The market is scary now but…

Think long term.

Savings and investments are for the long run not short term. If you were just investing for the short term that is when you have your money in cash or cash products. The 20^th anniversary of Black Monday was a sign that there were lots of people who should have stayed put in the market. This is why you diversify in your investments.

In the short term you will lose some money but it will be painful. A smart move and frugal people are smart means that you will not make any rash moves. The market has taken some smaller hits over the past year or so and has recovered. Use this time to take advantage of buying more for your investment dollar. What you have may drop but over time, you will probably gain more.

Use this advice from Marketwatch

The Black Monday anniversary coincides with the front edge of the baby boom generation qualifying for Social Security benefits. No one got to this point and said “Shoot, I could have retired today had it not been for Black Monday back in ‘87.” Few days on the market will be as memorable as Oct. 19, 1987, but even the days that inspire the most nervousness will not be remembered when it comes to counting up your nest egg after the appropriate passage of time.

In essence, there is no need to make any rash decisions or worry about an investment now when you aren’t going to need them for 10, or 20 years. If you made a wise decision when you started to invest, then you will reap the benefits in the future.

It will be painful to see your portfolio lose money but a year from now you probably won’t notice the losses. Over time with sound investments and a diversified portfolio, you will probably make gains.

You probably have done it before but haven’t mentioned it. I will admit it. I reuse resealable plastic bags. Not all of them mind you because I do not want to wash them. In some instances it is just easy to reuse a plastic bag.

For example some of the beads I use to make jewelry are sent in resealable plastic bags. There is nothing wrong with them so I may store other materials inside. They are good for multiple uses until they rip or tear.

Travel… I never liked carrying my toiletries onboard the plane so it doesn’t bother me to check my luggage. But things tend to leak and/or spill from the jostling around. I put small items that would leak in one of those snack size bags and use a store bag to put the whole toiletry kit inside so incase there are items that explode. I have had this happen before because of baggage handling/air pressure.

Lunch… sometimes I will reuse the bag if I am taking a similar type of item the next day or so that isn’t wet. If I put chips in a bag and will have the same type or similar type of chips the next day or so for lunch I will reuse the bag again. Even if I am going on a trip and want to take a snack, I might carry a smaller plastic bag and put a snack inside. A few plain M&Ms are a good pick me up during an afternoon of sightseeing and you save money by using some out of a large bag and having the amount you need rather than buying several individual bags.

I haven’t gotten to the point of washing resealable bags for future use because by the time I have to use soap, water and effort to clean the bag – to me it is not worth it. A solid container on the other hand like a glass jar or sturdy plastic container is worth the effort – not a plastic bag.

Reusing containers or giving them a new purpose is a great way to save money and the environment. The less plastic you use, the less oil you consume.

Repurposing items is another way to go. If you use a thrift store item in a constructive way for a use than it was created for you are repurposing an item.

I am content reusing some resealable bags. Store bags make great garbage bags for small items. Even the plastic grocery store bags can be reused for another trip to the store. Some stores have heavier plastic which take longer to degrade in the environment but can be used again and again. Save money by taking your own bag to the store. If more people saved money by taking their own bags then fewer people would use a lot less oil.

In the US alone we use approximately 12 million barrels of oil to produce plastic bags. Yes they are convenient, but for a plastic product that will be thrown away we should find a better way to use oil.

If you are in need of a reusable bag alternative for lunch – use a sturdy plastic container that is meant to be used hundreds of times. Even when a plastic container gets a small crack in it, it can be used for another purpose.