FRUGAL AND PROUD: frugal

Showing posts with label frugal. Show all posts

Monday, December 10, 2018

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING DONE RIGHT

Christmas is only two weeks away and there are those that still have not gotten any shopping done! Thank goodness for online shopping which can usually have last minute items shipped to you right before Christmas for an extra fee. The malls roll out the red carpet for last minute sales by having the stores open as early as 6 am. This is all well and good yet how will you shop for Christmas and make your budget stand up to the temptations of overspending?

First of all, holiday shopping does not have to be a chore. Sit down, write out a realistic budget and truly analyze what you will spend period. No excuses because you need to know where every dollar is going. Be sure to spend cash only and leave the credit cards at home.

Secondly, be sure to spend with the right emotions. This is so important because most people spend because of guilt and sometimes validation. To go further, when spending because of guilt it is when you buy something for someone you truly do not like (a relative, a co-worker) just because of the season. The guilt has to be gone because it is not your true you and you will beat yourself up another year for doing it. As for validation, some people spend to be liked and in hopes of getting something real nice. No! This goes along with the guilt trip. Some people will spend on who they want and you may not be one of them. So if you insist upon giving, do not be surprised if the favor is not returned. Just make a mental note to not include them on your next year's list.

Third, when shopping, the temptation from sales people and seeing beautiful displays will beckon unto you. Step away from the displays and graciously, yet firmly say "No thank you" to the sales people. You see, they are trying to meet their quota of sales for the year. You, on the other hand want to stick to your budget and remain sane.

Fourth, as for any children involved, please do not overload them with stuff they will only play with a little and have it sitting in a corner (for instance, toys and games). Once the newness of the gifts wear off, you will wonder what lead you to spend so much money. Also, do not allow their whining (the neighbor's kid got lots of stuff) to sway you, YOU are the parents, period.

Lastly, you will be proud of yourself for sticking to your budget and not having to use your credit cards (because you will pay them off asap and cut the cards...js). Your Christmas will even be merrier as well as frugal.

To all of you, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and as always...

Stay Frugal and Proud!

Dot

ARTICLES AND SOURCES

Cutting Costs? Christmas Cheats For Frugal Gifts | Organized Christmas

5 Frugal Tips to Save on Your Christmas Shopping - Inspiring Savings

Monday, October 15, 2018

FREEBIE DAY

Courtesy of efdreams.com

These kindle ebooks can be read on the kindle, but also on your computer with the kindle program, or the kindle app on many different mobile devices. Kindle ebook prices change very frequently, so make sure that the price is $0 before you checkout. If this post is more than a day old, there is a good chance that many of these ebooks are no longer free. Make sure you visit this link to see the latest Free Kindle Ebook post, and all the previous posts. Happy Reading!

Today’s top rated books:

Here are this weekend’s top Freebies, Contests, and Coupons & Deals!

Free Stuff

Contests

Coupons & Deals

More Sources:

COUPONS.COM

RETAILMENOT.COM

Monday, September 24, 2018

FREEBIES

Today’s top rated books:

Free Coffee At Krispy Kreme-https://images.krispykreme.com/ -get a Free Coffee at Krispy Kreme on Saturday, September 29. –locator

Friday, August 10, 2018

AS YOU CHANGE YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION, THIS HAPPENS!

You and your family make a decision to change your financial situation for the better. Not just subtle changes but serious changes such as doing family night at home instead of going out, deciding on using cash for the anniversary trip instead of credit cards (which you cut up and pay off), going to the grocer whose prices are much cheaper than the local store you used to go to. You also put off buying a new car because the old one runs good with minor maintenance and thrift stores have become your best friend. So as these positive changes happen and you become accepting and pleased with them, why does the peanut gallery of public opinion steps in?

You know those folks like "well-meaning friends", neighbors and yes relatives. They wonder if you have lost your mind because the person they knew would not dare penny pinch, subject their kids to thrift store clothes or miss nights out at the dinner hour. These meddlers offer charity such as money, food and advice...bad advice. You feel like using choice words but you are classier than that and tell them to stay in their lane (in other words butt out!).

When one makes decisions to change their lives, they hit nerves in other people. Whether that decision be changing their diet for the better, changing jobs or even stepping up their financial game, the apple cart gets shook. This is because you are doing something beneficial and healthy for you and your loved ones and unfortunately, those others are not. You remind them of what they could be doing and refuse to do. Raw emotions such as criticism and blaming come lashing at you. Through it all, you stay firm and keep going because you have grown sick and tired of being sick and tired. You want financial solvency and peace of mind for a change.

