Cheap is Best

I've come to realize that I've been working at Lexington now for almost a year. It's been quite the job and something that I thought I could never do. I start thinking about the days that I was my sorority treasurer and my thought was, "spend it all on the girls." I never EVER thought ahead when it came finances but managed to always break even.

Now my theme is "cheap is best." Now when I say cheap, I'm not thinking trashy. Cheap is classy and something that our grandparents who survived the wars and depression grew up with. Their ideas of "make do or do without" should stick with our society at times. In a society where consumerism is higher than anywhere else in the world, it's time to get back to basics.

The Keys to making cheap be classy and living the style you want.

1. Think about the bang for your buck.

-Is this really what you want?
-Is it worth it?
-How long will this last?
-Colors, size, look, durability, all a major point
-Can I find this same item for less anywhere else?
-How much am I really wanting to spend on it?

Now let me interrupt with a story. Over Christmas, I found these really cute stuffed Winnie the Pooh characters to fill a drab corner in our tiny apartment. My decorating budget was pretty much at it's end and I thought, "if there's only a way." I decided to scrounge the newspaper ads and check almost everywhere. I was shocked to find that most of the local stores had the exact same item. Sears, KMart, Walmart, Target, etc. It was there with a tiny bit of variety. I waited a little bit after the Black Friday rush but sure enough the decorations went on sale at Sears. Same stuff lower price.

2. Biggest Bang for your Buck

There's this show in HGTV that I've been watching in the afternoons with that same title. If you must splurge make sure it's with a bang! On the show, it has the lavish remodeling projects. Can you imagine? $85,000 to remodel you kitchen? I've never priced out a kitchen but the families that do this always make the kitchen to what they enjoy. Not always to the designers or if their going to be able to sell their house for more. Forget about what everyone else says. If you like it, go with it! It's yours.

Don't feel cheated if it really doesn't cost that much. For example, my cute friend decided to have her wedding reception at our local park. Beautiful grass, trees, warm weather in the summer, big parking lot . . . check, check, check, check. It's going to beautiful! You'd never guess how much the city is charging her to use the pavilion that night. Now that's a bang!

3. Coins go in a jar

I learned a long time ago, that one of the best ways to save is to put all your change in a jar. Only use bills and the change goes in the jar. Watch it grow for an entire year. I bet you'll be surprised what you'll find out of "just coins."

4. Check your credit score

Now I'm not saying this just because that's what I work with everyday, I'm saying it because many of my friends are in that stage of buying a home. With a good credit score, anything's possible. Including the lower interest rates. Before you sign for a high interest rate, make sure to do the math to see how much you're really paying. Because more than often with a 30 year mortgage, you're going to paying double the price of the house. Now luckily, interest rates are at an all time low, better start saving for a good down payment!

5. Have a system

The automatic online pay hasn't been kind to many people. It wrecks up the budget or last few dollars because they forget what day the payment is coming out. Make sure you have a calendar because paying late fees or even forgetting (making it show up 30 days late on your credit report), is going to cost you.

6. Being healthy goes along with being financially free

I love the Biggest Loser. It's inspiring to me how hard those people work to lose that much weight in that amount of time. For them, it's a journey. On last night's episode Suze Oreman explained that losing weight is just part of it. The winner is not only going to count calories but their going to be financially fit as well. She made a bet the Sunshine was going to win the contest because she had the highest FICO score. Now Sunshine is one of my favorite contestants and has a good outlook, I honestly think she could make it.

But if you make the connection, stress about debt it's awful. Too many a time, we've all stressed about the money issue. Don't let it affect your health or your disposition. Now with saying that, it's all about making good choices. Even I need to improve on that one.

Lately, I've occurred over $3,000 in medical bills. As students, that type of money is hard to by. Getting a system down was huge key and I could feel the weight come off my shoulders. It's all a learning process. Luckily, everything has worked out for us and I know it will work out for everyone else too.

So there's my advice as I'm learning life. As I say to Mark, "Take it or leave it!"