Stop LITERALLY singing for your supper and get smarter with your money!

This may be totally unnecessary to say but don't go out of your way to go to shopping at certain stores just because they're "familiar" to you. If you are 25 and over and pay ALL of your own bills, under no circumstances should you ever go into a Target or Marshall's just to walk around. Take your grown behind home and stop wasting gas! I know we are creatures of habit but this is one that's costing you in the long run. Aside from that, you don't NEED half of the things you come across in stores. My rule of thumb is to walk around the store with it until I decide to leave. If I don't have this huge desire for it OR, of it's simply not in the budget, I leave it right where I found it and never look back for fear of being turned into a pillar of salt! But seriously, if it's also something I can't pay with cash or on my debit card outright without missing a beat, it's not traveling with me, period. This includes large purchases. Please, please refrain from making those purchases on your credit card unless you have the money to pay your creditor for the item without paying tons in interest.

- Start your own LLC or company. I promise it's not just meant for a specialized group of individuals who plan to go public with their companies in five years. I know we all feel that we still get a bang for your buck being an artist and writing as much off as we can but the truth is, there is SO much more you can write off under your small business umbrella. The best part is that the good ole government will let you count your business at a loss for up to a certain amount of time before you have to cough up any funds but this only works if you don't make a profit. FYI, the average small business won't generate income for 3-5 years in. Take advantage of expensing your audition trips to daily meals you may have eaten in between

teaching for the day. Meeting with someone about a potential recital over dinner? This is a business meeting! Expense it! I am not by any means a financial adviser nor did I go to school for accounting. I just happen to have met the right people on my journey who are now invaluable assets to my team.

- Seek professional help through none other than your local library. Before you haggle me about being a tech grandma, let me explain. Everything we could ever imagine is on the web, however, how many times have you seen advertising for financial guidance at a price? We all know that the best things in life can sometimes cost. Beat the curve by checking out the latest in business, finance, and health by hitting up your local library. The good news is that if they don't have it, another library does and you can easily hit up your inter-library loan system to borrow the book from another library at no cost to you. With many of us splurging on college degrees, we also may still have access to our college libraries and if you no longer live in the state of your Alma mater, check out a membership at your local university library. Many colleges and universities offer alumni memberships at a monthly price or small charitable donation. I know, the purpose of this post is to save money but if you have an endless means to music and the latest books through your university or local library, just shut up and sign up. Again, you'll be doing yourself and your small business a big favor. That's right, you can also expense your membership because you are using the sources as a tool to help grow and nourish your business.

- Get rid of your gym membership! I said it, it's got to go. YouTube and Hulu both are endless sources for yoga and workout jam sessions. You can even find good trial period deals for fitness on Groupon. It may not be a full membership but if you have to have your fix every now and then, give it a whirl. If you live in an apartment complex or have a friend who has one in their complex, make the switch. You and the friend can work out together but just remember to pay it forward and give to them where they may need.

Use the barter system. This is the best thing history has ever invented. I cannot tell you how much money this saves me! Good friends and good barter buddies are hard to find but you won't know who will respond until you put it out there. I'm not saying to try to pay your bills this way. Trust me, you'll end up going viral in the worst way and be a "forever meme". Of course, there may be profit in that but I wouldn't risk it.

- If you teach to supplement your dreams, raise your rates. Feel free to increase your rates according to your areas cost of living. For the students I have to travel to teach, I charge a traveling fee that includes the fuel I'll burn as well as to help pay for any future maintenance such as oil changes. Although this is a small amount, you'd be surprised how much of the traveling fee ends up coming in handy come oil change time. Every little bit helps.

Know someone with a BJ's, Costco, or Sam's Club membership, see if you can tailgate or chip in on their membership. At a few places, a member is allowed to have another person on their account. I'm not sure what the max is but you could pay $20-30 towards a friend's membership and get a great bang for your buck on personal and household items. Depending on what they are, you can expense them through your business. I would advise you to look into all of the small business tax laws and use them wisely. For the 15th time, every little bit helps.

- If you haven't dumped your cable provider, now is the time to drop it like it's hot - 99' and the 2000's style (Back that thang up reference). Unless you're under a rock, you only need your "clutch apps" Netflix and Hulu. There are a million other apps you can snag but if you can't do without your live TV, sign up for a service like Sling TV where you pay a low monthly rate and never miss your favorite shows. Should you choose to be the brilliant diva you are and go this route, you'd be saving a good bit per month with a simple internet provider. Check out what speeds may work for you and depending on the speed and bandwidth needed, you may be able to do a happy dance just before you "Netflix and Chill" or "Hulu and Hang".

- Time truly is money. Rethink your schedule. First off, as Bishop T.D. Jake says, "Learn to be effective and not busy." Rework or fill any gaps in your schedule with meaningful tasks that further generate your income. Have dresses or scores to sell? Move your lessons around a bit to get this done as quickly as possible. By no means am I suggesting you to rush through life. I simply would like you to make it easier on yourself. This also means that you may need to let go of people and other tasks that are simply a waste of your time. For instance, if you're spending more money getting to your church job and it's taking away from bringing in more students or learning a new score for an upcoming contract, let it go. Also, if you have a student or two who is constantly cancelling, let them go. No hard feelings! This is your time and lack of respect on their end is causing you a financial leak. Plug it up and let them go. You must remember that time is the only thing we have that is irreplaceable.

- So, you have your business and are still looking for ways to cut back? Get a uniform. I said what I said, get a uniform. Unlike a school uniform, lab coat, or scrubs this would be nice clothing that would compliment you on a day to day basis for teaching or even on your corporate day job. There is nothing wrong with having looks for various occasions but for the day to day, I urge you to keep it simple. Also, take note that some of the wealthiest people don't wake up debating about what they should wear. It is often said that taking that out of your daily equation frees up more creative time, i.e., money making soul searching. Although you can expense dresses and such, it may help your bottom line and come in handy at tax time.

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I hope you find these tidbits to be quite useful as they've helped me reign in my finances and run an efficient start up. Feel free to leave a comment if you have other money saving ideas and I'll be sure to add it. Now go away, save money, and secure all the bags in 2019!