How I Saved $1,000 in 30 Days

How I Saved $1,000 in 30 Days

This was an experiment I wanted to try.  I think it is a good one especially for first-time home buyers to help with the mindset for homeownership.

There are always unexpected expenses that come up with owning a home. 

This way of thinking helps us learn to reconsider our options.

Try it.

This exercise will change how you think about spending.

1.   Look around your house and see what you could sell and be happy to get rid of.

I staged a very small yard sale that I advertised on Craigslist.  I listed the items and took pictures – it included a large wooden table and a few  electronic items, some household items and some art/artistic pieces I had made with my girlfriend group we used to call “Art Nite Group.”  

I listed the price each item with the photos.  Most of it sold and I cleared $504.

2.     I advertised “One day’s work (8 to 5 on a Saturday) worth of staging, decluttering, or décor remix for any home for $100.  The advertising was free -- I put up some small signs in my neighborhood (which were quickly removed by someone)  but got a call each time before the signs disappeared.  I did this twice - $200.

3.     That led to someone who wanted to paint 3 interior rooms of her home but with some help.  I offered to work 2 full days helping her paint and charged  $150 for the total time.  We DID finish, and it looked nice.

4.     Cutback on expenses.

Stopped using my car except for ABSOLUTE necessity. Walked and rode my bike for most errands.   My gasoline bill was $60 less than it usually is.  Admittedly, I used to drive around sometimes just for the fun of it.  And I would make long treks for silly reasons.  I just stopped; it wasn’t entertaining enough to justify not only the $60, but the additional mileage on my car, the wear and tear, and how that leads to additional maintenance costs.  Getting out on foot or bike has its own rewards.

5.     Cutback expenses:

No restaurants.  Instead I invited someone over a few different times for a glass of wine.  We ate sandwiches, olives, and brownies with the wine and talked.

I don’t eat out much anyway with my husband working out of town, so putting just $25 in a sugar bowl on 4 different occasions gave me $100.

6.     Cutback expenses:

I downgraded my cable/internet service and saved $35.

I eliminated my Vonage phone and saved $30

Total cash in my sugar bowl:  $1079.

Getting ready to get ready for homeownership?

Or are you about to be a first-time homeowner?

Take this as your assignment, it’s good and fun.

How I Saved $1,000 in 30 Days