The Power of a Little

I first read about this idea on one of my favorite blogs "Everyday Cheapskate" by Mary Hunt.  She has great ideas for sensible living.  So here's what I remember from that article.

What would you do if today, by some cosmic cataclysm, you could never go to a store again and buy toothpaste?  How much would you use on your toothbrush everyday if you knew that the only toothpaste you would ever have for the rest of your life was already in your bathroom drawer?  No, I'm not promoting bad dental hygiene, just think about that situation.

I think I would instantly value that toothpaste as important enough for me to only use the minimum of what I needed to get a good job done.  I wouldn't carelessly miss my toothbrush and slather a blob onto the sink, wash some down the drain without being used, and leave more smeared on the vanity for someone else to clean up.  That's the "Power of a Little!"

Now take that one step further.  How many everyday items do we waste carelessly just because we can?  And remember that those items do not "grow on trees."  Paper towels, plastic bags, shampoo, etc. must be bought with your hard-earned dollars!  Have you ever considered just how much of our money we literally throw away?

Do you know that we Americans are considered wasteful and selfish by lots of other nations?  In many cases I think it's sad but true.  So I love this idea of the Power of a Little, because I think it's sensible and smart to live conservatively.  In the true sense of that word, I try to not be wasteful, using what I have in every way possible before buying something new. This applies to everything from eating leftovers to watching how much milk your kids pour down the drain after the cereal is gone!

Do we really enjoy paying hundreds of dollars at the grocery store?  If we could cut that bill down by sensible use of what we have, wouldn't that be great?  I like to think about where I'd really like my money to go, not just to buy the stuff that we need.

So, where are you throwing money away when you could benefit from the "Power of a Little?"