Non-Necessities

Now that your income has been slashed, you’re going to have to give up some non-necessities.  Do you see that picture of my Jaguar to the left?  That is not an example of a non-necessity.  Even though you’re not working, you are still going to have to maintain your self esteem.  If your car does it for you, by all means hold onto it.  I’d like to add at this time that it was the money I earned on the internet that helped pay for that Jag, and I’m not about to give it back that easily.  Besides, when you do decide to put yourself back into the job market, a nice car goes a long way in lending to your credibility.  Remember, it’s okay to tell people that you’re unemployed.  It is not okay to tell them that you’re broke.

The non-necessities are things like going out to dinner, going out for drinks, buying coffee at Starbucks, shopping for clothes, taking expensive vacations, or putting an addition on your house.  Okay, you get the picture.  Give up the stuff that will nickel & dime you to death.  It’s usually those small insignificant items that are more of a habit than anything else that will hold you back right now.  Going out to dinner is probably the biggest one, so here’s my suggestion:  Learn to cook like a pro.  It will save you money, it’ll impress your date, or if your married it will certainly impress your spouse.  Also, you’ll be learning a valuable skill, and if you get really good at it, maybe you could get a job as a chef.

Learning to cook is not that difficult.  I have always said, if you can read, you can cook.  Here is one of the cookbooks I use on a regular basis:  The New Elegant But Easy Cookbook

You can buy that book, or pick out another book from Amazon, and have it shipped right to your door (saving money on gas!).  The point is to get started now.  Just to give you example of how easy it is to put something together for a nice dinner, there is a recipe in the book for Sweet & Sour meatballs.  The recipe for the sauce is Chili sauce & grape jelly.  Sounds yummy, doesn’t it?  Well actually, it is!  Don’t tell anyone the secret.  If you already know how to cook, and you don’t need The Elegant but Easy Cookbook, great, but make sure you at least have a copy of The Joy of Cooking on the shelf……just for show.

I’ll give you more ideas on how to save money, make money, and live well on a very limited income.  Click on the categories listed on the right for more.