Saving money is not always easy, but of course it can be beneficial and fun. I have some simple steps I have found to stretch your budget AND have fun.

#1: Relax. Don’t count each penny you save and worry about how much you save. Does it really matter if this week you saved $1.92 compared to $1.93 on a meal. Yes, every penny matters, but sometimes the amount is so minimal its not crucial. I find this especially true when shopping with coupons, I used to beat myself up if I forgot to had the cashier a coupon. My daughter once dropped a yogurt coupon on the floor and it went under a shelf where I couldn’t get it. I started to freak out!! Then I realized .25 wasn’t worth the stress and likely humiliation of having a hissy fit in the middle of Walmart…..

#2: Budget. Always good advice, sometimes harder to do. This is a rough one for my husband and I. We are learning (after 15 years of marriage) that we need to work together more and not have our own agendas.

#3: Make saving money detective work. If you look at it as money saved as a found treasure, you will find the process exciting! There’s always a new way to save you have yet to discover. Search for it.

#4: Involve your kids in saving. Play games with them that shows them how to use money wisely. We have a board game called Shopping Spree that my daughter loves to play. Another way is to help them earn money save you money by encouraging them to cut coupons. I have heard of families that give the kids a percentage of how much money you save when you use the coupons they cut at the grocery store. For our family I just emphasize that when we save money we have more left over for the fun things. My daughter loves to help organize the coupons.

For me Pinching Your Pennies is a hobby. It’s not a chore, it’s just what we do in our house. It’s very exciting too!