Saving Is An Attitude

There were a couple things that I considered writing about for today, but they didn't work out. And I can do internet searches and find all kinds of ways to be more frugal and save money, but in the long run saving is an attitude. If you want it to be something that you consistently do it takes an adjustment in the way that you look at your finances.  You have to look at purchases not just with 'Can I afford this?' but 'Do I really need this? Is this more important than other things that I want to do with my money?' (By the way this little pep talk is as much for me as for anyone.) If saving and going without is just a big punishment, it's not something that you're going to continue. If you have a goal that's really important to you, you can sacrifice things here and there because your goal means more to you than those minor unnecessary purchases.
  For me it is being at home with my kids. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job. I find it very fulfilling and feel like the things that I learned in nursing school make me a better mom, and maintaining my license gives me peace of mind. But cutting back on my hours meant that I have to stay within a budget if I am going to set any money aside for home repairs or whatever emergencies may happen. Yesterday morning I found myself thinking "I just want to go shopping, just for the sake of spending money. I miss being able to just buy things and not have to worry about it." But the only thing I purchased was diapers, because that's all that I needed. Yesterday afternoon I played hide-and-go-seek with my kids who make me laugh, and I was reminded that having to save money and be conscious of my spending is something I'm willing to do because it means that I get to spend more time with my kids.
And don't wait until you are making more money to start saving. Start saving now. Start a little at a time. Studies have shown that it isn't those with the highest incomes that have saved the most for retirement, it is those who made small continual efforts over a long period of time. It's all about your attitude.