It occurred to me that changing your lifestyle is no easy undertaking. It is hard physically, mentally and emotionally. So I wanted to do something that would give me a little boost every day.
I decided to post one frugal thing I have done each day. In that way I can visually see that I am making a real effort to change my ways for the good of my life and family. When I am really struggling I can go back and look at the cumulative effect of all of those "one things" and realize I really am making a difference in my life.
Since I write this each day in the morning the "One Thing" will be from the day before. Here is mine from yesterday.
One Frugal Thing 11/27/2012
In January of this year I moved my little family (18 yr old son, dogs, cat, reptiles and myself) from Southern California, a very warm climate, to Central Oregon, a four season climate. If you have spent any time in Central Oregon you realize very quickly that at least three of those four seasons can be cold (sometimes very cold). After several years in Cali we had become accustom to being comfortably warm all the time. Though I love all four seasons it is uncomfortable to change climates rapidly.
Heating costs are high everywhere. Both electricity and natural gas bills can eat rapidly into an already strained budget. I decided one area I could cut down on was the heating bill. I have generally kept my home at around 70 -71 degrees never really thinking about how it could fluctuate since my digital thermostat will automatically adjust accordingly. Last night I decided to drop my temp down to 66. This may not seem like a huge drop, but I figure baby steps, right? My son's room is naturally warm as he has reptiles with heat elements in their cages. I piled 2 extra blankets on my bed (I like the weight anyway) and brought the dogs all into my room so they were either snuggled on the bed with me (natural little heat boxes), curled up on the carpet (my house has hardwood floors and can be cold for them to lay on) or toasty on their doggie beds.
I slept like a log so I consider this a successful transition and will continue to keep my thermostat at 66 at night for a week. Next week I will try dropping it to 64. During the day when we are home I usually set it at 70, but the furnace does not kick on very often since I am cooking or running the dryer and the house stays warm on it's own. I am leaving at 66 today and see how it feels.
I know this sounds like a small thing, but I figure the pyramids were built one block at a time, right? I will let you know next month how it effects my electric and gas bills.
Showing posts with label self sustaining. Show all posts
Showing posts with label self sustaining. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Reality Check
Every book, article or blog I have ever read about budgeting and getting control of your finances has said the same thing. The first step is to figure out what you have coming in and what you have going out. This makes perfect sense, except sometimes it is easier said then done.
The first part is easy. Most people know EXACTLY how much money they have coming IN. I know I do. Since I was laid off of my job I only have 2 regular sources of income and combined they only come to $1241.00 a month (just for the record, I am not on welfare and I do not receive any maintenance/alimony from my 19 yr marriage). I know I am blessed to have this much without a regular job and I am not complaining. Even though, I still wake up every morning in the midst of an anxiety attack, with my stomach tied into knots. I have a very large amount of debt from both my marriage and the last 3 1/2 yrs of ignorance, depression and my own poor choices. I also run my household on this amount, which consists of an 18 yr old son, 4 dogs, 3 cats, 3 reptiles and a very tiny mouse named Maryjane.
The second part is a lot tougher. If you normally pay for most everything with a debit/credit card it will be easier for you to track as you can just pull up your statements. I pay cash for almost everything, with the exception of a couple of bills I pay online with a debit Visa. This is a lot harder to keep track of, but none the less I did it. The recommended time frame is 30 days to get an accurate read on your spending habits, but if you can do it for several months (or backtrack your expenses for a couple of months) you will have an even better picture of your spending habits.
The results were a real eye opener for me and I bet yours will be for you as well. I was amazed at the things I did on a daily basis without even thinking about it that wasted small amounts of money. When I added them up it came to a large amount of money each month. Most were things I did in the name of saving time because I thought I was too busy to do the frugal alternative. A lot were food related or gas related.
Here are a few examples:
Stopping at the local Tigermart every morning for something to drink on my way out of town.($1.00 - 4.00)
Stopping at the fast food place within an hour of leaving home to get my son something to eat
because I didn't have time to cook/make something before we left. ($5.00-10.00)
Sometimes stopping at another fast food place 4/5 hours later after my son is done with classes (he goes to the local college a couple of towns away and commutes) because he is STARVING when he is done and I am tired and still have a 42 mile drive before we get home. ($5.00-10.00)
Driving either 25 or 42 miles into the larger towns on days we don't HAVE to for relatively unimportant errands or to visit friends. ($10.00 - 25.00)
Stopping at the grocery store to peruse the meat section for dinner since I have no idea what I feel like making for dinner. ($5.00 - 25.00)
Well, you get the idea. I was making terrible choices and had no clue. If you have not done the 30 day tracking of your expenses, I truly recommend sucking it up and doing it. It will give you some ammunition to use against yourself and the forces of evil (just kidding) that are driving you into financial ruin. It will also give you something factual to show your spouse and children when you start tightening your economic belt and they start to squeal. If you are out of money before the of the month, or just living paycheck to paycheck without any reserve it is time to make different choices.
