Although saving money is a form of deprivation, there are steps you can take to make the process more enjoyable. Fun even.
While paying off $25,000 of debt within a 12-month time span, there were times I wanted to spend money so badly I suffered from physical withdrawal symptoms.
I’d lie in bed at night, with my heart pounding, fretting over all the stuff I wanted to buy and couldn’t.
Every month, there was an item I wanted to replace, a semi-unexpected bill I had to pay.
There were winery tours and comedy shows and those sexy open toe heels that covered the corns on my toes.
How would I ever be able to police myself?
Naturally, we don’t want to deny ourselves.
“When I want it, whatever ‘it’ is, give it to me!”
But that attitude is how we find ourselves in financial ruin.
There has to be a concrete reason for telling yourself, “No.”
You want your pain to pay for something.
If you give up now, you want to trade up later.
You will…eventually.
In the meantime, there are ways to alleviate the pain and still get paid.
Dream
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It’s never about the money. If you couldn’t exchange it for anything, money would be worthless.
So, how will you use the cash you save?
Are you going to meticulously organize it in the middle of your living room, then splash around in it like a maniac? No.
Will you use your savings to start a home business selling handmade, thigh high toe socks? Yes. (Or maybe not, but this option is more likely than the first.)
Let’s just run with the toe socks scenario.
Replay in your mind the sound of the email notification you hear when you receive an electronic payment from another satisfied customer.
At 6:00 on Monday mornings, you spring out of bed, work like a mad woman, then head to your noon Zumba group exercise class where you put the instructor to shame. By 1:30 in the afternoon, you’re feeling energized and ready to work again.
Think of how wonderful it’d be to sell your wares at the farmer’s market on a crisp Saturday afternoon.
Throughout the day you’re pushing toe socks, collecting cash, and being greeted by the smell of fresh bread, cinnamon, and brown sugar from the homemade doughnut cart across the way.
Get crazy. Nobody’s watching.
Go ahead. Dream.
Find a Friend
How about combining your goal to save more money while nurturing a friendship?
Not only does it give you and your friend something else to talk about besides which Love and Hip Hop diva has the best hair weave, but you have a chance to encourage one another to improve your finances.
If you’re doing great, you celebrate your success together. If you’re doing poorly, you hold each other accountable.
Obviously, you should partner up with someone who’s serious about getting her financial life in order.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Your spendthrift friends are brilliant in other respects, but you don’t need someone else excusing your mediocrity.
Love the Money You Spend
You should cherish your money.
Why? Because you gave your precious time, a resource you only have less of as you age, to earn it.
Don’t succumb to the fleeting high you get from buying some silly doodad on impulse.
The regret you feel later will last longer than the gratification you feel now.
Spending less money and, thereby, saving greater amounts of it becomes more pleasant when you put your money to good use.
For example, I no longer wander around Target looking for home furnishings and accessories.
I’ve grown extremely wary of bringing items into my apartment for two reasons:
1. Clutter turns me into an unproductive psycho. (Think Joan Crawford in Mommy Dearest and her peculiar disdain for wire hangers.)
2. From my modern Crate and Barrel platform bed to the books I’ll probably read someday, I really do like my stuff. I should. I lived in an unfurnished apartment for 8 months before buying so much as a sofa.
Who needs a bunch of junk sucking all the awesomeness out of the room?
Practice Addition by Subtraction
2-1=3
Huh?
Strangely, an episode of The Office introduced me to the concept.
Here’s an exchange between Andy Bernard, salesman, and Michael Scott, regional manager, of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.
Michael: Yes, Dwight Schrute has left this company. More personnel turnover.
Andy: Addition by subtraction.
Michael: What does that even mean? That is impossible.
Andy: Mmmm. Yeah you’re right.
I wish Andy wasn’t so stupid, because he’d realize he was right.
You can add by subtracting.
- Dump a poisonous person from your life.
- Donate a basket full of ill-fitting jeans to the thrift store so that someone else can rock ’em properly.
- Get rid of services you don’t need without reducing your standard of living.
For instance, back when I had a home phone I only received calls from telemarketers, politicians, and the rude fund raising arm of the Florida State Highway Patrol. Cancelling my home telephone service added about $300 to my bottom line annually and subtracted the amount of time it took me to answer the phone and immediately hang up without saying “Hello.”
