It was a scary thought! I had made up my mind to live on half my paycheck. I was even told I couldn't do it. That I could never *give up* those things that would make a difference. Those things I loved. Negativity surrounded me, working hard to talk me out of my plan.

Can you relate? If so, let me share with you something simple I discovered back when I was first learning to save money.

I love hazelnut coffee. Freshly brewed, the smell brings me to a standstill. The earth could slip off its axis, but I'd only worry about it once I have that fresh cup of brew in my hands.

We each have something we love. Perhaps for you it's eating out. Or chocolate. Books. Shoes. Clothes. Perfumes.

And there's a slim chance you'll easily give up something you love. There has to be a mighty fine reason to do so.

To live on half my check, I'd need to cut my spending (in many areas). And that's where the coffee came into the picture. You see, I was purchasing several cups a day, at a cost of about $50 a month.

So, I could eliminate. I could reduce or cut back. I could keep my fresh coffee, but have it cost less.

I chose to keep my coffee, but make it *less expensive.* My trade off was to keep what I love, but keep it at a reasonable cost. No more coffee to-go!

At that point, I bought a coffee pot and a travel mug for my car. (I spent a lot of time in traffic back then.) I bought a bag of coffee beans and ground them at the store. Cost? About eight dollars per month (compared to fifty.)

To this day, I buy several bags at a time while on sale, saving even more money. I freeze it to retain its freshness.

In hindsight, it was such a simple solution, but it didn't *click* until my goal became extremely important to me (live on half my paycheck so I could save the rest for my future business.)

Trading off allowed me to do what I love, without being forced to give up something I wanted in my life. Feeling deprived just isn't the way to keep me (or anyone) motivated.

To make sure I wasn't making these changes for nothing, I immediately tucked away every cent I saved by making my own coffee. I tracked each and every time I *didn't* purchase coffee out. I calculated my weekly savings, then scooped up the money and deposited it into my own Dream Account.

Quickly reaping my rewards provided huge motivation for me. It kept me saving.

So, what's your pleasure? Is there something on which you spend a bit too much money? Set your timer for just five minutes, and do some brainstorming on ways your pleasure can cost you less.

Remember, the idea is to meet your goal without feeling as if you're *giving up* something!

You can do it!