A testimony from Sally
In 26 years of marriage, we had never owned a brand new television. Our home worked like a giant magnet, pulling in used TVs from friends and family… and we got what we paid for!
One day, we discovered we had saved $93 in coins without even trying. We were inspired. Over dinner that night, we dreamed about what to put this money toward. Something responsible, like a home repair? Or something frivolous, like a new fancy flat screen TV.
Can you guess which we chose? Yep. The TV!
Initially, we guessed $300 would pay for a reasonably-sized television with a quality image. But, one walk down the TV aisles at Sam’s Club revealed otherwise — a TV that didn’t look like a large desktop monitor, would cost $500.
Our new purchase felt far away.
We didn’t know how long it would take to “find” $400 more (frivolous) dollars, but we had one rule: the money for the TV must be “found”. No dipping into budgets.
This is how we “found” another $400 in 6 months:
1. We Made An “New TV” Envelope
We slid the first $93 into a large manila envelope labeled “New TV”. Each time we found money from any of the methods below, we added it to the envelope.
2. We Continued to Save Loose Change
Since routinely adding ALL our spare coins to the quart-size mason jar worked as an effortless way to save, we stuck with it. Over the next 6 months, we collected another $85.
3. We Redeemed Soda Bottles and Cans
We diligently collected and redeemed aluminum, plastic, and glass bottles, totaling $100.
4. We Sold Books and Household Items Online
All commissions we earned from selling books and household items through Amazon.com went into the TV envelope. We added another $100 this way.
5. We Used My Wellness Product Sales
I earned $125 passive income from my Garden Valley Essentials wellness store. It all went into the envelope.
Then An Amazing Thing Happened
Just as we reached our $500 goal, a Sam’s Club sales flyer arrived in our mailbox showcasing a full-featured $700 Samsung TV for $499 with free shipping! We’d written off this model before as “out of our reach”… but, now it was affordable!
With the cash safely deposited in the bank, we ordered the TV the next day. Seven days later our new high tech television arrived at our home!
We realized that we were more likely to reach our goal since we were in it together. We agreed on a purpose for the money, we worked together to reach our goal, and we celebrated our accomplishment.
Sally Olson is a writer, blogger, wife, and battle-proven homeschooling mom to sons. God, good words, good coffee and honest country living refresh her soul. She blogs about apples and country life at Garden Valley Homestead.
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