Be Your Biggest Competitor
The closer you are to the finish line, the more motivated you are to do what it takes to cross it.
But when the finish line is far away, it’s hard to see it.
You need a tool for comparing where you are to where you want to be.
I currently use Mint.com to track my net worth. Back when I was climbing my way out of debt, I used a spreadsheet. Use whatever works for you.
Saving money becomes a game.
How much will you save? How long will you take?
It’s like beating your highest score in Angry Birds. Even if you’re only competing against the previous, less amazing version of yourself, you’re winning.
Ha! Suck it past self. I’m better than you.
After a while, you get so used to saving money, the act of spending money becomes painful.
What techniques do you use to make saving money fun?
Shawanda Greene is a free thinking, frugal gal whose only vices are boxed wine, lip balm and money grubbing. You can find more of Shawanda's musings at 
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on to YOU!
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The compete with yourself part is very motivating to me. I like challenging myself and repaying even more than I planned.
I stay home and get some mileage out of my cable. I remind myself that it’s my “treat.”
You might as well enjoy it. Sometimes I’ll dedicate an entire weekend to watching a television series I missed because I don’t have cable. Either way it’s still a treat.
I’ve just started to get to a point in my life when I can dream (and plan for the future) again. It is *so* exciting, and definitely motivates to keep my student loans down as low as possible.
Congratulations! The inability to dream would make me feel like hope slipped away. I’m glad you can dream again.
Fun tips – especially the Dreaming part 🙂 I try to keep busy on the weekends so I don’t feel tempted to hit the malls & spend $$ unnecessarily. I also try to keep the clutter at bay – going through my closet regularly to find new ways to mix & match clothing.
Clothing is one area where I just haven’t figured out how to save a lot of money. Well, except wearing them until they completely fall apart. Maybe it’s because I’m not that creative or because I’m tall and can only shop at a handful of stores.
Oh! You gave me an idea. I can go through my spring clothing and look for inexpensive ways to accessorize what I already have. Yes! This is gonna be fun.
Sorry to be an ass to say this, but …. without FB’s personal touch this is just the same as any of the other hundred personal finance posts around the web.
I’m sad..
FB, is that you?
Ha! I’m kidding. I guess I’m not totally surprised at your disappointment. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I want to be like FB when I grow up. Even if she is younger than me. Fortunately, FB isn’t gone yet. You’ll still get a chance to read her stuff. But here’s the thing, FB can’t put a personal touch on an article she didn’t write. So, beyond telling you to try to keep an open mind to what I’ve got to say and how I say it, I’m fresh out of ideas to console you.
I have currently used meditation and a self mantra as in “I will never use my credit card for purchases” and so far with the exception of some much needed lip balms I have not made another purchase on it. It feels so great plus it helps me to pay down and pay off my credit card.
Funny you should mention lip balm. I, literally, cannot function without the stuff.
Either way, I think it’s awesome you’re actually developing the discipline to limit your credit card use. If you didn’t, you’d either continue to go in debt or you’d have to cancel your credit card. As much as I despise the business practices of many credit card companies, I sure do love my rewards.
I think of saving money as a game too! It is so rewarding to meet your smallest goals (like staying on grocery budget) and feel accomplished. Saving on necessities is also a game to me, because I’m trying to win more (albeit selfishly for me) for a lesser price. Subtract to add. 🙂 Big kid money.
I’m always looking for ways to stretch a buck. Playing the How-Do-I-Get-The-Most-Out-Of-My-Money game never gets old.
I really find saving money fun — I need to find a way to get more aggressive about debt repayment. I hate foregoing wine tastings and cute shoes to put more money on my debt… which is why I never do it lol
When I was getting out of debt, I used to pay as much as I could afford to my creditors as soon as I got my paycheck. Surprisingly, I wanted less during the month. What was the point? The money was gone. It may seem counter intuitive, but there’s something freeing about having fewer choices.
I tend to think a lot about how I could spend the money different. Dreaming is definitely how I save!
Dreaming even helps me adhere to goals that have nothing to do with money. I’m about to up the intensity and frequency of my workouts. I’ve always hated the size of my thighs, and I’m dreaming of a summer night on a rooftop bar overlooking New York City with me wearing the shortest shorts that aren’t obscene and the sluttiest high heels I can find. I can’t wait.