Tag Archives: Simple Living

Living well isn’t just about money

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the direction of this blog. The truth is, the more settled we become in frugality, the harder it’s become for me to find inspiration for finance-related posts. As Tony and I continue to live a healthy, simple lifestyle, though, I’ve been hit with a ton of inspiration and ideas about simplicity and healthy living.

This is a frugal blog, and I want it to remain a frugal blog. But I’ve been doing some thinking about what frugality really means to me and why I started this blog and this lifestyle to begin with.

When I started this blog, I wanted to document our financial journey and learn new ways to save money. But more than that, I wanted to live healthfully, happily, and simply. That’s why I named the blog “Living Well on Less.” Above all else, I want to live well (don’t we all?). Spending wisely is just another part of living well. Budgeting and saving free us from the stress of paycheck-to-paycheck living and allow us to focus on living a simple, healthy lifestyle.

As I approach the 1-year anniversary of this blog, I’d like to shift my focus just a little bit. I’ll be writing more about lifestyle, simple living, healthy living, and, as my blog title says, living well.

This doesn’t mean I’m abandoning finance posts. After all, mindful spending is a huge part of the simple, frugal lifestyle. I’ll still write about saving money and spending wisely. But I’ll also be writing more about health and wellness, happiness, and simplicity. I’ve always written on these topics, but in the past I felt compelled to tie them in somehow with finance. From now on, all of my posts won’t be related to finance. Some of them will just fall under the umbrella of living well.

I hope you’ll find this updated theme helpful and interesting. I’m so excited! I have a ton of ideas, and I can’t wait to share them with you.

As always, feel free to contact me or comment if you have suggestions for topics you’d like to read about on “Living Well on Less.” Thanks for reading!

Beauty doesn’t have to be expensive

One of the most frustrating things about the frugal world is while most people acknowledge that everyone is different when it comes to budgeting and spending, the approach to beauty is relatively one size fits all. The consensus seems to be that you don’t need to spend money on beauty products.

But personal appearance is an important part of living your best life. In order to be confident, it’s essential that you feel comfortable in your skin, whatever that means to you. Everyone is different, and you shouldn’t feel guilty for wanting to invest in your personal appearance to ensure your confidence.

That doesn’t mean beauty budgets don’t need limits, though. As I’ve said many times, the trick to living a full frugal life is balance. Here are some tips to ensure you look and feel your best without blowing your budget:

Prioritize.

What is most important to you when it comes to appearance? Do you have sensitive skin that requires specialty makeup or lotion? Are you self conscious about your body and need certain clothes to feel comfortable? Figure out what it is that makes you feel your best, and focus your budget there.

My naturally curly hair is dry, frizzy, and requires a lot of effort to look nice. I spend a little more on shampoo and hair products, but I wash and style it less frequently to cut back on the products I’m using. Look for compromises to reduce the impact of your beauty needs on your budget.

Try alternatives.

Don’t assume that the most expensive product is your only option. I spent years trying different hair care products to find a balance between quality and price. I’ve settled on some moderately priced hair care products bought in bulk to give me the results I want while spending the least amount possible. Don’t be afraid to experiment with other brands, generics, and even natural alternatives like baking soda and vinegar. If you can get the desired effect without spending as much, it’s win-win.

Go for quality, not quantity.

Find makeup products that work for you, and stick with them. If you have a drawer full of cosmetics, really consider how often you’re using those products. Wouldn’t your money be better spent on a few high quality products that work well for you? Really consider how much you need to look your best. Try to limit yourself to cosmetics that you’ll use every day.

If stylish clothing is important to you, it’s okay to spend a little more on the latest styles, but if you’re buying expensive fashions you’ll have to get by with fewer clothing items. Try to stick with classic styles that are likely to be fashionable for longer than passing trends. You’ll look stylish without having to buy a new wardrobe every season.

Focus on you.

