It is so much easier to spend money, even money you don’t have, than it is to save money isn’t  it? But you may have big reasons to cut back on your spending right now and it’s time to start increasing your savings.

The number one place to start is with considering why you want to cut back on your spending. What is your motivation? Do you want to buy a new house or retire early? Maybe you’d like to get out of debt, put your kid through college, or take a trip to Europe. Whatever the reasons, write them down so you can refer to them at moments you’re feeling challenged.

You don’t have to go cold turkey. If you’re used to grande double chocolate chip frappaccinos every single day, cut them back to every other day. That’s a savings of $702 per year. Resist cutting your spending so far back you feel deprived. Even though you have good intentions, it will backfire.

If you have debt issues, put your debts down on one sheet of paper. They look worse all in one place, in black and white, and this might help motivate you, or at least remind you of what you need to be doing.

Watch out for impulse buys. Implement a 72 hour rule or a 30 day rule before you buy something you suddenly need but didn’t need before you first laid eyes on it. After the time period is up you may find you don’t have to have it after all.

Try using cash. Cash looks, feels, and acts like real money. Credit cards don’t always seem quite real. When you spend cash it’s a little more painful and real than whipping out a small piece of plastic.

Plan ahead for big purchases so you can use time- time to shop for the best deals or time to wait for the sales. Some items always go on sale at certain times of the year; cars right when the next year’s models come out, air conditioning units in late fall, gas grills at the end of summer, and ranges and washing machines in September or October. Search for coupons online for an item you want to purchase. You may be pleasantly surprised if you take a few minutes to do some legwork.

Take a good look at your eating habits. Lots of take out = lots of money out the door. Plan your menus ahead of time so you have the ingredients on hand to make dinner. Not only is this good for your wallet, it’s good for your health too. In addition, have lunch items on hand and give yourself a little extra time in the morning to pack your lunch.

Plan your errands. You’ll save on gas if you hit several places on one trip, and go in a clockwise loop. Right hand turns mean you won’t be idling at lights. It saves gas and time.

Turn down the heat a notch and the a/c up a notch. Programmable thermostats will definitely help you save because you can program them to be at a different temperature when no one’s home or when sleeping. Cutting back on your spending doesn’t have to be an all or nothing proposition. You can still have some luxuries that are important to you, as long as you’ve made a conscious decision as to which luxuries those are. Keep in mind why you’re cutting your expenses . The more you cut your spending, the faster you’ll reach your goal.

Most folks think stress-causing situations mostly stem from problems in the workplace. Besides work, they also think finances or family issues or health problems cause a lot of stress. While it is true that these situations can all be stressful, another circumstance that can lead to stress is retirement. Yep, retirement is up near the top of the list of stressful situations.

For those who haven’t done it yet, retirement is that big shiny pot of gold at the end of the 9 to 5 rainbow. Retiring will solve all your problems and you’ll relax with umbrella drinks on a beach somewhere. In reality, retirement for most is quite different.

Retiring from a long life of working is a huge lifestyle change, however good, and any lifestyle changes can be stressful until you’ve adjusted. Stopping your work routine means you are stopping the daily routines you’ve followed for years. You may feel a little lost until you’ve established some new routines.

Another area that changes with retirement is that of your social support system. No longer are you chatting around the water cooler with your co-workers, trading stories and sympathy for each other’s problems. Once retired, these social ties are gone. Before retiring is a good time to build and cement relationships with those outside the job who will be there once you retire.

After you leave your job you do have freedom to do what you want, but with this new-found freedom you also have big decisions to make… should you downsize your home, move to another state, buy a vacation home in a sunny locale, sell all and travel fulltime in an RV, or try a retirement community? Big decisions like these can be stressful for anyone.
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