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Survivalist Mode

I recently reconnected with an old friend, and we’ve done some hiking together. And while I like to exercise and hike, this girl is hard-core–she can climb rock walls like a mountain goat. She motivates me to push myself a little. In fact, she has invited me to go canyoneering with her, and after figuring out exactly what that is (the sport of exploring a canyon by engaging in such activities as rappelling, rafting, and waterfall jumping, according to Google), I’m really thinking about it. It sounds like quite an adventure.

My next question is, what do I pack? After talking with my experienced friend as well as giving it a little thought, I’ve figured it out–as little as possible. I only take what I need.

This month, review your spending and look for ways to slash expenses. The best way to do this is to reassess wants versus needs. “To quickly determine the difference between a want and need, think of a need being something required for survival. Needs are water for drinking, food to eat, clothing to keep you warm, and shelter to live in….on the other hand, a want is everything else” (I borrowed that idea from makingsenseofcents.com).

That’s pretty basic.

It’s amazing how little you can get away with spending if you are deliberate with it. In fact, my sister likes to make it a game to see how little she can spend and, as a result, how much she can save. Some people thrive on competition. If either of these describe you, play a game with yourself, or find someone to compete with.

What should you do with all the extra that you save? Pay down debt. Don’t have any debt (YAY!)? Bank it.  

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