Saving Private Penny - Cindy Aitken

Saving Private Penny

By Cindy Aitken

Remember the ol’ expression “a penny saved is a penny earned”? Well, even though today’s society looks at pennies as merely something to walk over in an old, run-down parking lot, this concept still remains true. The greatest way to EARN money truly is to SAVE it. Let’s look at those two words for just a moment . “EARN – to gain or get in return for one’s service”. This definition is probably the one most of us think of when we hear the word EARN. We do a job or service, then we get compensated. We work for eight hours each day, Monday through Friday, we get paid. Well, that is a way to earn money, but look at the time put into it to earn that wage. Now, let’s look at another definition from the same word. “EARN – to gain as due return or profit [such as in] savings bonds”. Now, bear with me one more moment while we look up that word. “SAVINGS – sums of money saved by economy and laid away”. This is money put to the side with PURPOSE. It’s been thought out. Planned. If we worked to save as hard as we work to earn an income, we would have more time for ourselves and our family and still have the money we need. Remember in the Lord’s Prayer, the line that says, “Give us this day our daily bread”. Not “our weekly bread” or “monthly bread” but daily bread. Why daily??? Well, I believe . . . when we have a surplus, we tend to not keep as close an eye on things. For example, when we’re running low on groceries, I pay closer attention to what’s in the fridge and pantry because I need to know exactly what I have in order to make my family dinner. However, after I’ve just made a huge trip to the grocery store, it’s easy for me to lose the block of cheese or the cucumbers way in the back of my fridge, and of course, they start to go bad. Oops. How many meals could all of us had made out of the food that needed searched and rescued out of the backs of our refrigerators??? Be honest . . .

So where do we get started? Well, there are so many ways to save, I’d have to write a book to give you just a portion, but for today, we’re going to start with simple and sweet. Something you can start today and see the results tomorrow. In fact, let’s go ahead and start in that refrigerator.

Two great ways to save your “dough” in the kitchen:

Plan meals for the week and only buy the groceries you need.

DO NOT make this a complex event. I am not suggesting you get out all your old cookbooks that have ¼ inch thick of dust on them because you haven’t pulled them out since Christmas. I’m saying think of a few meals your family likes to eat, write them down, then shop for the items you’ll need to make those meals happen. (This works best by MAKING A LIST and STICKING TO IT.) As the week goes by, begin to check off the meals you’ve made, assess what ingredients you still have, what you may need to get for next week’s meals and get ready for your next weekly trip. This truly does not take any time at all. It just may seem odd at first if you’re used to going into the store and shopping by “using the force”. That’s when you just pick up what looks good and feels right. It can be fun to shop that way, but it is certainly no way to begin to earn by saving.
Make Lunches instead of eating out.

Whether it’s kids’ school lunches or yours and hubby’s cuisine for work, making your lunch will add up huge!!! Let’s take a closer look at how. Let’s just say you spend $5.00 for lunch each day, 5 days a week. $25.00 right? Well, let’s add your husband’s $25.00 and your child’s school lunch. You have now spent close to $75.00 in one week which becomes $300.00 a month on lunch alone. This is a GREAT area to look at to start saving. Yes, I will be very honest with you that making lunch is something that takes a few minutes; however, you spend 8 hours each day to earn money, why not spend a few minutes each evening or morning to save money. Plus, your husband and child(ren) can help in this area as well. Have plenty of bread, snacks, and fruits/veggies available for them to place in baggies and into a lunch box. You’ll be surprised how much better everyone will eat and for a lot less expensive.

Now for a fun way to save money that your kids will love too. How many of you use batteries??? It seems like every toy we own needs some type of assistance from the ol’ Energizer Bunny, right? Well, how many times do you go to replace the batteries but you sit back and wonder, “Are they all bad? Should I really just throw them all out?” And the answer is NO. But who in the world has the time to figure out which ones still have juice? Well, here’s a great way to do that. Go to any store like Radio Shack or Circuit City and for under $10.00 you can purchase a battery tester. Then go home and get a shoe box, a small screw driver, and all your batteries. If they’re in packages, you know they’re good but if they’re not, show your kid(s) how to test each battery. It is soooo simple. You just place the battery in the plastic tester and VOILA it will tell you if it’s good, so-so, or bad. Now, once all good batteries find a home into the shoe box, mark the shoe box and place it in one spot. NEVER TO BE MOVED. You will be AMAZED at how much money you save with this technique. Also, if you PLAN AHEAD and buy your batteries in bulk – not just little packages of four here and there -- you will also save a tremendous amount. Finally, ask for batteries for your kids at Christmas. If family gets the privilege of buying the noisy, blinking light toy that gets to go home with you, they should also be expected to fuel that rotten thing.

Well, how are you feeling about saving some “moula” this week? Good I hope, and here are only a few tricks to try in your “Saving Private Penny Grab Bag.” Remember, the fact that you are reading this article and wanting to save more is your first step in the right direction. As you begin applying these simple and sweet recipes to saving not only will you see your money grow but you will also be a part of one of the finest Rescue Missions in history – reviving Private Penny and his secret of “a penny saved truly is a penny earned”..

Read more about the writer: Cindy Aitken

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