Challenge: Live Simply for 5o Days. Commit to living simply and giving generously to provide clean drinking water for villages in Uganda. What can you change in your life that will empower you to change the life of another?
How about giving up two lattes a week for a savings of $24 per month?
Consider canceling cable TV for two months.
Reduce the amount of stuff you have by examining each item you own and asking yourself if you really need it. Donate unnecessary items.
Send your name and address to a mail preference service to get off of postal mailing lists (see end of article). Sign up with “Do Not Call” registries to be removed from telemarketers’ databases.
At $6.00 each work day, you are spending $210 for lunch over 50 days.
Spend at least one hour each week in a natural setting.
Commit to working no more than 40 hours a week and spend the extra time with your family and friends.
Avoid the Mall for two months
Commit to only purchasing the basics.
Cut back on one extracurricular activity per person in your family.
Don’t rent movies or purchase books. Use the library instead.
Take the Bus/Carpool/Bike once a week.
Giving up two pizza deliveries a month equals a savings of $40 or more!
Limit access to email and the Internet to 20 minutes per day (outside of work). Spend the extra time with family and friends.
Shop the outer aisles. Produce, dairy, meats tend to be placed on the outer aisles with all the junk food and processed products in the center aisles. Avoid as many of those inner aisles as possible and you’ll see both your waistline and expenditures drop.
Buy in Bulk. Single packs often cost nearly as much as multi or family packs.
Recreation instead of entertainment. Movies, shows, concerts and theme parks are expensive and only last a few hours or one day. Hiking, camping, skiing, beachcombing or low cost hobbies offer a no cost or low alternative to high cost entertainment.
Consider a cosmetology school for haircuts and coloring. Services are provided by students nearing the end of their training and are often 50-75% less than those provided by salons.
Disconnect your land line if everyone in your family has a cell phone.
Wear your clothes one more time before washing to cut down on laundry.
Limit access to video games, email, and Internet to 20 minutes per day (outside of work). Spend extra time with family, friends, or volunteering.
Shut off water while washing your hair or washing the dishes.
Eliminate bottled water; reuse cups and containers.
