7 Financial Lessons from Mickey Mouse

                                                   

Today is Mickey and Minnie Mouse’s birthday. They are cartoon characters created by Walt Disney.  Mickey Mouse was developed in 1928 by Walt Disney at the Walt Disney Studio. Mickey Mouse has become one of the most recognizable cartoon characters ever created. Mickey Mouse is also a symbol of financial success for Walt Disney and the Disney Companies. 

Walt Disney said of his most popular character, “Mickey Mouse is, to me, a symbol of independence. He was a means to an end. He popped out of my mind onto a drawing twenty years ago on a train ride to Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb and disaster seemed right around the corner. Born of necessity, the little fellow literally freed us of immediate worry. He provided the means for expanding our organization to its present dimensions and for extending the medium of cartoon animation toward new entertainment levels.”

I believe you can always find lessons and financial blessings in the smallest, overlooked or most unusual places.

There are certain attitudes and behaviors that are reinforced repeatedly by your actions. Look at your past and current financial behaviors, where did you learn your financial habits? What habits are you inadvertently developing?

We constantly pick up positive and negative financial habits and inadvertently pass them on to our children, friends and relatives.

Get started with the basics such as creating a budget to track your spending daily or weekly. Review your budget before you go on vacation or before you go shopping. If you want to purchase something and don’t have the money, save up for it. Pay cash for items instead of using credit cards. 

When going shopping remember, purchasing quality items are more expensive. If you go shopping in the morning and buy something at 10 am, you will have to haul it around all day. If you misplace your bags, you lose your money and will have to replace the items. This also aligns with the voluntary simplicity movement, which focuses on only buying needs, and reducing the amount of stuff you own that has to be cared for, stored and maintained. Here are seven financial lessons you can learn from Mickey and Minnie Mouse. 

1. See. See what is going on in your life to determine if any changes need to be made.
2. Identify. Identify any issues you need to address regarding your finances: late fees, bounced check, overdrawn accounts, overspending, bad credit, etc.
3. Stop and think. Stop and think about your thoughts, attitudes, behaviors and actions regarding money. Before you decide to spend money, think about how it will affect your current and future financial goals.
4. Decide on a course of action. Once you have identified the areas you want to improve create an action plan to solve the issues.
5. Start small. Start by making small changes to improve your finances. Small steps lead to bigger steps and bigger outcomes.
6. Follow the plan. Once you have created an action plan, follow the plan to solve the financial issues you are experiencing. If you need assistance, contact a financial coach, counselor, advisor or planner for assistance.
7. Reap the rewards. Once you have followed your action plan, reap the rewards by treating yourself to a small gift that cost $50 or less if it is in your budget. If not, save up for your gift to reward yourself in the future. 

  Remember, you can’t always have or get everything you want when you want it.

17 Ways to Save Money on Thanksgiving Groceries

                                             

During Thanksgiving it is extremely easy to spend money with all the advertisers, family and friends asking you to buy this or buy that. Resist the temptation to spend money that you don’t have, buy more than you need, or buy something you probably will not use simply because it is on sale. Many times items that are on sale are not really a bargain. 

Remember the real reason for the Thanksgiving holiday and focus on giving and being with your family. If you have to go shopping do comparison shopping to see if you can find the item for a cheaper price at another store or online.  

If you love the Thanksgiving meal but don’t enjoy the money spent from your wallet, you are not alone.  The added cost of decorations and feeding family and friends can be overwhelming and full of peer pressure. Saving money during the holidays may seem like an impossible task but saving money on your holiday meals is not as difficult as it may seem. Here are 19 effective tips to save money during Thanksgiving. 

1. Plan ahead. Don't wait until the day before Thanksgiving to go shopping. Lines at the register are longer and the selection of items is limited. Try shopping at least a week in advance or early in the morning.
2. Sale cycles. Every grocery store has a sale cycle. During the holidays turkeys, Cornish hens and other poultry go on sale in early November. In December, prime rib, hams, and roasts go on sale. Buy your turkey or big meat items at least 2 to 3 weeks prior to Thanksgiving to get the best deal.  
3. Sides. Buy side items at least one week prior to Thanksgiving to get the best deal. Spirits and non-perishables items such as stuffing mix, cake mix, and other packaged items can be purchased at least a week in advance.
4. Budget. Create a food budget and avoid going over your budget.
5. Menu. Create a menu ahead of time and stick to it.  Consider making low cost items for the menu such as potato salad, salads, sweet potatoes, casseroles, etc.
6. Shopping List. Use a shopping list and stick to it. Buy items in season. Make a list of what you need and can afford to buy. Make a list of what you need but can’t afford to buy and ask attendees to bring those items.
7. Coupons. Know your prices and when items go on sale.  Use coupons to save more when buying items on sale items. Shop at stores that offer double coupons or honor competitor price matching. Check your local Sunday or Wednesday newspaper. Visit coupon websites, online coupon clubs, and manufacturer websites for additional coupons.
8. Condiments. Buy spices and condiments at the dollar store.
9. Salad Dressing. Use olive oil instead of salad dressing.
10. Meat. Buy meats from local farms or Omish markets. Consider buying either a turkey or ham but not both.
11. Verify. Verify quantity and prices during checkout.
12. Make from scratch. Make you own bread, pasta, soda, jelly, preservatives, canned fruits, etc.
13. Local shopping. Visit local farmers or farmers’ markets that sell their food directly to customers.  Purchase fruits, vegetables, meats and deserts directly for much less than you would pay at a grocery store.
14. Ask for help. If you are having breakfast, brunch or dinner at your house ask friends and family to bring a dish to help cut down on costs.
15. Decorations. Make your own decorations or shop online to find inexpensive decorations. Buy plastic flowers instead of fresh flowers which can be reused. Pack and store decorations carefully to reuse next year.
16. Monitor. Monitor the amount of leftovers each person takes.
17. Leftovers.  Freeze leftovers, take to work for lunch or eat the rest of the week.