Category Archives: Simplicity

TGIF Round Up: Taking it easy edition

Whew … our crazy month isn’t even half over and I’m already tired.

We had a fantastic time with Tony’s parents. The weather was absolutely beautiful last weekend. We spent Sunday afternoon at a local winery. We tasted some wine, strolled the grounds, and enjoyed the warmth and sunshine.

I had to go back to work on Monday, but Tony took them to the beach and to see several local sights on Monday and Tuesday afternoon. Evenings were spent visiting and eating delicious dinners. We were sad to see them go on Wednesday morning.

This weekend we’re taking a much needed rest. We’ll need it to prepare for what comes next. We have more visitors coming to town next weekend. They’ll leave Monday morning, and I’ll board a plane to New York City for a business trip. I’m looking forward to all of it, but I’m not used to this much excitement!

And now my favorite posts from other bloggers this week:

  • Free From Broke asks is an 8- to 12-month emergency fund necessary in this economy? I think the recession has changed many people’s saving habits. Our ultimate goal is an 8-month emergency fund, but at this point we’re just amassing liquid savings as quickly as possible.
  • Paid Twice is reevaluating goals and getting back on track after a tough start to the year. When life gets overwhelming, sometimes it helps to take a step back and get back in tough with your goals.
  • Almost Frugal discusses the financial future of her children. After growing up during this recession, I have a feeling the next generation will come to view money differently than we did. At least that’s my hope.
  • My Two Dollars doesn’t understand the allure of designer clothing. Neither do I. I’d love to be fashionable, but I just can’t imagine spending that kind of money on clothing. (And to be completely honest, I think most designer fashions are kind of ugly.)
  • Sense to Save plans to live like she’s in a permanent recession. While I’m looking forward to the end of the recession, I’ll continue to live frugally, spend less than we earn, and save money. Hopefully it will just be a little easier in a booming economy. :)

I’m off to rest. Happy Friday!

Moving on a budget? Consider staying where you are

moving-boxes
photo by mtmiller

I think I hate moving more than anything else. It’s expensive, stressful, and exhausting. But since we’re renters, we’re always tempted to look for something better when it’s time to renew our lease.

We don’t love our apartment. It’s comfortable, but the building is old. It costs a fortune to heat and cool because our entire living room wall is a sliding glass door. We’re constantly calling maintenance to patch leaks and fix problems. We also kind of hate the neighborhood.

Last year when it was time to renew our lease, we strongly considered moving. We did a lot of research to find out how much other apartments in our area cost, and what kind of deal we could get. In the end, we decided to stay put. Why? Well, there are a number of reasons:

  • Even though we don’t love this neighborhood, it’s less than a mile from where Tony teaches and attends classes. He’s able to easily take a bus to campus, so we only need one car.
  • The building is old, but rent is cheap. Our two-bedroom apartment costs the same as smaller one-bedrooms in newer, fancier buildings. We like having the extra bedroom for guests.
  • We’d lose $300 in non-refundable security and pet deposits if we moved, and then we’d have to come up with the money for additional security and pet deposits for the new place.
  • We’re probably going to be making another big move in less than 18 months, so we decided we’re better off saving our money for that move and dealing with the problems here. After all, no apartment is perfect. If we weren’t dealing with these problems, it would be something else in our new place.
  • I hate moving. I moved seven times in four years during and after college, including an 800-mile move. I’d really like to stay put as long as possible now.

Since we knew we wanted to stay here for another year, we decided to ask our landlord what kind of deal they could give us for signing early.

Of course, we didn’t tell them we’d made up our minds. We just told them we were starting to look at other options (even though our renewal isn’t up for another two months), and asked what they could offer us. I’m so glad we did.

Not only did they offer us another year with no rent increase (it usually goes up about $15 a month), but they knocked $300 off the rent for the first month of the new lease. We were expecting our rent to go up $35-$45 this year, because last year we negotiated with them to get washer/dryer hookups installed in our apartment. Our rent should have gone up another $30 then, but they cut us a deal. If we had waited to renew, they probably would have added that $30/month to our rent plus the normal increase of $5-$15.

Honestly, if you’re renting and considering moving, take a serious look at why you want to move. If you just have normal gripes about apartment life, I encourage you to consider staying put for as long as possible. Not only will you save the money it costs to move, but you might be able to negotiate a great deal with your landlord.

It’s not always about money

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Yesterday, Tony and I took our dog for a hike at the state park, then for a walk along the beach. We had a wonderful time, and it didn’t cost a penny. It also allowed me some time to think and reflect on some things.

