by Eden Gardner

Created on: March 13, 2009   Last Updated: May 10, 2009

"I'm movin' on up...to the East Side, to a de-luxe apartment, in the skyyyyyy...." The words of George Jefferson rings a familiar melody in my ears as I watch re-runs of "The Jefferson's", on late night T.V. Shows like this one take me back to my childhood; when I tried desperately to believe that George's sitcom dream would one day become my reality.

How did I learn to live on less? Well, I can't honestly say I've ever had an excess of anything in my life, other than poverty. My motto was: money is only theoretical. Medical bills, credit card debt, loss of wages and benefits would simply be the story of my life. Unfortunately, this theory is the only American dream left for many of us struggling in poverty and many Americans will die in debt. And with the current economy, I fear it will only continue to get worse. We cannot continue to accept our fate as eminent. Remember, happiness comes from the heart, not from the wallet. Many of us have to live on less because we have no choice. In another cliche' from those of us who understand "We have to make do with what we've got," and continue to try to make our lives better; regardless of the sacrifices we will need to endure. Take it from me, it's not too late to change your spending habits.

Stop the overspending!

You may find it convenient to frequent the drive-thru on your way to pick up Jr. and head to your night class. However, planning in advance can give you an advantage in saving time and money. Shop for the week and designate certain days of the week for your priorities. For example, you can make your meals for the week on Sunday (or your day off) and place the prepared food in those nifty plastic storage containers. Leave the ones you will eat for the first two days in the refrigerator, while placing the other containers in the freezer. A little effort now, will make your life more convenient in the future, and perhaps aid in shedding some of those extra pounds you gained while eating take-out.

Snip and Clip!

I know you probably have some reservations about spending $1.75 on the Sunday news for those once-in-a-while coupons you may find. However, clipping coupons is an excellent way to save money. Believe me, it works. If it proves too difficult to find the scissors and look through the ads, don't exert yourself. There are numerous online sites such as coupons.com that will personalize your coupons to only the items you actually buy. In addition, try choosing cheaper store brands if the product will

• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next Page >>