Day 24 of the January Money Diet – Cancel Something

Photo by Images of Money

The expenses we pay month after month, year after year, can really add up. Evaluate your ongoing monthly expenses and ask yourself whether you’re truly getting your money’s worth from your hard-earned dollars. Could you eliminate something and pocket the savings each month?

By now you probably know many people who have cancelled their home telephone service, and simply use their mobile phone for calls. How much do you  spend each month for a land line? How many quality calls do you receive, and how many telemarketing calls do you receive? Can you still justify the cost?

Are you happy with your cable or satellite TV bill? Some people don’t pay a nickle for cable TV yet still enjoy dozens of free stations. Here’s a great article about how to get (nearly) free TV. Many of your favorite programs are probably online, too. For instance, the online library Hulu.com features hundreds of free TV shows available on demand. You may even be able to connect your laptop to your TV and watch shows from your favorite networks right on the big screen. I’m not a techie, but I purchased a cable at my local Radio Shack for less than $20, and we were enjoying online TV within minutes.

Speaking of entertainment, do you subscribe to Netflix or another service with a monthly fee? Could you get movies from the library or Redbox instead? And what about subscriptions to periodicals? If you find you’re regularly recycling the newspaper without reading it or letting the magazines stack up, perhaps it’s time to do your reading online or check out publications free from the library.

Does your dog go to the groomer regularly? Learn how to do it yourself, and save both time and money.

Could you cut your own lawn and fire the lawn service? (What about eliminating your lawn altogether and replacing it with hardy clover, xeriscaping — or edible plants?)

Are you regularly using that gym membership, or could you jog, walk and work out at home?

If you decide to cancel an expense this month, be sure to let us know about it.

P.S. In case you’ve just joined us, the January Money Diet is a challenge to take a 31-day break from nonessential spending. You can learn more about the money diet here — and jump right in!

—————————————————————————

Win a Deluxe Happy Simple Living Gift Basket

In honor of the January Money Diet, I’ll be giving away a gift basket chock-full of home and garden goodies plus several books at the end of the month. On January 31, 2012, I’ll draw one random name from everyone who commented during the month and that lucky person will win the gift basket. I hope you’ll stop by often this month and share your own ideas, thoughts and experiences about taking a 31-day break from nonessential spending.

—————————————————————————-