Have hours to kill before your flight? See if there is an earlier option, and get on the standby list. If the flight is near full, you could end up with an upgrade if it’s the only available seat. You get there earlier with perks? Win-win.
finance
#80 – mend clothing
If the hem comes undone on your pants, or you have a split seam, instead of getting rid of your clothes (or wearing them with the flaw), simply hand stitch the seam. Anyone can learn how with patience! More complicated repair needed? You can often find seamstresses who can help alter or repair clothing for a small fee online or in your neighborhood.
#76 – tip less
You don’t have to tip everyone so much. Those tip jars have gotten a bit out of control.
#72 – track your expenses
Keep track of every penny in & out of your life for some period of time. (Even the change you find on the street). That log will be very revealing about how you spend or unconciously prioritize spending in your life.
#64 – clean less
You shouldn’t live in filth, but a lot of people spend a lot of time “cleaning” their home that isn’t particularly messy to begin with. Cleaning less will save you money on cleaning supplies. Cleaning less will save you time. Cleaning less can even help your immune system! That’s right. It can be HEALTHY.
#51 – save your tax refund
If you are getting a tax refund from filing your income taxes, instead of spending it right away, invest it! If you put it in a low fee index fund, your money could double (or more!) in 10 years. Not retiring for 30 years? It could grow to be 7-8X the original value by the time you retire. As those ads say: feed the pig!
#47 – pay off your debt
Your debt is an emergency. Pay off your debt as quickly as you can. Don’t go back into debt once it is paid off. It will reduce your stress and increase your happiness!
#40 – invest in index funds
Invest in index funds with the lowest fees you can find. Seriously. The biggest thing that will eat up your investment or retirement income is fees. Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTSAX) has fees that are only around 0.05% per year (very good!). Most mutual funds have fees in the 1-2% range (very bad!). Trust me. Your future self with thank you.
#28 – sell your stuff
Sell your extra, unused, (but in decent condition) stuff on Ebay, Amazon, Craiglist, or wherever else you can. Put a time limit on the sale. If it doesn’t sell within a certain amount of time, donate it to charity or post it on freecycle.org. You can make a little extra money, clear out your space, and give someone else a good deal. Win-win-win!
#18 – save your money
Open a brokerage account. When you get paid, pay your bills, leave a small amount in checking for daily expenses/emergencies, and move the rest directly into the brokerage account. Don’t take it out of your brokerage account until you are ready to retire. It will add up slowly at first. Eventually it will add up quickly. You will be surprised one day when you look to see how much is in there.
be a nicer you 