Comments on: It’s the Small Things Too

By: I Went on a Cash Diet | Ultimate Money Blog- Save Green and Live Green!

I Went on a Cash Diet | Ultimate Money Blog- Save Green and Live Green! — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:49:49 +0000

[...] went on a cash diet a few weeks ago. Last month I talked about how I was spending too much on the small things. If I had cash it was gone. I was trying to focus on saving money through the big things and [...]

By: Mrs Money

Mrs Money — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:18:39 +0000

Thanks so much for your kind comments! I appreciate them! I will definitely check out JD’s post. I am sure it will be fantastic! I need to sit down and just go over it and make a decision. I’m bad at that sometimes!

By: ami@40daystochange

ami@40daystochange — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:25:01 +0000

Hi Mrs. Money. Love your tips. I have the same issue with small things – but that was reduced tremendously when I was laid off. Even when I spent 3 months temping as an attorney (i.e., made enough money to pay for lunches) I kept making and bringing my lunch. I was surprised to see how much of a difference that one step made.

With respect to the cell phones – have you looked into prepaid plans? You might have seen JD’s post at Get Rich Slowly: http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2009/05/05/prepaid-cell-phones-can-save-you-money/
might be worth checking out. I have talked to DH about looking into prepaids, but his cellphone is a business expense, and he’s worried it would be a pain to track (or else he just doesn’t feel like it and wants me to leave him alone )

By: Mrs Money

Mrs Money — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:44:43 +0000

Love that! That is too funny. I am going to try keeping a $20 or $50 in my wallet and not breaking that.

By: Mrs Money

Mrs Money — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:43:59 +0000

I know! I’m glad I’m not the only one. I think I’ll keep a $20 in my wallet for emergencies but that’s it.

By: Mrs Money

Mrs Money — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 22:43:22 +0000

That is a great idea! I love that. Now I’ll have to rummage for a small notebook!

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:20:43 +0000

I keep a $50 bill in my wallet. Not too many convenience stores will break it, but it’s not impossible to find one that will if worse comes to worse. Using a credit card does make it easier to track the small purchases but also makes it easy to make the small purchases in the first place. I guess one could do the old credit card frozen in ice trick but modify it for your water bottle! Hahaha! Just imagine…dropping your credit card into your water bottle, fill halfway with water, place in freezer. At work, you really really need a candy bar fix but the 7-11 down the street won’t break your fifty dollar bill, so you have to suck down your water & chip away the ice to get to your card. By that time craving is gone….Hahaha!

By: Advertising is Everywhere | Ultimate Money Blog- Save Green and Live Green!

Advertising is Everywhere | Ultimate Money Blog- Save Green and Live Green! — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 10:44:59 +0000

[...] fast food place. You have to remember, I’m not big on fast food. I prefer to drop my cash in small amounts at places like [...]

By: Do You Dave Ramsey?

Do You Dave Ramsey? — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 04:54:02 +0000

I find that “small” item spending is harder to control that the big ticket spending. It’s budget death by 1000 cuts.

On a smaller scale, consider if you carry a 20 in your pocket. I’ll sometimes forgo a purchase because I don’t want to break the 20. I’d never buy a pack of gum with a twenty, but I’ll buy a pack every day with change or a buck.

Once I break the 20, it’s as good as gone.

So knowing that requires a different kind of diligence. It’s easy to hold myself accountable to not impulsing a new car. But one at a time it’s tough to not impulse 20,000 soft drinks, candy bars, latte’s, donuts, smokes, or whatever over the next 3-4 years.

Unfortunately, I can’t claim a full proof answer but knowing the risk and my weaknesses can help me to lessen the individual occurances.

Thanks for sharing the idea.

Dave

By: vm

vm — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:56:14 +0000

I bet if you actually carried a small notebook and wrote down every single item you purchase AS YOU PURCHASE IT (or right before you purchase it), you’d buy less. It would be a real act of reflection–just the kind of pause that may stop you from spontaneously buying the gum or the coffee etc etc etc. Even better than a detailed budget.