Save Extra Time and Money Every Month…
… by paying yourself. All it takes is a simple mindset change. Repeat after me, “A Dollar Saved is a Dollar Made.” Make this your mantra every time you think about lazy-spending – unnecessarily spending money and time on something that you could make or fix better yourself. There are three main benefits to quitting lazy-spending – time saved, health optimized, and (obviously) money made. For example, that coffee you’ve overpaid for would be better enjoyed at home, in your comfy chair, whilst devouring a graphic novel; OR (insert your own ideal coffee-drinking backdrop). Instead, you’re spending time traveling to and from the coffee shop and waiting in line and forking over your hard-earned cash for a higher-calorie, maybe-sugary-concoction of questionable ingredient. Don’t get me wrong, if you read the above and say, “so what?” this article is still for you. Point being that you must make your own rules and set your own priorities when it comes to avoiding lazy-spending. If the coffee’s worth the spend, read on for more ideas.
Take note that when it comes to lazy-spending environs, there are generally three – At Home, At Work, At Play (Entertainment/ Travel). It may help to think of prioritizing with these areas in mind. Here’s a sample outline of what a How to Pay Myself plan could look like for you:
#1 (Home/ Work/ Play) BE YOUR OWN NUTRITIONIST AND CHEF
This tactic offers significant rewards beyond money saved/ made. Not only will you learn what your body thrives on, you will spend more time with family and friends experimenting with new ways to make your favorite foods. You’ll also save money and time on travel. To top it all off, you will know exactly what is in the food you are eating, and your health and well-being will benefit.
To start, pay close attention to your body’s reactions to the foods you eat and keep track of any ill effects. It may be helpful to start with a Whole 30 or an elimination diet, then slowly add food groups back in. Depending on your genes and lifestyle, your body may hum on a Keto, Paleo, or Low-Gluten diet. Be true to yourself and take the time to make sure your diet is working for you. Help your family do the same.
After you’ve figured out the nutrition piece, focus on organizing your kitchen to work for you. Prioritize the kitchen work space, tools, food savers. Make the dining ware and space feel like your favorite café, pub, or restaurant. Use what you have and only spend on quality items that will help you stick with it.
Now for the fun part – the experimentation. My favorite app for that is Mealime. It’s a free app that has thousands of recipes based on your diet style (Keto, Paleo, Low-Carb, Gluten-Free, etc.) and it auto-magically saves a category-organized grocery list for the week based on your menu. (Mealime is not paying me for saying any of this.)
Estimated 9 Hours/ Month Made (*Based on 2 People x 20 min saved per day x 7 days x 4 weeks (Travel + Wait Time – Prep + Cleanup Time))
#2 (Home) BE A HOME MAINTENANCE MASTER
Do your own house cleaning, maintenance, landscaping, and yardwork. This one is simple and has massive rewards. You’ll make money while staying active. What’s better than that? Here’s a handy list from The Art of Manliness. (The Art of Manliness is not paying me to say this.)
Estimated 8 Hours/ Month Active (*Based on 2 People x 2 hours per week x 4 weeks)
#3 (Home) BE YOUR OWN PERSONAL TRAINER
Research and (safe) experimentation are key for this one. First things first, take before photos of you in your swim gear and pinpoint areas of focus. While you can not spot reduce, you can absolutely spot enhance by eating right and building muscle. Revisit #1 for nutrition info, get started researching and trying out the methods that work best for you, and cancel that gym/ trainer membership. You’ll save money on the membership, and so many hours per week traveling. There are a few initial investments that you may want to make to build your home gym and program. Here’s a succinct list of a few basic items that will turn your garage or spare bedroom into a muscle-building-lab in this Breaking Muscle article. (Breaking Muscle is not paying me to say this.)
Estimated 6 Hour/ Month Made (*Based on 2 people traveling together 30 min/trip x 3 times/ week x 4 weeks)
#4 (Home/ Play) BE YOUR OWN AESTHETICIAN
This one is big for me. If you’re like me, you’ve had a haircut and color so bad that you’ve gone home and spent hours trying to figure out how to style it and tone it down just to make it through the month. The fact of the matter is, you know what you like and what works for your hair (and makeup too if that’s your thing). It’s tempting to go in search of a makeover. Don’t give in. Adopt your signature look and stick to it. Learn how to do it yourself and you will save so much time, money, and ire. Here are a couple of great haircut how-to articles that I like to use: Fade, Long Hair + Bangs, Lob
Estimated 3/4 Hour/ Month Made (*Based on 30 min round trip travel x 1.5 times/month)
#5 (Home/ Work/ Play) BE YOUR OWN STYLIST
What if your clothes were the most boring thing about you? Think about that for a while…
…Now, think about how awesome it would be to not have to worry about whether your last clean shirt goes with your last clean pair of pants – at around 1am when you should be getting your best deep sleep. Simplify things by selecting a few pieces (7 to 40 – it’s up to you) to make your own capsule wardrobe. It may help to separate in terms of Home, Work, and Play capsules. Donate everything you haven’t worn in the last year, and everything else showing wear and tear beyond repair. Cancel that monthly subscription, for a stylist you’ve never met, and spend some time shopping your closet for your favorite items that go with everything. Only buy quality items that you love. And remember, money does NOT equal quality. Any questions? Here’s an awesome article to clarify things a bit.
Estimated 2 Hours/ Month Made (*Based on 2 people x 30 min/ week x 4 weeks of trying on and repackaging/returning subscription items)
Estimated 1.3 Hours/ Month Active (*Based on 2 people x 4 hours every 6 months spent on shopping/ organizing wardrobe)
#6 (Home/ Work/ Play) BE YOUR OWN SPA THERAPIST
All you need are your favorite tunes, essential oils, epsom salts, and your loved one or friend to create your own spa-day. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the plethora of recipes for DIY scrubs, rubs, and salts online. Learn a few massage techniques with your spa partner and create your ideal serene setting. You’ll save money and travel time with this tactic. The bonus is that you get to spend some much-needed quality time relaxing with a loved one. Here are a couple of how-to articles for massage: Deep Tissue, Thai Massage.
Estimated 2 Hour/ Month Active (*Based on 2 people x 1 hour massaging (extra calories for Thai massaging))
Estimated 1 Hour/ Month Made (*Based on 2 people x 30 Min/Month for travel to and from spa)
When it comes to your most precious commodity – time – how much is it worth to you? If you follow these guidelines, you could gain major extra earnings (savings) of about 10 hours per month*. More time to do the things you love. In addition, you could easily knock out 10 more hours burning calories per month*. What do you think – is it worth it?
*All figures listed are estimates and may be more or less depending upon your savings strategy.
