Military Life News

Military Life News, Commissary Rewards and Military Discounts

3 Easy Ways to Spend Less Money in 2015

By

I don’t know about you but when a new year starts I always think a lot about our money situation: how we are spending our income, which debts we are going to pay off and how much money we are going to save. It only make sense to do this when you are starting a new year.

It is always a good idea to figure out how to spend your money wisely. It shouldn’t matter how much you make. It is a good thing to work to make every dollar go a little further.

3 Easy Ways to Spend Less Money in 2015

Here is a list of 3 ways to help you spend less money in 2015.

They have worked for many people and they can help you get on the road to a better relationship with your income.

  1. Use Cash. This is as simple as making a budget and going to the ATM to get your money out. A lot of people like to use envelopes for different categories such as groceries, entertainment and gas. By using cash you can get a very visual idea of where your money is actually going. It is also harder for a lot of people to spend cash. Using a card is easier and requires less thought. Once you run out of cash for a particular category for the month, you can’t spend any more money.
  2. Use Coupons. Couponing can seem a little overwhelming but once you know what you are doing, clipping coupons becomes a habit. All you need to do is start buying your local newspaper on Sundays, find coupons online and go to the right websites to help you match them with your local stores. It will take you about an hour to get ready for your shopping trip but the savings will be worth it. When you match coupons to sales you are able to save more money than you would think. There are also a lot of great resources out there for those wanting to learn about couponing. Don’t forget to add digital coupons to your commissary rewards card app every week.
  3. Save Your Spare Change. Find an extra plastic tub of some kind. You can also buy a piggy bank. Put all your spare change in it. When it is filled, go and cash it in. You would be surprised to find out how much money you can save this way. You could use the money for a family event or put it in savings. Tell your kids about it and have them contribute to the jar. You will have even more change if you use the cash system to help save money.

Even by making a few changes, you can see a big difference. You can make room in your budget to pay down more debt, save a little bit more or vacation a little bit more with your family. Take baby steps to achieve your financial goals and take the time to sit down with your spouse to discuss what you want in the next few years. It is very helpful to have a goal and be able to work together to get to where you want to be financially.

How are you planning to spend less in 2015?

Why You Should Ditch Your New Year’s Resolutions

By

With New Year’s Eve comes making new goals and resolutions. This is why the fitness centers are packed and our social media feeds are filled with encouraging ideas on how to save money, eat healthier or keep an organized household. Goals can be a good thing but they can also appear irrational or absurd.

Why You Shouldn't Keep Your New Year's Resolution

It might not be the best idea to stick to a New Year’s resolution.

Life changes, month by month. You never know what June will be like in January. Sometimes New Year’s resolutions can cause more stress than satisfaction. It would be better to think about the things in your life that you would like to change and figure out how you can make those adjustment in simple steps.

If your goal is to lose weight, you should figure out the best way to do so. Going gluten free might sound like a great idea but it isn’t that realistic for everyone. For most people, whole grains are a part of a healthy and balanced diet. Figure out what is holding you back from your goal weight and make changes that include both diet and exercise.

If you want to be a better mom, work toward that but don’t worry about having to become a perfect mom. A perfect parent simply doesn’t exist. If you want to go back to school, it is probably best to not jump in full-time if you are not totally sure that is what you want to do. Signing up for a few classes might be a much better choice.

It is great to work on your marriage but don’t complicate things or put too much pressure on yourselves. If you can only go out once a month or even two times a year, that is OK. Weekly date nights might sound like a great idea but not everyone is able to do them, especially with a busy military schedule.

One idea is to sit down at the start of every month or even every week and figure Why You Shouldn't Keep Your New Year's Resolutionsout what you need to change and make better in your life. Don’t worry about changing everything by the end of January. It isn’t possible to become a new person that quickly. By taking things month by month, you are more likely to see the changes you want to see, even if it takes longer to get there.

Find friends to share your ideas with, they could be working on the same types of goals you are. If you want to exercise more, find a workout buddy. If you want to learn a new skill, find a friend and sign up for a class. There are a million ways to make your life better but you don’t have to use January 1 as the reason to do so. Our lives are always changing and there is always some growing to do.

You can also focus on a word for the year. Some popular choices seem to be contentment, faith, inspired, brave or authentic.

What about you? Do you make New Year’s resolutions or do you tend to stay away from those? What are your goals for 2015? Share your thoughts in the comments section.