Stop, HEGLEB and Save

Making money is hard. Saving money is easy. It is super easy as long as you “Stop. HEGLEB. Save” BEFORE parting with your cash.

Step 1. STOP!!

Before you reach for your cash, before you grab your credit card, before you pick the item up of the sales rack, pause for just a minute. Stop yourself and start your brain thinking about whether or not you are about to make a good or a bad decision. Find a way to trigger your internal alarm bell, so you can STOP and move on to Step 2.

(One way to trigger your internal alarm bell is to print out our Stop. Think. Save. Memory trigger and place it in your wallet. LINK to MEMORY TRIGGER DOWNLOAD.)

Step 2. THINK (HEGLEB)

Now is the time to switch your brain on and go through your personal HEGLEB checklist.

H - Are you Hungry?

If your belly is empty then your decision making is impaired. Our bodies get confused between the desire for food and inedible objects. So if you are hungry, go away eat something. (It is smarter for you to spend $6 on piece of cake than $100 on needless items at Kmart.)

E - Is there something Else?

There are so many other things you could buy. Is this item really the one you want to spend your hard-earned money on? There are so many other things you could achieve with this money. Will you be limiting yourself by making the purchase?

G - What will you Gain?

Now, work out what you will gain by buying the item. What are the long-term consequences? Will it improve your health and happiness or genuinely give you more free time? How? If you cannot answer these questions positively, then leave your money in your wallet.

L - What will you Lose?

Every time you buy an item, you both gain something and lose something. If you are lucky, the only thing you lose is cash, and the time it took you to earn that money. But this is not always the case. A great example of this is Overwatch. You gain entertainment, but you lose quality time with your family.

E - Is it worth the Effort?

Every time you reach for your cash, ask yourself if it is really worth the effort. Every $20 you spend is an hour you are going to have to work. Is it really worth the bother? Just leave your money in your wallet - it's so much easier than having to earn extra money!

B - Is there a Better way?

Now it is time to shop around for a good price and work out the smartest way to buy it. How can you get the best value for your dollar in the minimum time possible? Occasionally, working it out for yourself will take more time than you save, but you will get satisfaction in knowing that you have NOT been tricked and are doing the best for your family. Once you have researched your purchase and found the best way to buy it, ask yourself..

Do you have the spare CASH?

If you don’t have the cash than don’t make the purchase, at this time. It is very rare that we truly desperately need an item. And, most of the time, buying things on credit is stupid. So if you don't have the cash, walk away. Nothing is worth burdening yourself with debt for.

Step 3. SAVE!!

By stopping yourself and thinking HEGLEB before you had over your cash will put you in control of your wallet helping you to save, save, save!!

Remember the less you spend, the less you have to earn. OR the less you spend, the more you keep.