Let those naysayers rant like a 2 year old not getting another cookie, trust me, they will get over it. In the meantime, you focus on your goals, do all you can to improve and get some new people in your life that understand your situation. You will be better off for it.

Stay Frugal and Proud,😍

Dot

Thursday, August 9, 2018

DOLLAR TREE 2018 CATALOG IS HERE! GET YOURS TODAY!

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

SAVE UP TO 56% ON SOCOFY BOOTS!

FREEBIES

While on the path of frugality, we frugalists (my word) take advantage (not in a bad way) of freebies. I will post these wonderful gifts as I find them Grab them while they are available because they go faster than Road Runner (Looney Tune fan). You are welcome!😁

FREE KINDLE BOOKS

These kindle ebooks can be read on the kindle, but also on your computer with the kindle program, or the kindle app on many different mobile devices. Kindle ebook prices change very frequently, so make sure that the price is $0 before you checkout. If this post is more than a day old, there is a good chance that many of these ebooks are no longer free. Make sure you visit this link to see the latest Free Kindle Ebook post, and all the previous posts. Happy Reading!

Top Rated Books!

Free Stuff

Contests

Coupons and Deals

As always, stay Frugal and Proud!

Dot

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

THE JOURNEY TO SAVING...FINALLY!

Courtesy of familyfriendlysearch.com

Oh boy, beginning a discipline with saving money. I was never taught saving growing up because in one ear it was "can't afford it" and in the other ear, "I'm broke". This coming from my parents at the time and continued throughout my teens and adulthood. Unfortunately, I carried these beliefs even after having a child. Even if I attempted to save at the local bank, I felt at the time that I could not and used the money as fast as I saved it.

After a series of "events" which included homelessness, I had to get a clue and I mean a serious clue. No matter how much one has good intentions, we must set forth actions that show that ones' intentions are good period. I began a journey of learning what was going on in my belief system to cause me to have episodes with money. I had to do a time machine of my life and found out that growing up and listening to well-meaning people like family and others was something I had to heal. It took discipline and time yet I was ready to do it.

As years went by, I got a clue about money yet as the layers peeled back, the dominant thought was FEAR! It was the thing that held me frozen. As I changed my beliefs, things began to change but I had one foot on the brake and on the gas. FEAR was the culprit. I then began to dig deeper and questioned those fears and am now healing them.

This morning, I looked into my savings account, yes a savings account and found money in it. I felt relief instead of fear and look forward to more. All it took was changes within and go beyond my fears, doubts and worries. On my journey of frugality, healing helps a hell of a lot because you can be frugal as well as abundant.

Please share your thoughts in the comments and always be frugal and proud!

Dot

Monday, July 2, 2018

HOW TO FORGIVE YOURSELF FOR YOUR MONEY MISTAKES

Courtesy of Pinterest

You blew hundreds of dollars on those clothes that you did not need. Your closet was already full to the brim. Goodwill or local consignments would love to be friends with you yet you hold on to those 'needed items' just in case.

That vacay you so desperately wanted to go on despite the fact you did not have the funds is charged on your credit card. This happened after you paid it off and wanted to cut it in half. You decided to hold on to it...maybe just once more and then cut it up.

Ok, your neighbor has better tools than you and you want what you want. You blow a bankroll on tools that will sit in the shed for how long? Months, years maybe.

After your war on spending and not sticking to a budget, the casualties result in debts to the wazoo! You ask yourself how in the glorified hell did you do this. Once the initial shock wears off, the reality sinks in: you are in debt and need help, period...that part.

You want to cry, scream, cuss yet once those emotions have run their course, it is time to sit down and get serious. Those debts won't go away by themselves so it is best to form a plan, write it down, do research on how to get out of debt (Dave Ramsey can help).

The dust has settled and you are taking action on your plan. One of the most important things to do that folks ignore a lot of the time is forgiving themselves for the money mistakes! It is very important to forgive because what's done is done and now you are rectifying the situation by changing your behaviors. I believe this is one of the keys to money success along with budgeting, giving, and saving (these topics are for future posts😃).

Please comment below and let me know what you think.
Remember to be frugal and proud!