So much of fashion and beauty is based on other people deciding what’s trendy, fashionable, and acceptable for everyone. The problem is that the beauty and fashion industry is focused on convincing you that you have to spend a lot to be beautiful. Do your best to focus on what makes you feel comfortable. The point isn’t to impress the world with a large collection of clothing and shoes; the point is to make sure you feel comfortable and look your best.

Ignoring the world’s perception of beauty is a difficult habit to break, but it’s an important step in looking and feeling confident without putting yourself into debt.

Guest post: 12 essential tools for your frugal kitchen – Part II

Photo by quintanaroo

(Here’s the second part of my husband Tony’s guide for 12 essential (and multi-tasking) kitchen devices that will help cut down on the clutter coming in and the dollars going out.)

7.) If you are only willing to buy one knife, make it a good one. But good doesn’t necessarily mean expensive. Cheap knives can be unsafe; the simple truth is that the money you save on an $8 Chef’s knife might end up going to a hospital bill later. If you only buy one knife, make sure it’s in the 8- to 10-inch range, full tang (that is, the metal runs through the handle), and non-serrated (because serrated knives can’t be honed and sharpened). The cheapest and best quality knife I’ve ever found runs for less than $30 on Amazon. If you have it in the budget to get a few more, get a paring knife for small jobs and a relatively inexpensive serrated slicer for breads and tomatoes.

6.) Heavy wooden chopping block. If you’re going to buy a good knife, you might as well get something proper for it to cut on. You’ll be surprise how often you genuinely use it. A heavy wood cutting board will help keep your knife in good condition, and is ideal for cutting vegetables, fruit, and just about any non-meat related item. Use a cheap, food-grade, dishwasher-safe plastic cutting board for chopping, cubing, or cutting raw meat.

5.) Wooden utensils. They’re cheap, kind to your non-stick pans, dishwasher safe, and won’t melt.

4.) A pizza slicer. Not just for homemade pizzas: use to portion brownies, quesadillas, etc.

3.) Glass storage containers. Pyrex, for example, won’t stain or hold smells; it’s safe for the freezer, the oven, or the microwave; it’s durable and difficult to break; and it’s dishwasher safe. Although slightly more expensive than plastic, when you buy your second or third round of plastic Tupperware after marinara or chili stains the interior, think of how you wouldn’t be buying another set of glass.

2.) Crock-Pot. The appeal of the Crock-Pot began as a device of simplicity and convenience, but most recipes call for few or common ingredients and it has become a worthy tool of the frugal kitchen. In reality, it performs many of the same functions as the cast-iron dutch oven (except direct contact heat), but it also doesn’t require your presence, nor does it require the power and energy generated by an oven, either on the burners or from inside.

1.) Cast-iron skillet. One of the cheapest and most reliable kitchen materials is cast-iron. It involves some annual seasoning, but it holds heat like a volcano (perfect for making a steak if you don’t have a grill). Cast iron is about as indestructible as cookware gets, so it has the potential to last forever. A 10- or 12-inch skillet is a must-have for any kitchen; typically less than $20, it can be used for searing, baking, frying, braising, or practically any other task. With time it develops its own natural non-stick coating, and you can’t beat cornbread made in cast iron.

Tony is my husband, an excellent cook, and a grad student. If you want to read more from him and you like movies, check out his movie review blog.

Guest post: 12 essential tools for your frugal kitchen – Part I

Photo by photoartist3

(This is a guest post from my husband, Tony, an amateur chef who cooks professional-quality dishes. As the primary beneficiary of his culinary talents, I can absolutely attest to his abilities in the kitchen. Here are his recommendations for the only 12 tools you need to make pretty much anything without cramming your cupboards or breaking the bank.)

Stocking a frugal kitchen is a balancing act. Weighing the pros and cons of a particular tool and trying to figure out how much money you should put down for it is as delicate an art as cooking or baking. Depending on the situation, money either is or is not synonymous with quality, which is why the only rule you should ever have when buying a kitchen tool is this: is it a multi-tasker?

I don’t want to suggest a kitchen can survive with just 12 pieces. But these strategically purchased pieces can help cut down on the clutter coming in and the dollars going out.

