Tips For Tightwaddery

Duh. It's the first and most important rule of Tightwaddery. If you budget, you can plan and strategize where your money is going this month and with a plan in place: ANYTHING BECOMES POSSIBLE. From paying off student loans and credit card debt to really really really going to Paris this fall. Sadly it can also be kind of boring. But their are a myriad of websites ( Mint, BudgetSimple, You Need a Budget) and apps (iwallet, Moneywise) that can make it easy and (dare I say?) Fun. Here's another microtip: pretend it's a game. Like Monopoly or Risk, you've got a certain amount of assets and have to decide where to move them in order to achieve your goals in the game (the game of your LIFE). <-- See what I did there?

Sewing, cheese making, beer brewing, coffee roasting, car repair, bread baking. Find a hobby that you enjoy and that can actually save you a bit of dough too. We live in the Golden Age of DIY and the internet is cheapest professor you'll ever meet. Add to your mad skillz and also become the useful sort of friend everyone loves.

Public Libraries are a Tightwad's BFF. Books, magazines, movies, tv shows, music, workshops, job fairs, children's programs: all this and more for FREE. And libraries are everywhere! There is likely 2 to 3 within 5 square miles of your home if you live in an urban or suburban area. And they smell so wonderful!

Eclubs, brand samples, coupon websites, it's not that hard to get your hands on some sweet swag. If you love shopping (like me), getting some freebies is a great way to satiate your need for stuff so that you can reel in your spending. Also, do your research and find if any rewards programs exist for restaurants, brands or stores you frequent. Sign up and start saving.

Check out the app store on your phone or other smart device. There are numerous apps that will give you money back for a bit of your time and attention. Shopkick, Ibotta, SurveyMonkey, etc. Walk away from Candy Crush and spend that time earning a little extra cash or a gift card.

This is the toughest but most immediately rewarding element of being a tightwad. I'm not saying stand in line at the soup kitchen (but hey, if you volunteer there once a week you could probably also get free dinner) or go dumpster diving (unless there's something really great right at the top) but keep your eyes open for all the perfectly good stuff that goes to waste in our first world country. Driveway furniture that your neighbors are giving away, the basket of oranges your co-worker brought in, your sister-in-law's bag of used clothes that she was going to take to Goodwill: all of these things are worth a moment of your time and consideration. Do you have a use for this? Don't accrue junk - but do take a moment to examine the item and see if it's worth the taking. Personally, the word "FREE" taped to anything will get notice from me. And yes, it might be embarrassing asking to take home the leftovers from the office lunch party - but it could really save you a little money this week. And little savings add up into big rewards!