MONEY-SAVING MONDAY AND THE 2009 ACFW CONFERENCE
Okay, so what if you know you can’t go for 2008, that the money isn’t there right now? Let’s do our Money-Saving and crunch some numbers. Give or take a hundred bucks, totalling the conference fee, hotel, and transportation can run you about $1100. Since I have no idea how much or where the 2009 conference will be, this is an estimate.
WHERE can you find that $1100 in time for next year? Let’s start now. Registration has just opened for the 2008 conference and you can sign up until August. So for 2009, you’ve got a year to save.
Do you go to McDonald’s on the way to work in the morning to pick up breakfast, say twice a week? Put that $6 in a jar every week, and after 52 weeks you’ll have $312 dollars.
Do you buy a 12-pack of soda/cola/pop every week? Put that $3 in a jar once a week instead of buying the soda, and you’ll have $156 dollars after 52 weeks.
Do you bring the kids for haircuts every two months? Get a set of clippers if you’re brave, and learn to trim hair yourself. For two kids at $25 (we’re talking Procuts here, the cheapo kid cut) every 2 months, and that adds up to $150.
See, we’re already over halfway to that $1100, just by cutting out McDonald’s breakfast twice a week, one 12-pack of soda/cola/pop, and picking up a new skill by trimming your kids’ hair (2 kids).
Get creative, and look at your lifestyle. What are you buying that you don’t need to buy, even if it’s $3 or $5 a week? What are you paying someone else to do that you can do yourself?–save that money and pay yourself to go to the conference. Remember, this is an investment. It ain’t Wall Street, but you’ll definitely see a payoff in time. There are no shortcuts, no matter what anyone tells you.
Lastly, why not clear your house of clutter, have a yard sale, and reward yourself by putting the money in a conference fund? — and I’ll see YOU in 2009!!