  • This may not be my favorite place I’ve lived, but it certainly has some perks. And most importantly, I am happy here because I’m with Tony.
  • I should be appreciating every second of the time that we have together, just the two of us.

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  • I’m not taking nearly enough pictures to document this time in our lives.
  • I shouldn’t worry so much about that which I can’t control.
  • Exercise is a lot more fun when it involves sunshine and fresh air.

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  • Most importantly: There are many things in life that are more important than money. That’s why I’m so glad we’re frugal, and we don’t have to worry so much about money anymore.

How we’re spending our no spend weekend

Most of the spending we do — from groceries to unnecessary extras — takes place on the weekend. Because we work all week, we typically don’t have time to do any shopping. Trips to the grocery store, Target, and the occasional recreational window browse often lead to extra spending. We try to limit unnecessary spending, obviously, but even items like dog food, tooth paste, and other necessities can add up.

We’re already nearing our budget limit for spending and entertainment, but we’re headed out of town for the weekend for a frugal trip to Washington DC. Because we’d like to have some extra money for a meal and other extras, we’re attempting to have a no spend weekend. That means no recreational browsing, and no shopping even for the necessary items if it can wait. We’re buying the bare bones minimum groceries to get us through the week, and that’s it.

Setting this goal made me realize that we spend more time on the weekends spending money than I’d like to admit. No, we don’t go on wild shopping sprees. But the little bit of spending we do adds up, especially when you consider the fact that we spend $0 on the typical weekday.

To keep ourselves busy, we’ve come up with a no-spend itinerary for the weekend so we can have fun without spending any money. Here’s what we’ve come up with:

Friday: We made a homemade pizz, rented a free Redbox movie, and relaxed on the couch.

Saturday: After breakfast, we’re going to put on some warm clothes and take the dog for a hike at the state park. It’s beautiful and sunny outside today, and I think he’ll enjoy sniffing the hiking trail. The best part is I get to skip the gym for today since we’re getting exercise outside.

Sunday: Unfortunately, our Sunday plans aren’t really fun, but they are frugal. Tony’s parents are coming to visit the week after next, and since we’ll be out of town all next weekend, we’ve got to do some major cleaning and preparing. We want to get a head star on Sunday, clearing clutter out of the guest room, and deep cleaning all the nooks and crannies of our apartment. I’ll also squeeze in a trip to the gym, which isn’t exactly free since I pay $20 a month for the membership, but won’t cost anything extra.

I hope you’re all enjoying a lovely frugal weekend, too!

Reducing stress a little at a time

I’ve got a busy couple of months coming up. We’re taking a mini-vacation to Washington DC at the end of the month, then we’re expecting several visitors in March and April. In addition to that, I just found out I’ll be going on a business trip at the end of March.

When I get busy, it’s more important than ever that I keep stress levels down. I find the best way to reduce stress is avoid it by staying on top of this a little bit at a time. Even if it’s something small, every little bit helps.

Here are some of the little things I do to keep things running smoothly and reduce stress:

  • Make my lunch and lay out my clothes before bed to avoid rushing around in the morning.
  • Spend 15 minutes a day tidying up to avoid a major mess at the end of the week.
  • Do one load of laundry every night to avoid a pile-up.
  • Plan a menu for the week.
  • Avoid letting clutter pile up on flat surfaces (tables, shelves, etc.)
  • Keep a small notepad with me to make notes and monitor my to-do list.

Avoiding stress a little bit at a time works for me. What little things do you to to avoid stress when you’re busy?

TGIF Round Up: Love & taxes edition

Looks like I spoke too soon when I sung the praises of TurboTax last week. Ugh.

I’ve had some issues that I’ll share with you in a later post (probably this weekend). For now, I’m just happy it’s over and hoping there won’t be any additional snags.

I’m looking forward to a quiet weekend at home. I’m not one to make a big fuss over Valentine’s Day — I prefer to spend every day of the year showing my husband how much I love him. **sap alert**But it’s nice to have an extra excuse to give him a kiss and a hug and let him know that I still think I’m the luckiest girl in the world. :) **sap alert ended**

And now for some great writing from the blogosphere:

Happy Friday the 13th!

Personal finance is romantic

love-and-money
photo by jeeked

I know I said yesterday that love and money have nothing to do with one another. That’s not entirely true.

It’s true that love doesn’t cost money. There’s no reason to spend any money on love. But money can certainly affect your relationship, especially when you’re having financial problems. It can increase fighting, distract you from the important things, and even lead to divorce.

I know, most people don’t consider budgeting to be a very romantic concept, but money problems can wreak havok on even the healthiest of bonds. Working together to get your finances in order is one of the best things you can do for your relationship.

