I was recently reflecting on why doing little things, like hanging my clothes on the line instead of putting them in the dryer, is so important to me. I always laugh with my friends and just say it’s because I’m so cheap. But being cheap has helped me get where I am today.
I purchased my first house when I was 25. Before that, I bought a trailer when I was 22. I will have paid off my entire student loan balance before I am 27. I’ve been to Canada, Puerto Rico, and Nicaragua on multiple occasions, as well as having traveled the United States a good amount when I was younger. This isn’t because my family has a huge fortune and I am particularly financially privileged. It is because I have nickel and dimed my way through my entire life. The reality is, little savings added up to a lot.
In middle school, I used to stay inside during recess and clean the cafeteria tables. In exchange, the school gave me free lunch. That was a meal every day that I didn’t have to pay for. In 8th grade, my class was going on a field trip to Washington D.C. and I couldn’t afford to go. So I worked out with my school that I would stay after every day (I don’t recall for how long) and help the janitors to pay my way for the trip.
When I wanted to go to an incredibly expensive college, I had some savings stashed away from working as a kid (babysitting as well as working in an after school program in high school). My scholarships, grants, and loans didn’t cover the full cost of my tuition, but I had money to fall back on and was able to afford the first few years of college.
In my second year of college, I wanted to go to Nicaragua for the first time but couldn’t afford it. So I went back to Michigan for a holiday (I would guess Christmas) and went around the neighborhood asking everyone for their cans. In Michigan, there is a .10¢ deposit on cans. By collecting cans for a few weeks from everyone who was willing to donate, I was able to raise $1,000 to go to Nicaragua.
All four years of college I took my laundry on the bus (I had a free bus pass) to a friend’s house. I would hang out at her house while her children slept and do my laundry and study while she got to go out for the evening. This was so that I didn’t have to pay the $3.00 to wash my laundry in the dorms. I would have been studying anyway, and that way I also got to clean my clothes.
My point is, by doing little, money saving things like hanging laundry instead of drying it or taking the bus (again, bus pass) to work instead of driving every day, there are a lot of savings to be had. It may only be a few dollars here and there, but putting them all together adds up to a lot.
