Spending money is something that is on everyone’s minds. When you turn on your TV, all you see are commercials selling products like gardening tools to skin care products. Walking down the street is no different; if you aren’t being bombarded by big billboards displaying the latest Brad Pitt movie, then you will see those advertisements at bus stops and even on buses. But how does one save in a society that is so focused on spending money like its burning a hole in their pockets?

Back in the Fifties sitting around the family table eating a home cooked meal was not an abnormal thing to do. Now in the twenty-first century KFC or precooked meals from the Stop and Shop are the closest things that people get to a home cooked meal. Now that either parents or a single parent have to work to keep a household going, there is little time for them to cook for their families. The idea of getting a quick meal can be costly too. Convenience is everything to the modern day family, money comes last. So, it shouldn’t be a shock that the average family’s meal budget has nearly doubled.

What has happened to family game nights? It can be the cheapest fun available. But now people go to the movies, malls, or even arcades to enjoy their free time. They have to be able to talk about the latest comedy flick with their co- workers on Monday. Since students want to impress their peers, hanging out at home every once in a while instead of being out every single Friday seems lame. Fun today is only a swipe of a credit card away.

We, as Americans, live in a world where brand names rule. We are all guilty of over- spending. Maybe you have a pair of Juicy sweat that you paid top dollar for, or a Coach bag that you really didn’t need to buy, but at that moment when you were buying it that didn’t matter. Just because something has a name on it doesn’t mean that it’s going to be worth the price that it is. Why should someone pay $150 for a bag that can be purchased at Forever 21 for only twenty-five dollars?

People need to learn how to budget themselves. Credit cards only pay for things temporally not permanently. Cooking at home is a good solution. In the winter families can put a pot roast in the crock pot and have it cook all day when they are at work, so that when they get home they can have a nice home cooked meal without having to slave over an oven or a stove, after a long day at work. Or maybe find recipes that are quick to make. Not only will you save money and bring your food budget down a little, but you will also have a healthier meal for you and your family. Nights out don’t have to be going to the Multiplex, or seeing a show on Broadway. People don’t need to spend loads of money in order to have fun. You have the outdoors, use it. Going to the local park to roller blade, skateboard, ride your bike, or simply just walk around and if clouds are in the sky why you don’t just stay in and have a family game night. It’s cheaper to buy a monopoly board then taking the whole family out to see a movie. A game board is reusable; a movie ticket isn’t. Having an Ed Hardy tee shirt or yoga pants with the word Pink plastered on your rear end doesn’t make you important. When shopping clothes, think, is this really worth the price. Don’t pay top dollar on stuff either, shopping sales are the best way to save. There’s no need to spend seventy dollars on a pair of Abercrombie jeans, it’s OK to spend twenty to thirty dollars on a pair of jeans at Aeropostal or H&M.

So next time when you turn on the television and see those advertisements, think to yourself, do I really need to buy that?