Use the "Intelligent Spending Decision" process = NO TAXES!

I share these tips, ideas and suggestions with you under the theroy of "savings" and you visit my blog under the opportunity of " how can I save money?".

HOWEVER..... and that's a BIG - HOWEVER..........

You are not saving money, you are not making money - you are simply reorganizing the money you have to spend so that you get the most possible from your money - - - ergo "savings", "making money", whatever wording you choose to use - you are "stretching your nickels till the buffalo poops" as the old saying goes. With NO EXTRA TAXES!!!!

With this "new age" wording (like being a "mulit-tasked employee", only means that you can do your job and the job of 2-3 employees, therefore the employer only has to pay ONE salary and gets 3 jobs done... but I move on.....) it can all be misconstrued to be savings or making money - all of which are TAXABLE! But by using the "Intelligent Spending Decision" process. (Or in regular, ordinary words, "Don't be an idiot and throw your hard-earned money down a rat hole!" ). You don't have to pay taxes - as the outcome is not earned (thereby taxable) income!

So let's look at it the "new-age" way - If you were to work extra hours at your job to earn more money you are "making" money, right? Well, with the "Intelligent Spending Decision" process, you aren't "making money" you are just NOT spending so much!

Whatever wording you want to use, "made" money" make money", "saved" money, all you did was NOT PAY FULL PRICE !!! You didn't have buy the item, you got a free sample. You didn't pay regular price, you paid sale price offered by the store themselves. You made your purchases shopping wisely and intelligently and looking for the best deals, lowest prices and best opportunities! You can create extra money by making intelligent decisions, choosing smart options, planning and organizing and not wasting your time or money and not spending more than you actually NEED to.

And this "extra money" is NOT TAXABLE! You shopped wisely and got lower prices. PERIOD!! No business involved, no W-2 - it is just using the Intelligent Spending Decision" process.

On the 1040, you have to report your earnings and income. Any money you saved because you didn't pay full price is NOT income! The store didn't reimburse you the difference! The difference between the sale price and the regular price is NOT income - therefore not taxable! You didn't EARN the difference, you weren't employed, no money changed hands for the difference, you just DIDN'T PAY THE FULL PRICE!!! PERIOD!!!! Now if you actually put the savings between the sale price and the regular price in a savings account, yes at the end of the year you have to pay taxes on the interest you "earned" from that as you DID earn that interest.

But in my case, I didn't do all these things and figure out how to "make money" or even to "save money". I did it as it was the only way I could make ends meet! I either waited and shopped the sales and feed my kids, or I paid full price for what I wanted when I wanted it and the kids didn't get 3 meals a day. My choice was my kids- a no brainer. But if your "earned" income is different, you can use the outcome of these tips and suggestions differently. It's up to you. Just practice the "Intelligent Spending Decision" process

"Save A Little To Save Alot" is the theory, having enough MONEY is the outcome! A win-win situation! Doesn't get any better than that!

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Save Money While Saving Your Vacation Memories

A picture is worth a thousand words, but so is memorabilia - and most of it you can get for FREE. SAVE YOUR MONEY!!!! And the memories are endless!!!

There is so much that you can collect for your scrapbook - you probably don't even realize! And you can even make a scrapbook without taking photos! Don't waste your money on buying junk, just look at what is right in front of you for FREE!!! SAVE MONEY!!! And if you don't scrapbook, here's your chance to learn or just do what you want the way you want to do it! Just so long as you remember your trips.

Gathering memorabilia: Put some plastic zipper bags in your suit case and purse to store memorabilia. Mark each bag with the date and the place. Store ticket stubs, shells, leaves, menus, receipts, business cards or other items you can pick up and put in the bags that will remind you of your day. Doesn't cost you a dime to collect this kind of stuff and oh, the memories!!! FOR FREE!!! SAVE YOUR MONEY!!!!


Journaling: You like to think that you will never forget this wonderful trip, and alot of it you won't, but you will forget some, even alot, of it and especially the little things that made up the major memories! Each night, journal (using the hotels free stationery they usually have in drawer!) about the day - things you did, places you went, what you bought, ate or participated in. Your feelings, and little events that happened. These are the things that you will forget in time. When done, just slide the sheet in a page protector! Or take a spiral notebook and journal in it. Journal while you are doing a transportation jaunt - like if you have to take a bus or train and dont' have any thing to do, or can't do anything else- journal about your day. Trust me, you won't remember it all - a year down the road and those little things that made the trip special, will be forgotten.

