How to Make Money

Living these days in Brazil has not been so easy, especially for a person who has had his workload reduced because of an illness. Because of medical expenses, the economy earned throughout the years went down the drain like water. However, one can learn how to make money in this situation.

Take going to the movies for instance. It costs around between 15 and 30 reais depending on the time and whether it is 3D or not. The suggestion is to go to the first session which is usually the cheapest and the emptiest. If you have some kind of discount, don’t be ashamed to use it. You have won that privilege and the right, so go ahead. That way you can watch two movies for the price of one.

If you need to take some kind of medication for the rest of your life, try and see if you can get it through the government. In Brazil there is a vast list. Look for it on line and go to the governmental doctor’s office and enlist. If the medication you take is not on the list, call the laboratory that makes it and become a member. It’s free and they send you a card that can be used at any drugstore; sometimes the discount is between 20 to 30% off and that makes a big difference in the long run.

Get a bonus card at the supermarket that you like to shop at. That way every time you spend money, you add up points. These points will come back to you in discounts or prizes.

Same thing goes for bookstores. Of course the best thing is to get a library card. However, libraries in Brazil sometimes do not carry the books you want to read and in the language you want to read it in. Bookstores add up bonuses which eventually can be used in a future purchase.

A big waste of money is on food. Eating out is very good for a number of reasons; you don’t have to do the cooking, you don’t have to clean up, there are no leftovers. However, there are many disadvantages to this habit. Food poisoning, you really do not know how the food is being prepared. Not to mention how much money you spend on a meal. By cooking at home you tend to save money, because the amount you spend on a meal out, you can use at the supermarket for a week-load of groceries. You also need to be creative in the kitchen; otherwise you end up throwing away the leftovers. Recycling leftovers is a good way of saving money too and not getting bored with eating the same dish for a number of days. You can find recipes on line.

When going shopping always ask yourself the three questions: do I need this now? Can I live without it? Can I afford it? If your answer to any of these questions is no, just put it back on the shelf. Sometimes we buy stuff and we end up just keeping it in the closet and never using it.

It is a good thing to clean out closets from time to time. When you clean them you end up seeing what you have and give away what you haven’t used or worn in the past six months or year. If you haven’t worn it during that period of time, chances are you never will.  You can even sell the stuff to second hand stores if you want to make some change. But by donating, as if by magic, you always end up with other stuff.

Perhaps the most important thing a person can do it change their way of thinking. Stop thinking that you don’t have the money for something, just think that you are making money instead of wasting it. Whenever you don’t purchase something, think that you have saved that amount that you were thinking of spending. In the end, the numbers will add up and you can spend it on something that brings you pleasure.

These are just a few actions that can be done to help you stretch out your money.

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(Written January 9, 2013)