To clarify, I'm not as poor as I make myself out to be. I can technically afford highlights on my current take-home income. (net for mortgage, property tax, utilities, etc) However, I have undertaken a make-over that my coworkers don't see. I recently made a commitment to God that I would (finally) stop robbing him, and actually tithe. Yes, this is a very scary thing to do, but the Bible says that we must do it. It is a very real and important act of worship. Malachi 3:8-10 says:
8 "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. "But you ask, 'How do we rob you?' "In tithes and offerings. 9 You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. 10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it"
So out of obedience to God comes my methods for cutting out the fat in my bills.
Here are some of my cost-cutting discoveries that I have made this month. Enjoy:
- Buy non-perishables in bulk--tampons, paper towels, toilet paper, etc. (a perk with my condo is a ton of storage space, so this is viable for me)
- Freeze food before it goes bad -- chicken, left-over berries, bacon, soup, broth, etc.
- Make meals that have a base of really cheap yet filling ingredients: split pea soup, beans, rice, polenta, cous cous, etc.
- Lower the thermostat, and cut out times that the heater runs (I'm blessed to live in California)
- Lower the temperature on the water heater
- Buy commuter tickets pre-tax using wage-works
- Buy potted plants to brighten your home instead of cut flowers (they're usually cheaper, and you get multiple rounds of flowers)
- Get your boyfriend/parents to buy you as much as possible
- Get Netflix and have at-home entertainment
- Drink at home: alcohol is so expensive at bars! It's so much cheaper to hold a recessionista happy hour in your own home. (plus you don't have to worry about driving anywhere)
