Time is money

What does one do when one believes they don't have time to do all the thrifty things to save money.  What if you don't have time for making clothes or rugs or

flash freezing foods to be eaten later?  Suppose you don't have time to do thrifty D-I-Y things?  Well, yes, there is time required when you do things yourself.  Yes, reupholstering a chair, quilting or rug braiding, scouring stores for discount items, and other tightwad things do take time.   

BUT.... there's always a but..... being busy does not have to mean spend more money.   Focus on the time you DO have to accomplish what will give you the greatest return for the time spent. 

Be sure you are not working more only to buy more convenience.  In other words, don't work overtime hours just to buy more take out foods so you can work the overtime hours.    Many people don't really calculate how much more money they spend as a result of working extra hours.  Are you really getting anything from all the extra hours if you spend it all just to work?

Being organized is THE most important thing to do if you want to be thrifty.  Being organized will save you both time and money.  For example:  You know that Christmas comes every year.  You know there are birthdays every year.  You know kids go to school in the fall.  You know you will need to change the oil in your car.  You will be replacing your glasses eventually.    Many things are predictable.  

Did you know that changing the oil when you see a coupon in the sale flyer this week takes no more time out of your schedule than getting it changed without a coupon a month from now?   Buying a marked-down toy in January for a July birthday requires the same amount of time as paying full price at the last minute.  It takes about the same amount of time to look through clothes on a thrift store rack that it does to look through clothes on a department store rack. Actually, thrift stores have a larger variety which may mean not shopping at several stores searching for the right clothes.

Some organizing requires a very small amount of time but will save a great deal of money in the long run.  Lists are a form of organizing.  List take only a small amount of time to create yet help save you a lot of money and time.  For example:  If you set up a grocery shopping system and list, it saves you time and money because you won't be wandering through isles thinking to yourself  "Do I need some of this or do I have plenty already?"   If you write out a list of needed back to school clothes and carry it with you, you can casually watch for those items at yard sales through out the whole summer. 

I repeat.... Focus on using the time you do have to accomplish what will give you the greatest return for the time spent.   For me that means keeping lists.  Five minutes making a list can save me hundreds of dollars over a year.  So let me say also that "no organizing system (or list) will work if you don't use it".