10 Ways to Save Money, Weird Ways by Weird Neighbor

I am planning a vacation later this year. However, instead of withdrawing money from any of my investments, I have decided to save money to sponsor the trip. All was going well until I asked my neighbor for more suggestions. With his 10 ways to save money, I am planning to give up saving. Have a look at them and let me know if you have any better ideas, but not weird ones please…please…

1. Automatic Reduction from Your Income
   And who would pay my monthly bills? I am already not able to meet my expenses. This is what happens when you ask for advice to people who are jealous of you, of everyone.
2. Collect Change
   

   Not from other people, but yours. Say you buy something for $8, you receive $2 change if you hand over a $10 bill to the shop owner. Do not use that $2 coin, save it, says Mr. Jackson, my neighbor. According to him, you can save enough every month to pay your electricity bills. My guess – he doesn’t watch TV, use computer or laptop, or a heater. I mean, how can you pay an electricity bill by saving $2?

3. Get Goal Jars
   Another weird suggestion from Mr. Weirdo. He asks me to bring goal jars. Do you remember those wide, short, clay pots, with small opening? Yes, you can bring them home, not one, many, and label them as ‘education’, ‘eating out’, ‘kids’, ‘holiday’, ‘girlfriend expenses (not applicable to unlucky ones)’, etc. He says it’s better than using envelopes because clay is not made by cutting trees. Eco-friendly suggestion, isn’t it?
4. Have a Budget
   Not as long as Obama though. But it’s essential to keep a track of your expenses, sources of income, savings, and whatever you do with your money. It doesn’t matter if you make sacrifices for something in one category to meet the goals of another, until you are within your budget. Some sense from Mr. Jackson at last. But he said ‘I have 10 ways to save money, all logical.’
5. Eliminate or Reduce your Vacation
   I almost laughed for a minute when I heard this. I am planning to save money to go for a vacation and he plainly asks me to no to go. How can he say this so innocently?
6. Sell Useless Stuffs on eBay
   You would think eBay is not a fool’s paradise, where you can put useless items on sale and people will buy it. Trust me, or Mr. Jackson, there are many fools all around the world. After he gave me this suggestion I sold 3 items that I would have burned instead.
7. Start a Hobby
   But not an expensive one. Think about some thing that you like and how you can use it to make money. Like Mr. Jackson can definitely be a financial consultant.
8. Ask for an Increment in Salary
   I thank my employer everyday just because I am still there, working, and receiving salary on time. My company downsized from 1300 to 700. Is it the right time to ask for a raise? And you said 10 ways to save money, Mr. Jackson, not 10 Ways to screw your neighbor.
9. Cut off Your Cable Connection
   I told you…I told you he doesn’t watch TV, he doesn’t have an internet connection, he doesn’t have any thing, and he wants me to be like him. And how much it would save every month? Aammm… so what if it saves a good amount? What about my kids? Where would they watch cartoons?
10. Cut Down Expenses Considerably
    According to him, you can reduce you monthly expense by as much as 30-40% by just stopping impulsive shopping. That’s true. I agree with him on this. We all do this. Let’s vow not to shop on impulse. Hey, look at that new bike, I want it now.