Dot😇

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

FRUGAL LIVING BABY STEPS

Courtesy of premeditatedleftovers.com

As you begin your frugal journey, it may seem confusing to some of you how to begin. I will share some tips on how to use baby steps in building your frugal life:

1.) Acknowledge that your former life of debt living did not work for you and you want another life. By doing this, you are not beating yourself up but realizing that you want to change.

2.) Budget! It is so important to know where your dollars go. Never mind if a budget seems binding but did you know where your money went before? Get started!

3.) Gather all of your debt, and I mean ALL of it; from the smallest to the largest. Put the information in a big spiral notebook (the ones with dividers in them for envelopes and receipts) by columns: Date-Transaction-Account Number-Balance-Notes. Start working on paying your debts.

4.) Get a big water jug (the ones that you see at water coolers at businesses; you can also get a small one at the local store: Walmart, Kroger, etc). Start saving your change in it (whether it is pennies or silver) just do it! Every time change is accumulated, put it in the jug and watch it grow!

5.) Shopping for food does not have to be hard. Make a shopping list and stick to it. You can even earn cash back on brands you love without sacrificing taste. Checkout 51 can help! Clip coupons from your favorite stores and use them! Plan your meals for each week so it will keep your spending on track.

6.) PURGE! This means clothes, household items and those things you no longer use or want. Take those things and have a yard sale or sell on Craigslist or Ebay. Use the proceeds towards your debt and saving.

7.) Make a list of 'my whys' for wanting financial freedom. It could be to have generational wealthy or to travel without limits. The list is for you and must resonate within you. Post it where you can see it daily.

8.) Affirmations are a good way to be on track. They must be present tense and spoken three times a day. Here are some I use:

"I am now financially free. I now live in abundance."

"I am open to receive wealth in many ways."

"My income is constantly increasing. I prosper wherever I turn.'

9.) Forgive yourself for the debts and unwise spending, it is the past and it is up to you to heal it. Use these steps daily, not sometimes and know that you will succeed. Never mind what your 'friends' say, are they out of debt? Only speak with those who are winning because you are done with losing.

For more information, go to Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps.

Be frugal and proud!

Dot

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

FRUGAL TIPS FOR TODAY

Courtesy of thefrugalcanadian.com

Here are four frugal living tips courtesy of The Wallet Moth that you can use in your journey of frugality:

1. Use Up Your Leftovers

Christmas is undoubtedly one time of year where leftovers are aplenty, and many of us can be guilty of throwing some of those goods away rather than using them all up in time.

If you find yourself throwing away a lot of uneaten food, make using up your leftovers a habit to start this year. A few great ways to ensure you always have the correct amounts of food to eat each week include:

Plan out your food shops
Buy a durable set of tuppaware to store your leftovers safely
Portion out extras and store them in your fridge
Make use of your freezer! If you have leftovers that won’t be eaten in time, package and label them and keep in the freezer for another week instead of throwing out.

2. Take Packed Lunches (and Breakfasts…and Dinners!)

Spending $5 a day on a tasty lunch might not feel like a big expense, but if you do that 5 times a day every week, you’re looking at spending upwards of $1,200 a year on food that could easily be made at home for far less money.

Cooking your own meals is not only cheaper, it can also be much healthier as you know exactly what is going into your meals.

Check out my post on 10 meal-prep meals perfect for packed lunches for some inspiration!

3. Avoid All Late Fees

Late fees are a totally avoidable expense, and that’s why this habit is so essential to start this year.

Set a reminder a few days before your bills are due to be paid, and make sure that you have budgeted enough to be able to pay these bills when they’re due.

A late fee of a few pounds each month might not seem like too much, but again, those fees really rack up if you take a look at the bigger picture over a year.

4. A Tidy Home

A tidy home means a tidy mind, so staying on top of your cleaning around the home is a great way to keep the calm, minimal atmosphere you want to create for a more frugal lifestyle.

You may be a natural neat freak, or you may be like me and need a little reminder each day to fold your clothes and not slam them into your wardrobe (heh, it’s not just me – right?!). Either way, I’ve really found that keeping my environment clean and tidy goes a long way to cleaning up the rest of my act – including my spending.

Simple things like keeping on top of the washing up, giving your room a tidy each day, and keeping floors and surfaces free of dust are all easy habits to build.

Got other tips? Please leave your comments below. Be frugal and proud!

Dot