Take along page protectors. These are great for brochures, phamplets, maps and other larger paper items. Just put them in the bottom of your suitcase when you are not using them.

Don't forget postcards - for another reason! Often pictures that you take are fine if they are of people, but always check out post cards for the main attractions of the place you are at. For instance, if you go to Philidelphia to see the Liberty Bell, yes, you can take photos, but pick up a post card of this American Icon - the picture will be so much better than what you will take. Get postcards of the scenery - they will usually be better than ones you take (minus the people). Then just journal on the back of the card!

Mail your memories home! If you are going to be gone for several weeks, get some 9x12 manilla envelopes and address them to yourself. Fill them with memorabilia and then find the post office where ever you are and send the filled envelope home! that way you don't have to carry it around, hope it don't get lost or messed up. And you dont have to pay for the weight at the airport!!!

Make money, save money and do it on vacation! The more you save, the more you will have to spend!!!!!

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Don't Let "FAST FOODS" Go By YOU TO FAST!!!

Yeah, those wonderful places! I don't go often as the items I like are not that healthy, but I do treat myself once in a while. HOWEVER..... I might treat myself, but I DON'T WASTE MONEY while I am treating myself! And you don't have to, either.

JUST CHECK THE PRICES!!! Most of the fast foods have a "dollar menu", "value menu" - certain items that they only charge $1.00 for. I am not to picky about my fat and grease, so usually what they have there is what I like anyway. BUT... think about it this way...... If you like the large burger - before you order it, look at the value meal menu. There is usually a similar burger, often the same kind, on this menu and it is cheaper.

Example:
the regular burger and a jr. burger. The regular burger is $2.99 (or higher!) but the Jr. burger is only $1.00. You can buy 2 jr. burgers for $2.00 - which is less than the $2.99 for the regular burger! And most of the time, the 2 jr. burgers will weigh MORE than the 1 regular burger - so you are getting MORE FOR LESS!!! And look at them... do you really see that much differnce in size? Yeah, the regular burger is a bit bigger, but put 2 jr. burgers up against it and you have more food at 1/3 the price!

So bigger is not always better - many times, 2 smaller is better than bigger!!! JUST LOOK AT THE PRICES BEFORE YOU ORDER!!!!

"Save A Little to Save Alot" offers you these tips - you take a look and figure out which ones work for you. If I mention them, almost 99% of the time I have "been there, done that" so I know it works!

To make money, save money or just stretch what you have - continue reading for more tips, ideas and ways to do all 3!

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To make money, save money or just stretch what you have-continue reading articles for more tips, ideas and ways to do all 3!

For Those "Hard to Buy For" Folks.......

We all have "hard to buy for" friends or family. We all have those times when "I don't have a clue what to get them". What's the solution? GIFT CARDS!

Now, I have never liked giving gift cards (or in my day they were call "Gift Certificates" and they were similar to a check format). I always thought a Gift Card was the most non-personal form of gift and that a gift card only yelled out, "I didn't want to bother shopping for you", "I don't want to be bothered to find out what you wanted" and "I didn't want to take time to think of you" kind of so called gift. Throw in that back in "the old days" only a few stores gave out the gift certs so what someone could get was so limited.

HOWEVER......In this new world we are living in, with everyone doing so much at so many differnet times in such different ways, quite frankly I think they are pretty good now. Probably most any store that is in business has the gift card available to you. For goodness sake, you can even get a gift card to shop on Ebay!!!!! And gift cards are great for any holiday you need a gift. Would your graduating high school senior rather have a gift card to their favorite hangout or something "practical"?
But in my "old habits die hard" thinking, I wont' get one at a "regular shopped" store. The local discount stores, the ones everyone goes to, the ones that my person shops at regularly - I won't buy a card from there. Why? Cause I know that they will end up spending it on household items, groceries, and just stuff that is on their regular shopping list. The point of a gift is that it is FOR THE PERSON, not just an item in general for whatever!

