Sushi Money 寿司的钱

Okay, let’s be honest.好吧，让我们诚实。 How many of us have little quirks or habits that we use to save money?如何在我们中有许多小怪癖或习惯，我们使用为了节省金钱呢？ I was thinking about this the other day while doing a cost-benefit analysis in my head over some purchase.我想，这在另一天，而这样做成本效益分析，在我的头有些购买。 Then I realized I do this everyday almost unconsciously.然后我意识到我这个几乎每天都在不知不觉中。 So I began to wonder- how “normal” is it to think of saving money in various ways as a routine habit or way of life?因此，我开始怀疑-如何“正常”是想节省金钱以各种方式作为一个例行的习惯或生活的方式呢？ After all, many of our friends and acquaintances enjoy spending money and living like there’s no tomorrow.毕竟，我们的许多朋友和熟人享受花钱和生活一样，有没有明天。

For those of us interested in personal finance and growing our wealth, does frugality just naturally go along with our goals?对于我们这些有兴趣在个人理财和增长我们的财富，是否节俭只是自然转到随着我们的目标是什么？ Or is something we pursue and challenge ourselves about?或者是我们追求的和自己挑战呢？ Somehow I believe we develop our own financial knowledge and strategies because it meets the values that are important to us.在某种程度上，我相信我们在发展自己的金融知识和策略，因为它符合价值观对我们而言非常重要。 And how many of us wish we learned these values, or lessons, at a far earlier time in our lives?有多少我们希望我们了解，这些价值观，或教训，在更早的时间在我们的生活？

But do you know any people who don’t even seem to care about saving money?但你知不知道任何人谁也不似乎并不在乎约节省金钱呢？ I’m not sure I could go that far, it’s more likely that some people are just not aware of why it’s so important, or that they are spending much more of their income than they should.我不知道我可以去说，迄今为止，它的更可能是有些人只是不知道为什么它这么重要，或他们的消费更为他们的收入比他们应该。

So after I thought about it a while, I realized I do a lot of things to try and save money.所以后，我还以为它了一阵子，我意识到我很多东西，尝试和节省金钱。 I say “try” because I may not always be saving money, but just believe I am.我说“尝试” ，因为我可能并不总是节省金钱，但只是相信我。 And I have various habits or quirks that to try and find ways to become more efficient financially.我有不同的习惯或怪癖，要设法找出方法，成为更有效率的财政。 Maybe it’sa disease… the same one that had me running around changing lightbulbs the other day after realizing I didn’t finish all the bulbs in the house last year.也许，这病…同样的一过我四处改变lightbulbs其他天之后实现，我并没有完成所有的灯泡在众议院去年。 By my accounting, it saves us $5-$10 a month on our electricity bill.我的会计，这样可以节省我们五元-十元，一个月就我们的电力条例草案。

So here’s my short list of strategies for saving money at home.在此，我的短名单的战略省钱在家中。 These are things I do, or we focus on as a family:这些都是我，或我们专注于作为一个家庭：