It fosters a sense of teamwork.

There’s nothing more bonding than setting mutual goals and working toward them together. Teamwork is good for any relationship. It heightens closeness, especially when you succeed together.

It decreases (or eliminates) financial arguments.

Couples fight about money than any other thing. Most of these arguments stem from differences in how you and your partner handle money. But when you take the time to outline your goals and rules together, it allows you to get on the same page about money management.

Maybe you still won’t agree completely, but talking it through allows you to find common ground and set mutually agreed upon rules. Though we don’t completely agree about every aspect of money management, Tony and I have never fought about money. We set the rules, and we know what to expect from one another.

It decreases money stress, allowing you to focus on other things.

Anyone who has experienced money troubles knows it can be hard to focus on anything else when your finances are a wreck. Your finances won’t be perfect overnight, but when you take control and start to work toward financial goals, you at least feel more in control. You’ll suddenly realize your mind is much freer to think about more positive things, like how much you love your partner.

It allows you to accomplish your dreams together.

Whether your shared dream is to own a home, take your dream vacation, start a family, or own your own business, getting your finances in order is the first step. There’s nothing more romantic than achieving your dreams together, and fixing your finances can help you make that happen.

This Valentine’s Day, take some time to look at your finances — your mistakes, your accomplishments, and your goals. It may not seem like a romantic way to spend the holiday, but it’s one of the best things you can do for your relationship.

Love don’t cost a thing

valentines-heart
photo by Grant MacDonald

I’m not a J.Lo fan, I promise. But with Valentine’s Day coming up this week, there’s never been a better time to remind ourselves of this simple concept: love and money have absolutely nothing to do with one another.

I have nothing against Valentine’s Day. It’s a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, like most holidays, it’s gotten all wrapped up with money and gifts and extravagance. It’s ironic that the holiday centered on love has become so extravagant when love is is the most frugal idea ever. Love costs nothing. It offers so many wonderful benefits, and they’re all absolutely free.

This Valentine’s Day, I encourage you to celebrate love without spending any money. I’m not talking about spending less money or a little money. Try celebrating the person you love most for free.

Spending money is easy, but we all know the best things in life cost nothing.

  • Take an extra moment out of the day to stop what you’re doing, embrace your significant other, and tell him or her exactly how you feel.
  • Write a letter letting him know what he means to you and how he changed your life.
  • Make a list of all of the things you love most about her.
  • Turn off the TV and spend the evening talking about where you’ve come from and where you want to go next.
  • Remind yourself of your first days as a couple, and try to remember the time when your partner was just too good to be true. Hopefully, you haven’t forgotten, but if you have, Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to remind yourself.

If you’re planning a money-free Valentine’s Day, leave a comment and share your plans!

Where do you draw the frugal line?

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about degrees of frugality.

For instance, many of you probably think it wasn’t very frugal of me to join a gym and buy new running shoes. On the flip side, some of you might be like my husband, who believes you can never spend too much when it comes to your health. (For the record, I’m somewhere in between.)

Some of you can’t imagine spending money on disposable diapers, and some of you would rather use coupons to get disposables at a low price instead of paying close to $20 for one all-in-one cloth diaper.

For some, time is worth more than money. Maybe you’ll willing to spend extra money on things that buy you more time.

We all have different ideas about what’s really frugal. As I’ve said many times, frugality is not one size fits all. Not even close. There are a million different degrees of frugality.

Whatever you decide, the important thing is that you draw yourself a frugal line in the sand. Figure out what’s important to you, and try your best to stick with it.

For me, frugality is about balance. It means most of the time I can’t have it all. If I want to spend money on a gym membership, I have to cut some of my entertainment spending. If I want to go to a movie on Saturday night, I can’t go out to dinner, too. That’s where I draw my line. I cover the necessities, and find a way to balance the extra stuff.

Where ever you draw the line, try to be consistent. If you decide to give up meals out so you can afford to go to the movies, don’t look at your frugal friend who spends her entertainment budget at restaurants and convince yourself that you can have it both ways. Remember your priorities, remind yourself of the decision you made, and stick with it.

At the same time, don’t feel guilty if you’re spending money on paper towels or disposable diapers while your other frugal friend uses rags and cloths. Trust your decision, and balance your budget accordingly.

It’s ok to change your mind. It’s ok to change your priorities. But always make sure you’re doing it for yourself and your family. Don’t base your decisions on someone else’s frugal choices. If you’re frugal, I’m sure you don’t believe in keeping up with the Joneses. But you also shouldn’t try to keep up with your frugal neighbors across the street.

Everyone’s line is different. Just make sure you stay on the right side of your own.