You were shocked to discover that Grandma’s jelly-jar savings put your mother through college. And you were equally shocked by how guilt-free you felt when you took a friend’s advice and bought those tickets to Paris, tossing caution to the wind, then tossing back countless glasses of Merlot. Turns out, financial wisdom isn’t only about saving and investing — it’s also about enjoying what you have. This month, Real Simple readers show they’re not stingy about sharing what they know.

This Month’s Winner

Big Night
My uncle once sent me a large sum of money, but it did come with a catch. He said that even though my boyfriend and I were struggling college students, this money was to blow on an extravagant night on the town. He taught me that although it’s important to save, it’s also important to enjoy money, and share it.
Sara Slacum
Silver Spring, Maryland
Sara will receive a copy of Real Simple Celebrations.

Fiscally Fit

Pennies, nickels, dimes, or quarters — hold on to your change. In just two years, I accumulated enough to pay for a nice chunk of my wedding.
Angie Villella
Virginia Beach, Virginia

I paid off my house early. It took 15 years, two jobs, and simple but significant changes in lifestyle, but the security and freedom of a mortgage-free life has been more than worth the effort.
Susanne Sener
Larkspur, Colorado

When my husband and I were first married, our pastor gave a sermon on marriage. He discussed the importance of intimacy and told the story of a couple who, each time they were intimate, would put a $1 bill in a small box by the bed. By the time they had been married for 20 years, they had collected enough money to take a luxury vacation they wouldn’t have been able to afford otherwise. That day, the church gave every married couple a small box with a $1 bill in it. My husband and I have been adding to it ever since and are planning to go to Hawaii for our 20th anniversary. Our gift to newlyweds is always a copy of this story — and a dollar in a box.
Jessica Cole
Westfield, Indiana

When you buy something on sale, you’re not saving any money — you’re spending it. Buy something when you need it. If it’s at a reduced price, great. The only time you save money is when it goes into the bank.
Lisa Carlson
Bellevue, Washington

My husband said out of the blue one day, “Let’s live on cash only.” We stopped the credit cards and used only debit cards and straight cash. At first it was difficult, but it’s been about four years now, and we’re much happier for it.
Shelby Malone
Bremerton, Washington

Our financial adviser told me and my husband that we should save first and foremost for retirement, not college. He said that we could always borrow money to send our kids to college, but we couldn’t borrow for retirement. It was valuable advice.
Jill Neiberg
New York, New York

I learned how powerful home-mortgage amortization can be. Once you understand it, it’s simply amazing how much less a home mortgage can cost if you pay just one extra payment a year toward the principal.
payment a year toward the principal. Lisa Davey