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August 17, 2016 By Hannah @ Eat, Drink and Save Money

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. 6 Comments

The easiest way to save money and be happy

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save money and be happy

Sometimes I feel awkward giving advice on my blog. I completely understand that what works for me may not work for everyone. I usually feel best saying you do you and I’ll do me.

However, I get really frustrated when I talk to people and they seriously can’t figure out why they are spending so much money and they still aren’t happy. That’s why I figured it’s time for me to dole out the advice and blog about my number one money saving secret that has made me a happier person.

Are you ready for this mind-blowing secret?

You better be!

The easiest way to save money and be happy is to spend (way) less than you make. That’s it. So simple. Mind blowing, right?

If you spend less than you make, then you have extra money for savings. I understand that a savings account doesn’t make everyone happy, but I promise that the security that comes with savings will inevitably bring happiness to your life.

[bctt tweet=”The easiest way to save money and be happy is to spend less. ” username=”eatdrinkandsave”]

People are constantly asking me how Tom and I save money. The answer is simple. We don’t buy a lot of stuff.

My friends comment on our neat and orderly house all the time. Our house isn’t neat and orderly because we worked hard to make it that way. It’s orderly because we don’t own much. We’d rather spend money on other things, like food, travel, and savings.

Living room

If you’ve been to my house, you know what I mean. We don’t even have anything on the walls in our living room. And we’ve lived here for almost a year.

I understand that it’s tempting to buy stuff to fill up a home. It’s tempting to buy stuff in general.

Here’s a secret: once you get out of the habit of buying things you don’t need, you don’t even miss it.

I promise you that you can train your brain to want less. You really can! A few years ago I went through a phase where I said, “I want” a lot. Tom pointed it out to me. I was constantly saying, “I want a new purse” or “I want to buy some new clothes” or “I want new dishes”. I was always finding something that I wanted.

Then Tom and I made the decision to work hard to pay off his law school debt. My wants quickly changed from things to financial freedom. Financial freedom doesn’t mean having the freedom to buy what you want, it means you have the freedom to spend on things other than bills.

As we saw our debt go down, we found that we were happy in a new way. It brought us a happiness that material possessions can’t buy. Lowering our debt to income ratio also allowed us to buy a nicer home than we would have been able to afford otherwise. Which also made us happier.

Through it all I’ve learned that I really don’t give a shit about material possessions. Now that we don’t own much, I’ve realized that I don’t need much.

[bctt tweet=”I’ve learned that I don’t really give a shit about material possessions. #minimalism #livesimply” username=”eatdrinkandsave”]

I know we all have it in us to spend less, it’s figuring out how to do it that is hard. That’s why I’ve put together a workbook called 8 Steps to Think Like a Saver. I’d love for you to check it out and let me know what you think.

Sign up for my newsletter list and you’ll get a copy delivered right to your inbox. Sign up here: Eat, Drink, and Save Money Newsletter

I’m going to jump on this newsletter bandwagon and send out helpful tips to save money once a month. I promise not to clog your inbox with useless emails. I do hope that if we aren’t already friends that we can become friends and that together we can find ways to live a fulfilled life while saving money.

How do you feel about financial freedom? I’d love to hear your thoughts on savings and spending!

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Filed Under: lifestyle, Save money Tagged With: save money

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Comments

  1. Shelly says

    August 17, 2016 at 9:07 am

    Yes! I’ve written about this before. People always ask how my husband is able to support our large family, and my first answer is that if we can’t afford something, we simply don’t buy it. In this age of credit cards, it seems that people have forgotten this very important concept!

    Reply
    • Hannah @ Eat, Drink and Save Money says

      August 18, 2016 at 10:53 pm

      Yes! It’s crazy how often people buy things they can’t afford.

      Reply
  2. Julie @ Filling the Jars says

    August 21, 2016 at 5:59 pm

    Great post! As a former “wanter,” I can totally relate!

    Reply
    • Hannah @ Eat, Drink and Save Money says

      August 21, 2016 at 9:16 pm

      It’s so easy to fall into the routine of wanting things.

      Reply
  3. Italian Belly says

    August 22, 2016 at 5:52 am

    Found you on Family Joy link up. Glad to have found your post. I need to be reminded of wanting vs. needing sometimes. Like you, I would much rather spend on food and travel than on dust collectors.

    Reply
    • Hannah @ Eat, Drink and Save Money says

      August 22, 2016 at 6:51 am

      Oh yes, dust collectors drive me insane!

      Reply

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Meet Hannah

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While I love saving money, I also have expensive taste and a passion for the environment. I firmly believe that you can live frugally while enjoying the finer things in life such as travel and high end products. I like fine foods and quality ingredients, I also enjoy spending money on fancy local coffee and kombucha. It’s all about the experience! Join me as I balance a budget and preserve our Earth, while enjoying the finer things in life.

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