One Penny Saved is Two Pennies Earned

I often read money saving articles and books that appear worthwhile the read. There's a lot of info out there, but I recently read an older book called "Home Work" published in 1977. Not sure if it's still in print - I borrowed it from my mother-in-laws library. So basically, one of the key points that I thought was so worthwhile was the idea that One Penny Saved is Two Pennies Earned. Basically, for every penny you save, you are actually earning two pennies. Why? Because the saved penny is not taxed, nor did it take you gas, babysitters, and other expenses to save the penny. If you think about it - every penny you earn, is not as valuable as the penny you saved. Because that penny is or will be taxed, and/or incur other costs that take away from the "net worth" of those pennies earned. All in all - it made me think of how much money our swaps save our swappers. First off, just from my own experience of being a p.l.s swapper - I have not bought a single article of clothing or toys for my kids (with the exception of birthdays, and Christmas), since last October. So I have gone 9 months (going on 10) without purchasing anything. I have 3 growing toddler boys, so that is saying something. The awesome thing is that this has not been hard to do. I simply have an organized, set time in which I collect items for my kids. In addition, I have an organized set time, to get rid of my kids items that they are no longer using. So if you have a friend who's still unsure about coming to a swap - gently remind them that doing a peace. love. swap is probably the most productive thing they can do in one short period of time. You are saving money, recycling, living green, taking your kids on a playdate, clearing out your clutter, shopping for new items for your kiddos, and doing humanitarian labor in one shot. It's just good for the soul...

See ya at the next swap!
Elle