{"id":3062,"date":"2023-05-11T15:49:09","date_gmt":"2023-05-11T21:49:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.happysimpleliving.com\/?p=3062"},"modified":"2023-08-09T18:14:24","modified_gmt":"2023-08-10T00:14:24","slug":"how-to-put-yourself-on-a-money-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.happysimpleliving.com\/how-to-put-yourself-on-a-money-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Ways to Save on a Money Diet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you’ve been following this blog for a long time, you may remember that for many years we sponsored the January Money Diet<\/a>. I was always amazed at how much money I could save by simply taking a break from spending, avoiding debt<\/a>, and focusing on improving our finances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The beautiful thing about going a money diet<\/strong> is that you can do it any time you need to hunker down and save some cash. You can put yourself on a spending freeze for a week, several weeks, or a month. Are you ready to get started?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Here are some easy ways to save money while you’re dieting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Cook at Home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is a big area of savings for most families, because take-out, pizza delivery and restaurant meals can quickly derail a budget. Try making homemade pizza<\/a> instead of paying for delivery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try some of our other easy dinners<\/a> like Corn Chowder with Bacon<\/a>, Crock Pot Mexican Carnitas<\/a>, Spaghetti with Oven Cooked Meatballs<\/a>, or our family favorite, Potato Chip Chicken Tenders<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other saving strategies include cooking double recipes and freezing half, using in-season fruits and vegetables, using leftovers in soups and casseroles, and cooking less expensive cuts of meat in a slow cooker. Check out more tips about cooking from a frugal and thrifty kitchen<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Go on a Home Scavenger Hunt<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Go on a scavenger hunt and “shop” at home.<\/strong> Most of us have lots of goodies hiding in our cabinets, pantries and freezers. Use those items during a money diet, and you’ll save money and free up space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Explore Resources for Freebies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There’s a whole world of generous people out there who regularly share, lend, trade, and give things away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scoring things you need for free instead of shopping<\/a> is a wonderful way to stretch money, and you can take advantage of resources like Freecycle, Buy Nothing Facebook groups, and neighborhood swaps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Fix and Maintain the Things You Already Have<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We may live in a disposable society, but we honor our possessions when we take care of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps you could make your scuffed boots look new with shoe polish, or sew the missing button on your sweater, or clean up your gardening tools. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch a YouTube video and learn how to repair something that’s broken or sharpen your kitchen knives. These are joyful tasks that can bring so much satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Explore Your Local Library<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We are amazed at the cool things we can borrow from our library, from energy meters to solar light bulbs to laptops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can even download free, current eBooks and magazines from home. Plan a visit to your library during your money diet, and see what you can check out for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Finish a Project<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From stalled home improvement jobs to crafting projects, a money diet month is the perfect time to enjoy the benefits of completing a task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Declutter and Give<\/strong><\/strong> Unused Things Away<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A money diet month is a perfect time to go through stuff and give things we no longer need to our favorite nonprofit. The side benefit of decluttering<\/a> is a more peaceful, organized home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Find Ways to Splurge<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A money diet doesn’t have to be a time of deprivation. Give yourself a pedicure. Take a nap. Use the fancy shaving brush you got for Christmas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soak in a bubble bath. Put the high thread count sheets on your bed. Be good to yourself while you’re not spending, and you might not even notice you’re on a money diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever gone on a money diet? What are some of your favorite ways to save? I’d love<\/em> to hear your thoughts, so drop a comment below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

… Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6516,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"limit_modified_date":"","last_modified_date":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-money","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"yoast_head":"\n8 Ways to Save on a Money Diet - Happy Simple Living<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here's how to go on a money diet, save some cash, and get ahead financially. 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