I thought those choices would mean feeling deprived and living a "lesser" life but I was wrong. I am so new into this "frugal lifestyle" but I already can see that life is better, both financially and emotionally. I feel a lot more in control, my son feels better physically without all the fast food, my house is less chaotic and cleaner (that was a real surprise bonus) and for the first time in a long time I can see a little glimmer at the end of the tunnel.
I did the 30 day tracking the old fashioned way (an envelope for receipts, and a piece of paper then transferred info onto a notebook page) but here is a link to a website that has a free tool to help you track your budget.
http://www.billwinston.org/uploadedFiles/BWM/Spiritual_Resources/Budgeting%20Worksheets%20.pdf
If you are reading this it is probably because you are in the same place as I am, and need to do SOMETHING. This is the first step to SOMETHING.
Let me know what you come up with and if it is as big of a shock to you as my was to me.
Hope to hear from you, thanks, Tina
The first part is easy. Most people know EXACTLY how much money they have coming IN. I know I do. Since I was laid off of my job I only have 2 regular sources of income and combined they only come to $1241.00 a month (just for the record, I am not on welfare and I do not receive any maintenance/alimony from my 19 yr marriage). I know I am blessed to have this much without a regular job and I am not complaining. Even though, I still wake up every morning in the midst of an anxiety attack, with my stomach tied into knots. I have a very large amount of debt from both my marriage and the last 3 1/2 yrs of ignorance, depression and my own poor choices. I also run my household on this amount, which consists of an 18 yr old son, 4 dogs, 3 cats, 3 reptiles and a very tiny mouse named Maryjane.
The second part is a lot tougher. If you normally pay for most everything with a debit/credit card it will be easier for you to track as you can just pull up your statements. I pay cash for almost everything, with the exception of a couple of bills I pay online with a debit Visa. This is a lot harder to keep track of, but none the less I did it. The recommended time frame is 30 days to get an accurate read on your spending habits, but if you can do it for several months (or backtrack your expenses for a couple of months) you will have an even better picture of your spending habits.
The results were a real eye opener for me and I bet yours will be for you as well. I was amazed at the things I did on a daily basis without even thinking about it that wasted small amounts of money. When I added them up it came to a large amount of money each month. Most were things I did in the name of saving time because I thought I was too busy to do the frugal alternative. A lot were food related or gas related.
Here are a few examples:
Stopping at the local Tigermart every morning for something to drink on my way out of town.($1.00 - 4.00)
Stopping at the fast food place within an hour of leaving home to get my son something to eat
because I didn't have time to cook/make something before we left. ($5.00-10.00)
Sometimes stopping at another fast food place 4/5 hours later after my son is done with classes (he goes to the local college a couple of towns away and commutes) because he is STARVING when he is done and I am tired and still have a 42 mile drive before we get home. ($5.00-10.00)
Driving either 25 or 42 miles into the larger towns on days we don't HAVE to for relatively unimportant errands or to visit friends. ($10.00 - 25.00)
Stopping at the grocery store to peruse the meat section for dinner since I have no idea what I feel like making for dinner. ($5.00 - 25.00)
Well, you get the idea. I was making terrible choices and had no clue. If you have not done the 30 day tracking of your expenses, I truly recommend sucking it up and doing it. It will give you some ammunition to use against yourself and the forces of evil (just kidding) that are driving you into financial ruin. It will also give you something factual to show your spouse and children when you start tightening your economic belt and they start to squeal. If you are out of money before the of the month, or just living paycheck to paycheck without any reserve it is time to make different choices.
I thought those choices would mean feeling deprived and living a "lesser" life but I was wrong. I am so new into this "frugal lifestyle" but I already can see that life is better, both financially and emotionally. I feel a lot more in control, my son feels better physically without all the fast food, my house is less chaotic and cleaner (that was a real surprise bonus) and for the first time in a long time I can see a little glimmer at the end of the tunnel.