Instead, I will get them a card from a speciality store or "out of the usual" place that they like to go. Starbucks, Bath and Body Works, Boot Barn, Michael's Craft store. These are the stores my kids like but usually don't spend much time or money at - only when they absolutely need something. So I get them a gift card to one of these places and then they get the fun of shopping and spoiling themselves! Plus they think of ME everytime they use the card and remember ME when they are using or wearing the item! "Mom helped me get this" or "Mom bought this for me". Instead of just remembering me on the one day they opened the gift, I get to be remembered repeatedly! Plus Iknow that they will be smiling as they drive away with their choice of gift item. Better than buying them something you think they might like and then they either exchange it for soemthing else or it sits in the garage and collects dust until the next time they have a yard sale!

For instance, I got my daughter a gift card to Starbucks for Christmas. I was really just short on time to go shopping, so gift cards is where my mind went. But I figured, I know she likes the coffees there, she gets them often but because they are so expensive, she probably doesn't get them as often as she would like. This gift card she can spoil herself and get them more often, at least until the card amount is met! And everytime she hands over the gift card, she will remember Mom and a smile will grace her beautiful face and I will feel a little pitter in my heart that I made my child's day! Don't get any better than that!

So while you "Save A Little To Save Alot" you also get to make memories!!!

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Watch the Holidays for Money Saving Sales

And it doesn't have to be just home improvements needs! Household items, work tools, storage, misc hardware for hanging pictures, AA batteries, small appliances, washer faucets, flashlights, etc ....

Many of the "little guys" in home improvement/hardware/gardening stores have to compete with the "big guys" so they will have sales that the "big guys" won't. Granted they might not carry the humongous selection that the "big guys" have, but think about it - do you really need that hugmongous selection? Are you going in there for that? Or do you just have a couple items you need?

The "little guys" are also better if you just need a simple thing, just a couple items or you're just fixing or restoring an item, need to replace a work tool, need some shelves, need some gardening items, etc. You're not rebuilding your home, not adding on or making major changes! You just need a couple things. Remember, at those big ones, you have to wade through isle after isle after isle to find the one thing you are looking for - this takes time. Then you stand in a long line - this takes time. Time is money. Don't waste it.

That's why the "little guy" can be better for you both in saving money and time. There is a local "little guy" building supply/hardware/gardening store here in town. Almost evey holiday (and always for the summer holidays) they have a promotion where they will pay the state sales tax for your entire purchase! That means the price of the item is all you pay! NO STATE SALES TAX! That is a big savings right there! California is 7.75% or higher! Bacially speaking $8 for every $100 you spend. And since you HAVE to have the item, might as well save some money of it if the opportunity it there! I have read the ads, and see that the prices don't vary all that much in this area, as there are so many places to go - shop and compare, but just remember, save when you can. If you have to buy the item(s) why not save some money if you can?

Another promotion offered is 10% off your purchase (before state sales tax)

And these kinds of stores also have home appliances too - small appliances - coffee makers, waffle irons, work clothes, indoor plant items, household hardware like nails, tacks, picture hangers - things you use daily around the house. So don't think they are just "home improvement" centers.

Alot of times you can just start a "To Get for Home" list of household/outdoor items you need, and since they have these sales off and one all year, make a list and when the sale hits, go do your shopping from your list! Granted some things can't wait, but organize it, think about it. If it can wait, or if you don't need it at the moment, but know you will eventually need it, put it on the list! You know your coffee pot is on its last legs, put it on the list and save 10%!

Plus the check out lines are not as long in the "littel guy" stores and quite frankly, I have been to the "big guys" for things, and the employees are so much nicer at the "little guys: and even the shoppers are not as, how do I say it nicely, "high strung"? I was at one of the "big guys" once looking for a very unusual little hardware item, (which they didn't carry and I eventually found it at the "little guy"s place!) and I had to stand a wait behind a guy while he talked on his cell phone instead of putting his stuff on the check out table! The employee was talking to another employee so neither bothered to see (or care?) that the people in line were standing there waiting while they chit-chatted!

So give it some thought, make a list (check it twice, if you need to!) and save a little to save alot - add the NO STATE SALES TAX or 10% OFF to your yearly savings total! Have you noticed how high it is getting just by doing the little things mentioned in this blog? Looks like a very nice "no credit card"
christmas to me!

So remember, "Save A Little To Save Alot" - it isn't hard, you just have to want to do it!

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