1. Installed and use programmable thermostats for the house… but I still fiddle with the thermostats everyday to optimize the settings if we don’t need the heat or cooling. 1 。安装和使用可编程恒温器，供内务…但我仍小提琴与恒温，每天来优化设置，如果我们不需要热或冷却。 I even shut doors/vents to rooms that we don’t use, and are colder in winter, and circulate the fans where possible in living spaces.我什至关闭车门/通风口，以客房，我们不使用，并在寒冷的冬天，和分发的球迷在可能的生存空间。
2. Installed 40 compact flourescent lightbulbs instead of using the traditional incandescent bulbs throughout the house. 2 。安装40紧凑型lightbulbs而不是采用传统的白炽灯泡整个房子。
3. When putting gas in the car I hold the pump hose up to drain as much gas out of the line as possible… if it’s possible!? 3 。时，把天然气在汽车上我认为该泵软管最多流失高达气体出来的路线，尽可能… …如果它的可能！ ？
4. Try not to drive excessively fast, but try and maintain constant speeds (a little higher than Grandpa..), and I coast as much as possible, especially going downhill and between stoplights. 4 。尽量不要开车过快，但尝试和保持恒定速度（略高于爷爷.. ） ，我和海岸尽可能多地，特别是下坡和之间的电力供应。 Also saves on brake wear.也节省了制动器的磨损。
5. Try not to shop for groceries when we’re hungry. 5 。尽量不要购买杂货时，我们正在挨饿。 I’ve proven that I’ll buy all kinds of useless junk if I’m hungry!我已经证明我将购买各种无用的垃圾如果我饿了！ We use coupons if it fits our lifestyle, but don’t clip that many.我们使用优惠券，如果它符合我们的生活方式，但不剪辑许多。 We minimize junk foods, and pre-packaged processed meals.我们尽量减少垃圾食品，并预先包装处理的饭菜。
6. Pay bills online for free instead of using stamps and checks if possible. 6 。网上支付帐单，免费不是用邮票和检查，如果可能的。
7. If we go out for fast food, I’ll order from the value or dollar menu, and often order water instead of soda. 7 。如果我们走出去，快餐，我会为了从价值或港元菜单上，而且往往为了水而不是苏打水。 But in general we eat out a lot less these days.但一般来说，我们吃了一个少很多，这些天。 We splurge on dining out once or twice a month at a decent restaurant.我们挥霍就外出用餐一次或两次，每月在一个像样的餐厅。
8. We buy groceries and dry goods in bulk where possible, especially if the item is on sale. 8 。我们买杂货和干货散装如有可能，特别是如果该项目的销售。
9. Make our own coffee in the morning; having coffee out is a rare treat. 9 。作出我们自己的咖啡是在早上;咖啡出来是一种罕见的对待。
10. Prepare brown bag lunches for work/school, instead of eating out. 10 。准备布朗袋午餐工作/学校，而不是外出就餐。
11. Eat and stay healthy… avoid the doctor and look for alternative health ideas for common ailments. 11 。吃和保持健康…避免医生和寻找其他的健康理念为共同的毛病。
12. Use the library for books and videos. 12 。使用图书馆内的书籍和影片。 Find free recreation and activities for the kids.找到免费娱乐和活动的孩子们。
13. Use the least expensive cell phone, land-line telephone and internet service plans as possible. 13 。使用最昂贵的手机，土地线电话及互联网服务计划，尽可能。 But we do have broadband internet- it makes life so much more pleasant.但我们有宽带互联网-它使生活更愉快。 We also keep land-line telephone service because we live in a semi-rural area and it works during electricity outages, or else we’d ditch that too.此外，我们会经常土地线电话服务，因为我们生活在一个半农村地区和它的工程期间，电力中断，否则，我们很乐意沟了。
14. Avoid bank and credit card fees in all ways possible. 14 。避免银行及信用卡费用，在所有可能的方式。 Find another bank if the current one charges too many fees.找到另一间银行如果目前的一费太多的费用。
15. Cut the kids hair at home. 15 。削减孩子的头发在家里。 Pets are also bathed and groomed at home.宠物也沐浴和培养在家里。 Not that kids and pets are the same mind you…没有小孩和宠物是相同的心目中，你…
16. Carefully research larger purchases (greater than $50-$100). 16 。仔细研究大采购（大于50元-1 00元） 。 When ready to buy, we purchase quality items that will last.当准备购买，我们购买优质的项目将持续。 Often we’ll shop online after finding a lower price, and save on taxes as well.通常我们会在线商店后找到一个较低的价格，并保存在税收，以及。
17. Pay off credit cards each month unless financing a temporary item at very low rates, or 0%. 17 。还清信用卡每个月，除非融资的一个临时项目在非常低的利率，或0 ％ 。 Don’t carry a balance.不进行一个平衡。
18. Do most of our cleaning, landscaping and auto maintenance needs at home when possible. 18 。做我们大部分的清洁，美化和汽车维修的需要，在家里时，可能。
19. Grow a garden to eat our own vegetables. 19 。成长花园吃我们自己的蔬菜。
20. Don’t shop for more clothing and shoes than absolutely necessary, and purchase items on sale. 20 ，不要购买更多的服装和鞋类比是绝对必要的，和购买的物品出售。