I did the 30 day tracking the old fashioned way (an envelope for receipts, and a piece of paper then transferred info onto a notebook page) but here is a link to a website that has a free tool to help you track your budget.
http://www.billwinston.org/uploadedFiles/BWM/Spiritual_Resources/Budgeting%20Worksheets%20.pdf
If you are reading this it is probably because you are in the same place as I am, and need to do SOMETHING. This is the first step to SOMETHING.
Let me know what you come up with and if it is as big of a shock to you as my was to me.
Hope to hear from you, thanks, Tina
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Tightwad Gazette
Most of my life I have been a spendthrift with underlying frugal tendencies. I realize this is an oxymoron, but none the less that is how I describe myself if I am being honest. The dictionary defines these terms as:
Spendthrift - One who spends money recklessly or wastefully.
Frugal - characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources.
I firmly believe that most people are a hybrid of the two. I have never met a pure spendthrift or a purely frugal person, though I have to admit that, like Bigfoot, I believe they DO EXIST. People tend to lean one way or the other and depending on their circumstances at any given time adjust accordingly. This has always been me.
I have always reacted to whatever flaming poop ball came whizzing past my head, in a state of panic, and prayed for divine intervention. And while I have always manage to squeak through, at the end of the day I am left further behind then when I started.
But what if I could construct a lifestyle in such a way that my family's security and peace of mind were not subject to the whimsy of fate and external forces? To know we always had enough whether the state of the economy was thriving or in the toilet? I realize this is not a new idea. I have had some hazy notion of this float through my brain numerous times over the years. This time it stuck and wouldn't go away.
For anyone who has ever woken up with that sick clutching feeling in your stomach and ache of dread in your heart because you don't know how you can provide for your family through the end of the month, week or day, you have probably had this thought yourself. I decided to stop thinking and start doing.
The first thing I did was go out to the "Magic Garage" (more on this later) and dig out an old friend. It is a book called "The Complete Tightwad Gazette" by Amy Dacyczyn (pronounced Decision, go figure). I found this book many years ago at a garage sale and bought it out of curiosity. By chapter two I was hooked. The funny thing is that I found it during a period in my life of extreme prosperity and the height of my spendthriftyness. If I had put into practice a lot of the strategies and changed my mindset then, I probably would not be where I am today, or at the very least I would have been better able to cope with the GIANT flaming poop balls that came at me years later. But you know what they say about hindsight...
If you have never heard of this book I have included a link to it's web page on Amazon.
The Complete Tightwad Gazette
I encourage anyone reading this blog to check out this book. The info in it runs the gamut from extremely useful to ridiculously extreme. What makes it so valuable to me is the mindset it puts me in when I read it. I am sure I will refer to the "TG" often as so much of what I am incorporating into my new life has been sparked by what I read in this book.
So as my first frugal bit of advice I would tell you to check with your local library (most have an online catalog system) to see if this book is available. The same information was also published broken up into 3 separate volumes, "The Tightwad Gazette I, II and III", which might also be available. Once you have checked this out, buy it. It is worth every penny. I literally carry it with me when I leave the house. It sits on the seat next to me and when I reach for my purse as I get out of the car I see it and it strengthens my resolve. I am absolutely convinced this is the reason I am currently able to stay strong and not spend on unnecessary items. Sounds silly, and my son thinks I am a nutcase (he's 18, so he thinks I am crazy anyway) but desperate times call for desperate measures and know myself well enough to admit I need all the help I get in my fight to stay on track.
I hope this post struck a cord with a few other people out there. As much as I would like to know I am not alone in this desperate time of life I hope to help others realize they are not alone either. Please feel free to comment. Has anyone else read the TG?
Hope to hear from you soon, Tina
Spendthrift - One who spends money recklessly or wastefully.
Frugal - characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources.
I firmly believe that most people are a hybrid of the two. I have never met a pure spendthrift or a purely frugal person, though I have to admit that, like Bigfoot, I believe they DO EXIST. People tend to lean one way or the other and depending on their circumstances at any given time adjust accordingly. This has always been me.
I have always reacted to whatever flaming poop ball came whizzing past my head, in a state of panic, and prayed for divine intervention. And while I have always manage to squeak through, at the end of the day I am left further behind then when I started.
