much better!

You can even leverage it: Buy the regular kind for hard boiled eggs, and use the organic, fancy grade eggs for the sunny side up variety. So you get some savings and a lot of the enjoyment at the same time.

And here's another one. Gourmet cooking, done on the quick and cheap. Get some basic ingredients, for example chicken thighs, which I personally think are the tastiest part of the bird, throw them into a big frying pan and sautee with spices. Throw in half a cup of some beverage, wine, beer, or apricot juice, and simmer until tender. Yum!

And if you prefer to splurge and like chicken breasts, even organic ones, why not go for it. It's way cheaper than at a restaurant, and once you get the hang of it, it's really tasty.

Just make sure you stick to treats you really enjoy!

So money saving tips don't always have to end up in deprivation. Sometimes, you'll save money by giving yourself treats.