Oh… one more I just realized.哦…一更，我只是实现。 Use the same old computer until I can’t stand it anymore!使用相同的旧电脑，直到我不能袖手旁观，它了！ I’m typing on my second laptop- the first lasted almost three years.我打字对我的第二个笔记本电脑第一次持续了将近3年。 This one has just passed two years and still going strong, but I would really like to get a bigger desktop… some day.此一刚通过了两年仍处于强劲，但我真的想获得更大的桌面…有一天。

So what things do you do to save money?所以什么事你为了节省金钱呢？ I’m sure there’sa lot more… does this seem normal to you, or do you live carefree and not worry about it?我敢肯定有很多更多信息…这似乎是正常的你，或你的生活无忧无虑，不必担心它呢？ I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to do that…我不知道我将以往任何时候都能够这样做…

Great article out this week from Laura Rowley.  She says Don’t Fiddle Away Your Financial Independence and uses the analogy of the old fable about the Ant and the Grasshopper to describe the current financial challenges we face.  Even more interesting are the comments from many folks across the country.  Real people share their stories and feelings about saving and investing, the economy, bailouts, mortgage and foreclosure issues, etc.伟大的文章指出，这周从劳拉rowley 。她说， 不要反复折腾远离你的财务独立和使用的比喻旧寓言关于蚂蚁和蚱蜢来形容当前的财政，我们面临的挑战。更有趣的是，从很多的评论乡亲到全国。真正的人民分享他们的故事和感受，储蓄与投资，经济， bailouts ，抵押和赎回的问题，等等。

Maybe for some the difference is easily seen.  But I wonder how many of us have been both at times?  I know I’ve hopped around like a spendthrift Grasshopper many times in my life. The older I become, the more I appreciate the steady, disciplined approach to saving and investing.也许有些差异是很容易看到，但我不知有多少，我们一直都在时代的呢？我知道我已经跳频左右，像一个大花筒蝗虫多次在我的生活。老一辈成为，更多，我很欣赏的稳定，有纪律的方法，储蓄与投资。

The Ant and the Grasshopper蚂蚁和蚱蜢

In a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content.  An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.在一个领域有一年夏天的一天，蝗虫是跳跃，啁啾和歌唱它的核心的内容。蚂蚁通过，同时随着伟大的辛劳一耳朵玉米，他所采取的巢。

“Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?” “为什么不来和我聊天，说： ”蝗虫“ ，而不是劳苦和moiling以这种方式” ？

“I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.” “我帮助奠定了食物的冬季，说： ”蚂蚁“ ，建议你做同样的” 。

“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; “We have got plenty of food at present.”  But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil.  When the winter finally came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the Ants distributing corn and grain every day from the stores they had collected in the summer.  Then the Grasshopper knew: “为什么理会冬季呢？说： ”蝗虫; ： “我们有足够的食物，目前” ，但蚂蚁到就其方式，并继续其辛劳，当冬天终于蝗虫没有食物，并发现自己死饥饿，虽然看到了蚂蚁分布玉米和粮食，每天从商店，他们已收集在今年夏天，然后蚂蚱知道：

It is best to prepare for the days of necessity.最好是准备的日子的必要性。

For budget entertainment, American Idol is pretty good.预算娱乐，美国偶像是不错。 What makes it better is when the competition heats up… How about that David Cook?是什么使得它更好的是，当竞争白热化…如何说，大卫库克？ I’ve enjoyed him each week, but his Billie Jean remake was incredible.我已经得到了他每个星期，但他的比莉珍重拍令人难以置信。 I think he’s going all the way… Here’sa YouTube version, enjoy!我认为他要所有的方式…以下是YouTube的版本，享受！