Save Money by using just your Mind and your Blog

Self-Realization:

I recently became more cognizant of my spending to earnings ratio–not just with blogging, but all spending habits. During my three day a week grind, as a System Administrator, I realized that I make pretty decent money for a 26 year old. My potential to earn more is there but how do I do it.

In complete honesty here, I have a few bad habits that I’d like to squelch. Namely, smoking, drinking an inordinate amount of Mt. Dew, as well as my day to day spending habits. Approaching these very personal and individual issues with a different perspective was necessary because everything else I’ve tried to do has failed up until now. I want to be healthier and I want to make more money online(through blogging of course).

Mark’s Substitution Savings Method:

Every time I want to make a purchase: I decide either positively or negatively how it benefits me, my blog, or my savings account. Adding the savings account to the equation effectively creates a control that, in your mind, illustrates a two-thirds majority rule. Money can always benefit your savings account.

To Illustrate:

If I want buy a pack a cigarettes and a soda, I look at the approximate price(nearly $8) and analyze how 8 dollars could positively or negatively benefit me, my blog, or my savings.

Negative:
That 8 dollars will not benefit me at all if I spent it on what I intended to. Sure I would feed a craving but in the end I’d be on the losing end of that deal.
Cigarettes and soda are both bad for me and something I aim to quit doing so much of, lets file this as a negative.

Positive:
It would benefit my blog if I “invest” that 8 dollars in adwords, paying someone to write an article, offering in a contest, or otherwise.
It would also obviously benefit my savings account (our control).

If an instance arrives where all 3 options are “good” options, then it is a personal call. I typically pick the better of 3 goods in that case.

The two positives have the majority; the money goes back in the pocket and I go about my business feeling better about myself.

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