You don’t have to be a genius to cut costs.  You just need to do a little planning and some bargain hunting and you will realize the benefits far into the New Year while your friends are sweating over their holiday spending for months to come.

Here are some tips to make your holidays frugalicious!
·         When shopping for gifts take advantage of discount days, percentages off, and coupons.  A discount day can be anything from Black Friday to markdown days in stores.  Ask a store manager for details.
·         Shop at places that allow you to negotiate.  There’s nothing better than getting a di$count or bargain!  Shop places like The Di$count Diva Thriftique where you can find deals on items by shopping online or in person.  Remember when shopping online, “It is important to check the seller’s feedback, refund policy, and be sure to get a clear description of the item.
·         Shop all during the year.  Sometimes you may luck up on an accessary store going out of business, a closeout sale, or items being significantly discounted.  Stock up.  These items can always be given out later during the holidays as gifts.
·         Buy holiday decorations the day after the holiday.  Many people put a lot into decorating during the holiday season and this can get very expensive.  If you know you have a big New Year’s party each year, go buy items for next year’s party on January 2^nd.  They will be hugely discounted, even up to 90% off.
·         Clip coupons.  I know this is something most people don’t want to do; however, using coupons on some of your holiday food items may tremendously cut costs.
·         Try cost sharing/food sharing.  Instead of all the costs falling on you to prepare a holiday meal, ask each person coming over to chip in by either bringing a dish, drink, or dessert.  By doing this you can save not only money, but time and effort.
·         Purchase tickets for holiday travel on a Wednesday.  If not, Tuesday and Saturday are also cheap travel days according to Rick Seaney.  You may even want to fly out on the exact day of the holiday.  This can be cheaper depending on the demand.
·         Pack light.  Most airlines charge a $25 per piece surcharge, so checking 1 bag can cost you $50 roundtrip.  You may also want to look at using airlines that don’t charge for baggage.
·         Carpool.  There used to be a time that driving was much less expensive than flying, but with the new rises in gas prices, this option might not be much of a savings.  If you and a friend live in the same town, ride home together and split the gas.

See the cool thing about going to a job and working for someone else is you typically have set hours and set expectations, duties, and responsibilities.  If you work 9-6 at 6:05 PM, some of  you are at your car  Lol!  Not so, with Entrepreneurship.  If there is project that needs to be completed, a client serviced, or something needs to be fulfilled, you have to do it and it usually doesn’t go according to a schedule.  I often am corresponding with clients 7 AM in the morning through 11 PM at night! This is not a complaint.  I love what I do, but you need to consider that before jumping out there to “Be Your Own Boss.”  You will work harder than ever, especially in the early years.  Don’t be fooled.  This ain’t no fairytale, so know what you are getting into.

I’m sharing this because my husband’s phone went off at 2 AM this morning.  It interrupted both of our sleep, but it was a colleague, so we jumped up to the call of duty.  Am I saying you will never sleep again, no, not exactly, but I am saying be ready to make some sacrifices to build your dream.   Sacrifices of sleep, time, doing fun things you may want to do, finances, vacations, hanging with friends, and you may even miss a few family functions.  It is, what it is and it’s time we as Entrepreneurs are real with those desiring to be so.  I love you, but know to be a SUCCESSFUL Entrepreneur you will work harder than you ever have.  There’s no getting around it, but if you are willing to do that for a season the rewards in the end will be more than well worth it!

1.  Just do it.  If you have something you need to do, just do it.  Don’t waste time thinking of all the reasons why you can’t, shouldn’t, or couldn’t do it, just act.  Often times, action will totally rule out and swallow up tendencies of procrastination.  If you know there is something you need to do, do it right now.  Go ahead.  I’ll wait……..

2.  Focus on the benefits of completing the task.  For instance, if you are charged to complete an assignment at work and you are disinterested in it, focus on the fact once you get it done, you can move on to other, more exciting tasks.  If you have a part of your business you really hate, focus on the fact that completing the task will allow you to serve your customers better, get more organized, generate increased revenues, whatever you need to tell yourself to get it done!

3.  Failures are stepping stones to success.  I say this because if your procrastination is rooted in a fear of failure know that ALL amazingly successful people fail at one point or another, so GET OVER IT!  Fail fast so you can move on to success.  Know that every failure gets you one step closer to knowing how NOT to do something.  Even if it doesn’t work out how you want it to, it’s still a success because you will learn something in the process.

4.  Laziness tends to poverty, Proverbs 10:4.  If that’s not enough to motivate you, I don’t know what is!  Laziness is in direct opposition to success although many of us don’t think about that when we procrastinate just because we don’t feel like doing something.  Laziness will cause problems not just in your home life, but your business, friendships, etc. and it will make you broke.  We can wish, hope, pray, and have faith, but if we don’t do some work, we won’t see the benefits in our bank accounts!

I hope these little tidbits are enough to motivate you to get the “Molasses out your A-ses” as quoted in The Color Purple.  Lol!  It is for me!  I’m about to grind it out today! I hope you do too!

