I need to try and be more frugal, I think. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those people who spends $5 every day on coffee on the way to work, although on a related note, they did just put a Starbucks in our office, and although they don’t have the full Starbucks menu (eg. There are no mocha frappuccinos) it’s still better than the coffee in the coffee machines in the break room. I’ve been known to drink coffee throughout the day, though, and it can add up over time. Drinking coffee is actually something that I want to get away from. I want to try and wean myself off of caffeine, so I might actually switch to green tea or something that is healthier, anyway, and see if I can do it like that. I don’t want to be one of those corporate robots who are addicted to coffee, and I kind of see myself heading that way. At least I’m not on the energy drink bandwagon… yet.
What’s that saying, “pound wise but penny foolish?” That’s me. I’m pretty good when it comes to big things with money. I research before I buy stuff, I get good deals on like electronics and stuff, but with the little stuff I know that one of my weakpoints is not paying attention to how they add up. So all the money I save on big stuff I end up just spending on little stupid stuff (like $3 coffee!).
I need to stop that. I also need to have a talk with my accountant and see if there are any expenses or anything I am missing. One of the things I’ve learned is that saving money is the same as making more money. Say you bring home $1,000 per week. Well, a lot of people would think “man, if I brought home $1,100 per week that’d be even better!” But what they don’t realize is that if you can find a way to save $100 per week, that’s the same as making an extra $100 per week.
Plus, I read this book, “the Millionaire Next Door,” and it was basically talking about how rich people became rich by being frugal, not by having huge incomes. They don’t all drive flashy cars like the celebrities and stuff you see on TV. There’s a misconception about how rich people spend their money, and it was pretty eye-opening to learn about that.
So that’s my goal for this year. Save more money, and do it by watching the small purchase I make that tend to add up over time.