But what if I could construct a lifestyle in such a way that my family's security and peace of mind were not subject to the whimsy of fate and external forces? To know we always had enough whether the state of the economy was thriving or in the toilet? I realize this is not a new idea. I have had some hazy notion of this float through my brain numerous times over the years. This time it stuck and wouldn't go away.
For anyone who has ever woken up with that sick clutching feeling in your stomach and ache of dread in your heart because you don't know how you can provide for your family through the end of the month, week or day, you have probably had this thought yourself. I decided to stop thinking and start doing.
The first thing I did was go out to the "Magic Garage" (more on this later) and dig out an old friend. It is a book called "The Complete Tightwad Gazette" by Amy Dacyczyn (pronounced Decision, go figure). I found this book many years ago at a garage sale and bought it out of curiosity. By chapter two I was hooked. The funny thing is that I found it during a period in my life of extreme prosperity and the height of my spendthriftyness. If I had put into practice a lot of the strategies and changed my mindset then, I probably would not be where I am today, or at the very least I would have been better able to cope with the GIANT flaming poop balls that came at me years later. But you know what they say about hindsight...
If you have never heard of this book I have included a link to it's web page on Amazon.
The Complete Tightwad Gazette
I encourage anyone reading this blog to check out this book. The info in it runs the gamut from extremely useful to ridiculously extreme. What makes it so valuable to me is the mindset it puts me in when I read it. I am sure I will refer to the "TG" often as so much of what I am incorporating into my new life has been sparked by what I read in this book.
So as my first frugal bit of advice I would tell you to check with your local library (most have an online catalog system) to see if this book is available. The same information was also published broken up into 3 separate volumes, "The Tightwad Gazette I, II and III", which might also be available. Once you have checked this out, buy it. It is worth every penny. I literally carry it with me when I leave the house. It sits on the seat next to me and when I reach for my purse as I get out of the car I see it and it strengthens my resolve. I am absolutely convinced this is the reason I am currently able to stay strong and not spend on unnecessary items. Sounds silly, and my son thinks I am a nutcase (he's 18, so he thinks I am crazy anyway) but desperate times call for desperate measures and know myself well enough to admit I need all the help I get in my fight to stay on track.
I hope this post struck a cord with a few other people out there. As much as I would like to know I am not alone in this desperate time of life I hope to help others realize they are not alone either. Please feel free to comment. Has anyone else read the TG?
Hope to hear from you soon, Tina
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Sweet Tea
There is an old saying "If Life gives you lemons, make lemonade". It's a great saying and the advice behind it is solid and timeless. But what do you do if you hate lemonade? Say for instance you are really a sweet tea person? This is where I am at.
For the record I would like to clarify, it is not all "Life's" fault. It is a combination of life, divorce, depression, the state of the economy and my own choices.
This blog will chronicle my journey to leading a (dare I say it?) frugal, happy, productive and meaningful life. My goal is to be as self sustaining with the resources I have available while still maintaining a comfortable life in keeping with my beliefs and respecting the enviroment we live in. Whew! That was kind of a lofty statement.
What it boils down to is this. I want to share what I am learning about saving money, making do with less, leaving a smaller footprint and creating a better quality of life for my family. I am hoping somewhere out there are other like-minded people who will stumble on this blog and share there insights. No man is an island and the prospect of doing this alone is not only daunting but lonely. If you are reading this, please leave a comment! I would be thrilled to know I am not alone out here. Knowing this in a general sense isn't as comforting as hearing from a real breathing person.
Hope to hear from you soon, Tina
For the record I would like to clarify, it is not all "Life's" fault. It is a combination of life, divorce, depression, the state of the economy and my own choices.
This blog will chronicle my journey to leading a (dare I say it?) frugal, happy, productive and meaningful life. My goal is to be as self sustaining with the resources I have available while still maintaining a comfortable life in keeping with my beliefs and respecting the enviroment we live in. Whew! That was kind of a lofty statement.
What it boils down to is this. I want to share what I am learning about saving money, making do with less, leaving a smaller footprint and creating a better quality of life for my family. I am hoping somewhere out there are other like-minded people who will stumble on this blog and share there insights. No man is an island and the prospect of doing this alone is not only daunting but lonely. If you are reading this, please leave a comment! I would be thrilled to know I am not alone out here. Knowing this in a general sense isn't as comforting as hearing from a real breathing person.
Hope to hear from you soon, Tina
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