1.  Research free activities that are going on in your area.  Many cities offer fairs and festivals that are free during the spring time.  You can cut costs by packing a lunch or bringing along bottled water or snacks.

2.  Find free/low costs camps for your children to attend during Spring Break.  You can find some quality camps that can keep your children busy while keeping them out of your refrigerator.  The combination of saving may make the costs of the camp well worthwhile!

3.  Talk to friends about carpooling to events, watching one another’s children, and engaging in other strategies to keep costs low.  Maybe you can watch your neighbors friends one day and they watch yours the next.  This can totally take $$$ out of childcare.

4.  Visit local parks.  Parks are one of the best ways to enjoy the Spring and get involved with nature for free.  Some may require a small fee and in many counties you can get an unlimited pass for all of the parks in the region for as little as $40/year.

5.  Take advantage of free outdoor movies, matinees, or visiting the theatre on certain days for savings.  Some theatres offer discounted rates for visiting the theatre during the first show of the day or on a particular day of the week. Check with local theatres for details.

6.  Shop flea markets and farmers markets.  This can be a great way to save money on groceries and other items you need.  Farmer’s markets often allow you to get natural products without the “organic” price.

7.  Shop The Discount Diva Thriftique and other thrift, consignment, and discount stores when updating your spring wardrobe.  Find stores that will allow you to sell clothing you are no longer wearing to them or trade for new or new-to-you items.

Employ these 7 items and you are sure to save money this spring!

What do I mean by that?  I mean, doing anything of great measure takes time, sacrifice, hard work, etc.  Whether that is building a business, starting a partnership, i.e. marriage, or propelling your career forward.  For example, if you have a goal of gaining a management position at a company you work for, that may require some sacrifice.  You may need to come in early, stay late, volunteer for projects, etc.  You may even want to get involved in community service projects on the job.  Doing these extra things may mean you can’t go on a few brunch dates with your girls.  You may even have to miss a few get togethers because you are working on weekends, but you are willing to do this because you are in a season of “Grind.”

You may be starting a business that requires endless hours of work, countless dollars put into the business, and diligent research.  This may mean you can’t get involved in other activities you may want to do because your time is limited.  You may not be able to go on the vacation with your friends or even your honey because you’re putting every spare dollar into your business.  You may have to make some hard choices/sacrifices like not going home to visit your mom because you are so busy working.  You may not be able to go to the park or movies or other fun things you’re used to doing on a consistent basis because you are too busy researching, reading books, attending workshops, or stalking the competition (lol).  This things are often required in the season of “Grind!”

This blog is not meant to check you, but to check me!  I say this because it’s spring time and about to be warm and often times we (I) get spring fever and want to hang out and play, but we can’t forget we still have goals to achieve, businesses to build, decisions to make.  If we want something different, we gotta do something different.  I say this because I’m used to doing what I want and expecting it all to work out, and usually it does, but the question remains, how much more could it “work out” if we chose to sacrifice something for the greater good of something else.

I challenge you to understand your season, and if you are in a season of “Grind” like I am to trade in “fun and frilly” for “focus and foundation.”  Let’s try it for 6 months and be willing to do today what others won’t do in order to have tomorrow what others won’t have!  Who is with me?!!

We all have expenses that are perpetual like utilities, cell phone bills, car insurance, even medical insurance.  Oftentimes, we just get comfortable and we will loyally stick with our current vendors just because we haven’t taken the time to see if there’s something better out there.  I learned this lesson last week.

I met with a health insurance expert who helped me reapply for insurance through The Health Insurance Marketplace and not only did I say over $185/month, I got a better plan, with lower to no deductibles, free office visits, and $0 on generic prescriptions.  I had been paying out of pocket for dental cleanings, but with that savings, I even added dental insurance!

After seeing how much I saved on health insurance, I called my cell phone company, car insurance, and cable company.  At the end of the day, I saved over $400 a month because I asked.  I actually cancelled my car insurance and went with another company and when I called to cancel with my current carrier, they won me back with an even less expensive package than the new one with more benefits.  I am checking with my natural gas company today.

I say all this to say, sometimes you have not because you ask not!  I wonder how much money I could have been saving over the past 6 months.  That could have stacked my savings!  I can’t change the past, but I am looking forward to the savings going forward!  I encourage you to contact your local carriers and see how you can benefit from the deals and discounts they have to offer.  The key is to tell them you are shopping around and are considering leaving.  Don’t be afraid to tell them a price you want that seems insulting.  Remember, you have not because you ask not.  I told the car insurance guy they offered me a price $70 a month lower, but it was really $80 and he met me right there!  I worked him down another $8/month, meaning, I could have gotten the $80 less from the beginning.

I hope you take the time today to figure out how you can cut costs in every area of your life and don’t be afraid to ask for what you want!

