Sunday Morning Money Saving Ritual

I just wrapped up one of my favorite time and money saving habits. Every Sunday morning I savor a fresh cup of coffee while perusing the weekly sales ads. As I go through the ads, I compare what’s on sale to what I have listed in my Spending Book.A Spending Book is a small notebook I keep with me at all times. In it, I list the items I want to purchase that are outside of our normal household spending like groceries. Some of the items I have listed in my spending book right now are a mirror for my bathroom wall, OPI Clear Fingernail Polish and a new watch.I also use my Spending Book to list the books I want to read, the movies I want to see and the restaurants I want to visit.The idea of the Spending Book is to use it as a tool to focus your discretionary income on what you truly want. By adding an item to the book, you are creating an intention. You have decided that item is important enough to spend your money on.By using my Spending Book and timing my purchases to coincide with store’s sales, I systematically save 20% - 50% on just about every purchase I make – and I have fun in the process!In addition to saving both time and money, the ultimate benefit of this particular habit is that it helps me to live a more purposeful life – picking and choosing what I purchase or how I spend my time rather than mindlessly consuming. It’s Savvy Living at its best!