Yesterday I talked a bit about our ministry, and today I want to talk a bit about our business and things that are going on there.  We work really hard to find good quality merchandise at super low prices. If you have never been to our store and looked around, you need to pop over and do so.  We have a variety of useful items in the strangest combination of categories, from tools to teapots… greeting cards to dog leashes.  We have also finished and are about to send out our first newsletter.  I’d like you to have an opportunity to sign up for our newsletter.  We hope to offer useful information every month along with discounts and free items with purchase.  We are going to send one a month, so you won’t be bombarded with emails, and we never sell your name or email to other companies.  So, if you are looking for a small store with low prices and would like to be notified of specials come check us out:  http://bobbibopstuff.com/  Register as a new customer, and check the newsletter box.

My husband and I started an online retail business several years ago.  It started with us just selling a few things on eBay and craigslist.  We were just getting rid of some collections, old clothes, and other household items we no longer wanted or needed.  We decided if we could just get our online sales up to a certain amount each month, we could both retire early, and not have to dip into our retirement accounts.  So, we started investing the profits from our online “garage sale” into actual new merchandise to sell.  We are now operating a rather successful business and have been able to retire from our jobs. 

This has given us more time to work on our ministry.  If you have been reading this blog for long, you  know that we offer counseling to people that have financial and debt problems, and teach our clients how to pay off their debts and live debt free.  There have been lots of tips and information  in my past blog entries, and I will continue to offer general information in upcoming posts, but if you need more help now, be sure to go to our web site and read the information there  You can find us here:    http://www.newvisionsministries.com  We don’t charge for our help, but count on donations and income from our business to support our ministry.      

I’m getting ready for a small family get-together, and today will be spent pre-cooking many of the meals. 

I talk so often about saving a few pennies here, a few dollars there, and I know that a lot of you pretty much dismiss it.  You don’t need a few pennies or a few dollars… You need a bunch of money.  Guess what?  You aren’t likely to win the lottery, some unknown rich aunt isn’t likely to die and leave you her fortune,  and money doesn’t just fall out of the sky.  The only way you are going to get a bunch of money is by saving it.  And the only way you will be able to save it is to stop spending it.  I’ve said many times that almost everyone, regardless of debt to income ratio could be debt free in 2 to 5 years and have a very healthy savings and investment account in another 2 to 5 years.  It all starts with determination and saving pennies and dollars. 

Every day, write down what you spend.  Include EVERYTHING.  Even the change you put in the vending machine at work.  If you spend it…. Write it down.  Then, in the evening… go on line to this nifty little calculator and type in what you bought and how much it cost you.  Write down the numbers and prepare to be surprised.  You’ll see your bunch of money.    http://sheltertools.com/wd/calculators/cruncher.html

There are hundreds of ways you can save money on Utilities and services.  First of all, I talked about negotiating lower prices in an earlier post.  If you haven’t done that yet, spend a little time and give it a try.  You can also go on line to your public utilities web sites and they will offer lots of tips on how to save energy (think money).  We often think that little things like turning down a thermostat, unplugging appliances, and turning off lights can’t possibly make much difference.  All the little things add up to save big money.  Build some energy saving habits for your family and you’ll be very pleased with the results.

Also, think about the other services your family uses.  If you get haircuts, manicures, and other personal services on a regular schedule, just add a week or two weeks between services.  Over the course of a year, you will save a minimum of one service… maybe several.  For example:  If you have your nails done every 10 days, have them done every 15 to 16 days.  You’ll save about $100 minimum.  If you have your hair cut every 6 weeks, just change your schedules to every 7 weeks.  Depending on the prices you are paying, you’ll save about $50 or more a year.  Lawn care, housekeeping, car washes… Any of these services can be postponed a bit so you can save. Of course, all of these services could be on a do it yourself basis, and you would save a whole lot more.