I say that because if you don’t have someone in your life who is pushing you to a point of discomfort, then you won’t and can’t become your best.  Last week was when I was pushed to the point of discomfort.  I was trash talked, held accountable, and given some ultimatums.  The result was, I had the best week in my business thus far.  The person who pushes me most is my husband.  He had been asking me to post all my products all week and it was Thursday and I still hadn’t done so and I guess he had gotten fed up.  He came at me so hard.  I wasn’t even offended because I knew he was right!  I finally did post my items on Friday and I had a PHENOMENAL weekend.  I even got an unexpected styling gig!  It was his pushing me to post, and work, and expect the unexpected that caused all these things to be.  Let me clarify.  It was my Heavenly Father that caused them to be.  He just sent a word through my husband, who tried to get me to comply, and when I wouldn’t he got frustrated and told me about myself.  Lol!

Moral of the story…We all need to have someone in our lives to push us in order for us to get to the next level.  So my question to you is, who is that person in your life?  Do you have that person in your life?  If not, why don’t you?  Are you scared?  Scared to be pushed, poked, and prodded.  Scared to be held accountable, asked questions, challenged?  Scared to be molded into a mover, and shaker, a change maker?  Scared to be great…because becoming great is a process, and process is NEVER comfortable or easy.

Who is pushing you?

I haven’t even taken photos of all of the inventory from The Discount Diva Thriftique and posted them online, yet I run a boutique.  I haven’t created a Google Business Page so I am searchable to the world.  I have school officials waiting to meet with me and I haven’t fully developed a complete financial literacy program.  What do I look like going to a Real Estate Conference, even if it is free?

This brings me to my point.  As good as that conference sounded, it’s not on point with exactly what I am focused on right now.  Now, I’m not saying Real Estate is not a part of the/my plan, I’m just saying it’s not a part of my plan right now.  It’s important we look at that and stay laser focused because anything that is not a part of your plan right now is a distraction, no matter how good the opportunity looks.  When I say right now, I don’t mean in the immediate future.  If you have a strategic plan for the next 5 years, then that is your right now.  Anything that doesn’t directly correlate to that, you must set to the side, at least for a little while.

Become laser focused on fulfilling your passion and walking in GOD’S plan.  If you do that and stay prayerful it will be easier to spot distractions.   

I asked my husband what the price was for the gas.  He stated, “It said $2.19 for regular.”  I snatched the receipt and looked and it said $3.79/gallon for premium.  Now while all the other gas stations around us were offering $2.39 for premium, even $2.09 on exit up, we paid almost 75% more.

Of course I was irritated and asked him to go into the gas station and get our money back (which they wouldn’t do because the amount was on the pump).  I wanted to write a letter (which Rodney wouldn’t let me do). He was angry because somebody “got him.”  He suggested he never paid attention to the price on the pump, he just goes by what the sign says.

The lesson in this is…We must pay attention.  Something that cost us almost an extra $30 in gas, could have cost us $30,000 in business.  What if this was me purchasing some items for the Thriftique and I didn’t pay attention and thought they were $200 and they turn out being $375.  What if you do a transaction in business that you expect to be $10,000 and it turns out to be $17,500.  What if the house you want to purchase is listed at $100,000but turns out to be $175,000.  This could mean BIG problems.

We have to PAY ATTENTION.  Not just as business owners, but as consumers, as parents, as spouses, as people so we don’t get “got!”  I couldn’t really even be mad at the gas station attendant because what he said was true.  The price was written on the pump.  We can’t be so focused on the initial price that we don’t pay attention to the actual price or be consumed by the “teaser” that we end up not getting what we “thought” we paid for.

PAY ATTENTION!

The question for you remains? Are you hustling hard? The hustle, also referred to as “the grind,” “the move,” or “getting that money” is something that many people try to avoid. There are many books, seminar speakers, and workshops existing that proclaim you can get rich with little effort, in your spare time, or by using everyone else’s efforts. Now, while I am a huge believer and participant in leveraging the powers of others, nobody can make you work hard, but you, and nobody can do what YOU do.

So just what are you doing? Are you hustling hard? Do you get up early and stay up late thinking about and working on how to improve your business? Are you taking extra classes in your field, reading books, attending seminars, and continuing your education? Do you spend time with mentors, networking, and engaging in opportunities that allow you to rub elbows with those in similar professions, careers, and businesses? Are you doing things better than your competition? Are you providing an experience for your customers that makes them say, “I want to get all my X from (Your Company).” Are you willing to do today what others won’t do to have tomorrow what others won’t have, (Les Brown)?

The good news is, if you are hustling hard and doing what you love, it won’t even feel like hustling. It won’t feel like work? It will be fun! Don’t be afraid to hustle. “The diligent hand makes rich and the slack hand causes poverty,” Proverbs 10:4. Don’t be afraid to hustle hard and work hard for what you want! The key is to find what YOU LOVE to do, so work won’t be work!

Lynesha McElveen, The Di$count Diva ® has been coaching, teaching, inspiring, mentoring, and blogging for 7 years. Her recent feat was taking her writing to the next level by creating a book!

If you want additional tips on how you can step up your money game, cut costs, eliminate debt, build wealth, and keep it R.E.A.L. (Realistic Expectations About Life) with yourself, purchase a copy of: Discount Diva’s 30 Tips to Having the Best for Less: A Guide to Financial Freedom here: http://bit.ly/1uDGSYX.