Saw these at the Dollar Tree store the other day. This is called saving for your dreams!   It is the third category of savings that I discuss in my book, I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. AND it is the MOST FUN category of items to save for!!! Here are some other jars I believe others would like to see are:

• Honeymoon Fund
• Trip Around The World Fund
• Start My Business Fund
• New Boat Fund

What jars do you want to see? Read recent posts

I have had another "I Have Had Enough" Moment (IHHE Moment) with our monthly budget.   It usually happens once a year and occurs when we ask ourselves the question, "Why are we spending our money the way we are right now?" My catalyst for asking the question this time was when our cable company sent us another bill with the cost cranked up to $114 for expanded basic and internet.   It has been as low as $27.40 for twelve months, then it went to over $100/mo.   I called and asked them to lower it, and they refused until I had made four or five phone calls and was thoroughly perturbed.   They adjusted the price to about $68/mo.   Now, they have cranked it up to over $114/month.   Here is my question: "Why don't they keep the price at a fixed number?   Seriously, all it does is result in unhappy customers and it must cost a fortune to run all of these different pricing models. Anyway, I am sick of the game so I called   the cable company and asked them to shut it off.   They asked, "Why?"   I told them what I have written above and told them that I am not going to continue playing the game of calling them and asking for a lower rate every six to twelve months.   The result?   Cable TV is GONE and I am celebrating it!   Believe it or not, my family has actually survived without cable before, and I am looking forward to not having it again. I kept the internet (~ $36 for high speed) so I have reduced the bill by $78/month.   That is $948/year of after-tax income! Here are the other ways we are looking at reducing our expenses:

• Using coupons even more using GroceryFreak.com and similar websites.
• Improving our health insurance coverage (better provider, better discounts, etc.)
• Considering dumping a gas-guzzler for a gas-sipper (we can come out ahead in multiples ways - insurance, gas, taxes, etc)

Less expenses mean more money for paying the house off! Read recent posts

Recently a reader (Lauren) shared a visual tool that she is using to track a short-term savings goal, and it is AWESOME so I wanted to share it with the readers. Here are the key things I see on this chart:

• A clear dollar amount is listed (clear goal!)
• A written deadline for the goal to be achieved
• Encouragement to herself along the way

Can you see how this can be helpful for tracking progress toward a short-term savings goal? This is why we offer all of our Debt Pay-Off and Savings Spectaculars for FREE right HERE.

When I teach the Financial Learning Experience, I focus on two key items:

1. Immediate ways to improve one's financial situation (usually ways to immediately save money)
2. Tools that help people automate and systematize sound financial principles (budgeting, investing, saving, giving, eliminating debt, etc.)

The tools mentioned in #2 are FREE and located HERE. Regarding #1, here are 10 ways to save money - RIGHT NOW!

1. Use coupons when shopping for groceries (and shop for food staples at Aldi if there is one near your house).   I like GroceryFreak.com, SouthernSavers.com, and CouponMom.com.
2. Call the cable company and ask for a discount. Be nice.   Ask for a deal.   Shoot, I'm considering dumping cable altogether.
3. Shop the car and home insurance. This is one of those items that people typically "set-and-forget".   The average person who has not gotten new quotes in the last two years will save $500 - $700 per year!   That is real money!   I really like NetQuote as a way to obtain quotes quickly and easily from agents located in the zip code I enter.
4. Check into your home property taxes. Many states provide a homestead exemption, and I have seen many people completely miss this exemption which can result in around a 33% reduction!   This is a reduced rate of taxation on a personal residence that you are actually residing in.   You can visit your local government tax office to find out if you qualify!
5. Dump the home phone. Especially if you have a cell phone!   Ask yourself the question, "Why do I have a landline phone?"   The answer of "because I've always had one" may not be the best justification for keeping it.
6. Go on a one-month spending fast. Please don't misread this.   I did not write that you should spend money fast.   I wrote "go on a spending fast."   Seriously, it can change your life if you go on a spending fast.   You will find ways to have great fun and avoid spending money that you would otherwise never discover.
7. Do as much as possible on-line. Buy your postage on-line (Stamps.com) (avoids trips to post office), pay bills on-line (avoids postage), deposit your checks on-line (many banks allow you to self-scan checks in and conduct your deposit right from your home computer), shop on-line (find a lot better deals), and more.
8. Dine out using coupons.   You can use Entertainment Book, Restaurant.com, or coupons in your mailbox.   If you plan on using money to dine out, make sure you take the time to maximize your money by finding a coupon!
9. Cut an entertainment item by one per month. If you golf once a week, skip one week a month.   If you take guitar lessons once a week, skip one week a month.   You get the idea.   Less fun is better than no fun at all!
10. Use cash envelopes. There is no doubt in my mind that cash envelopes have been one of the most essential tools my wife and I have used to stick to our budget each month.   Use cash envelopes for the items you tend to "impulse" spend on.   Items like groceries, restaurants, clothes, spending money, and entertainment.

You might want to bookmark this page so that you can try all of these money saving tips out. When you save money, we would love for you to share your success stories with us HERE.