Do you remember the children’s book, “The Little Engine That Could?” Have you ever known someone who had a special ability and you thought, “I wish I could do that, but I can’t because…” How about when it comes to living frugally and staying out of debt? Do you think it’s impossible? The Bible says that we can do all things through Christ!
I think there is a multitude of ways we can cut costs. Sure, there is a limit to what we can do – we can’t do everything, but why not step out of the box a little bit and try something you never thought you could do. We’ve already talked about the importance of giving thanks and serving others as keys to successful stewardship, but I believe a third key involves a “can do” attitude.
What do you think you can’t do? Perhaps you feel you can’t cook, can’t budget because your resources are so limited, can’t be “crafty”, can’t thrift store shop, etc. A “can do” attitude is a willingness to try new things that you are not familiar with or that you have never tried before. If you want to keep your two cents, you’re going to have to be a little creative and “step out of the box,” so to speak.
How can you use what you have in different ways? Perhaps you have a surplus of cereal – you could make muffins with it. What if you have a ton of extra shampoo on your shelves that no one is using or that you don’t like to use on your hair? You could use it in your hand soap dispensers. What if you need to decorate your home, but don’t have the money? Yard sales and Goodwill are a great place to find inexpensive home décor items, but you’ll have to weed through some junk in the process! But you cando it! This is only the beginning! You can use leftover infant cereal in your muffins and pancakes, you can make your own detergents, sew your own children’s matching bed blankets at a fraction of the cost of new ones, or bake your own snack foods instead of buying store bought ones. Of course, you may not be able to do all of these things…I can’t either. But why not try one new thing that you haven’t tried before to make the most of your two cents!
Here’s to 2019 and looking for new ways to create and re-purpose what you have to stretch your dollars!