Happy Star Wars Day, everybody! You do know it’s Star Wars Day, right? You know, May 4? As in “May the 4th Be With You.”
Bad puns aside, it really is officially Star Wars Day, so let your Dark or Light Side shine today as you share your love for one of the most popular movie series of all time. In the midst of doing our best Wookiee impressions, we realized something pretty important. Star Wars isn’t just a great movie. It’s not just a world phenomena. It’s also an invaluable teacher.
Sure Star Wars has made billions of dollars over the years. But oddly enough, the Galaxy’s Finest is also really good at being frugal! We gave it some thought and came up with a powerful list of…
7 Money-Saving Lessons We’ve Learned from Star Wars
The 3 Rs: Recycle! Reuse! Repurpose!
How many times can the Rebels take on the evil Empire’s mighty Death Star? Sure the names may change, but the good guys keep taking on (and defeating!) the big bad laser-shooting ball in the sky. And moviegoers love it every time. Recycling plot points can help instill a feeling of nostalgia, and recycling in your own life can save you money! Turn old credit cards into guitar picks or old ladders into bookshelves.
“Size Matters Not”
Oh, Yoda. So small. So green. So Muppet-like. Yet also so full of wisdom. If you’re looking to really save, don’t think about the big picture. Start small. Put a few dollars away every single week. Before you know it, those few dollars will multiply and give you incentive to keep at it.
Sell Your Droids
Jawas had the right idea. Don’t toss those old computers and smartphones away. Instead, resell them! Thankfully, you don’t need a giant Sandcrawler to transport your wares across the desert. Instead, you can jump on sites like eBay or Gazelle to sell your old Droids (or iPhones!) along with all sorts of laptops and electronics.
Beware the Dark Side
The best way to save money is not to waste it on something you don’t really want or desire. Be careful of marketing “parlor tricks” and advertising slogans that may get you excited about a product but in reality isn’t something you care about. Always be on the ready for an “avoid the strong pull of the Dark Side” moment!
Pay Off Your Debts
Unless you actually enjoy being frozen in carbonite and hung on the wall like a piece of art, it’s probably a good idea to pay off your debts. Sure, chances are slim your bank or credit card company will put you in the deep freeze, but they could end up freezing your assets if your finances get way out of hand. Plus you don’t want all those interest payments to keep piling up or you’ll never know when a bounty hunter will come a knocking.
Be a Good Negotiator
When Luke and his Uncle Owen nabbed C-3PO and R5-D4 from the Jawas, the R5 Unit took a few steps before pretty much blowing its circuits. Luke argued and negotiated a bit until he got an R2 unit as a replacement. (Which is a good thing or else we wouldn’t have had a movie!) Negotiating is always a great tool to use when trying to get a better price on anything from a new car to a house to even regular goods. You’ll never know unless you ask first!
Watch for Half-Price Sales
Darth Maul showed us how great it can be to split things in half, so whenever you shop online, be sure to look for all sorts of half-price sales and coupons. Not to mention cashback, of course!
Wherever your shopping takes you, remember to follow these valuable Star Wars Lessons. And always remember… May the Force Be With You!
What has Star Wars taught you about saving money?