12.) A 10- or 12-inch nonstick pan. I would never pay more for a non-stick pan than I would want to pay again in the next few years. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter if you buy the cheapest non-stick pan or the most expensive non-stick pan: both are susceptible to that single nick that will cause them to lose their functionality. Although keeping a non-stick pan in pristine condition for multiple years is certainly not impossible, most of us don’t store it in a museum display case and will have an accident that will begin to ruin the pan. Look for a pan in the low-middle cost range; something that has a little heft to it (to hold heat and allow for even cooking, which the cheapest ones don’t) but won’t make your bank account cry if you chip it.

11.) A thick rubber-handled manual can opener. Cheaper than an electric variety, easier to clean, and if the handle is rubber, it can moonlight as a jar opener.

10.) A large pot, 8 to 12 quarts. Perfect for soups, stews, and stocks. (Every frugal kitchen should be making its own stocks!)

9.) In most cases, buy plastic instead of metal. It’s cheaper and it lasts longer. Metal, particularly stainless steel, looks beautiful — but cheap metal measuring cups can bend at the handle, and cheap metal measuring spoons can rust. My mother still uses the same simple plastic measuring devices she received at her wedding. And if you’re looking into plastic utensils (particularly flexible-head spoon spatulas), it’s worth the extra dollar or two to buy something that is safe to high temperatures; melted plastic is never a tasty ingredient.

8.) Tongs. They’re like a third hand. If you can only buy one, get the ones with heat-resistant plastic on the ends so they won’t ruin your non-stick cookware.

Tony is my husband, an excellent cook, a grad student, and a movie reviewer. Check back tomorrow for the second installment of his guide to essential tools for the frugal kitchen!

New to frugality? What to do first

Frugality is overwhelming in the beginning. I remember reading blogs from frugal veterans who made it sound easy, but I was terrified. Cutting groceries down to $35 a week, zero-based budgeting, coupon clipping, drug storing? It may have been easy for them, but I didn’t know where to begin.

Take a deep breath. Remind yourself that frugality is a major life change. It’s not going to happen overnight. The best way to get started is to jump in, and don’t try to change your life too drastically in the beginning. Frugality is a gradual change, one that you’ll hopefully be able to maintain long term. It’s okay to start with baby steps.

Here’s how to get started:

Figure out where your money is going.

Before you can cut expenses or create a budget, you need to know what you’re spending and where. Link your bank accounts to Mint.com, and spend normally for a couple weeks. This step was incredibly eye-opening for us in the beginning, and we immediately saw some areas where we could easily cut back.

Create a budget.

Next it’s time to face the dreaded b-word. Don’t be scared, though. Budgeting is actually empowering, especially in the beginning. Don’t try to deprive yourself or make drastic changes at first. Just create a zero-based budget to ensure that you’re not spending more than your income. I use Mint.com to set limits on our spending, and then I track it in real time. Every dollar has a purpose, and anything left over goes to savings or debt. You can always reduce your expenses later. The most important thing in the beginning is getting used to tracking and following your budget.

Open a savings account.

Even if you’re deep in debt and struggling to make ends meet, find a way to start saving something. You can always increase the amount later. What’s important now is establishing the habit. Even if all you can spare is $25 or $50 a month, open an ING savings account separate from your checking and start putting a little money away.

Learn to entertain yourself without spending money.

The first step to having fun without spending money is learning to love your library. If you don’t have a library card yet, go get one right now and start borrowing books and movies for free. Check out a cookbook first. If you’re like my husband and me, eating out is probably one of your favorite date night activities. Learn to have fun cooking for yourselves, and you’ll drastically cut your food budget.

Create menu plans & grocery lists.

When you first start cooking at home, it’s tempting to go overboard at the grocery store. You don’t have to cut your grocery spending to $35 a week to make the most of your shopping trips, though. Find a menu planning strategy that works for you, plan your meals with the grocery ads in front of you, and start buying meats and staples in bulk. You’ll cut your grocery expenses without affecting the quality of food you eat.

It’s okay if you makes some frugal mistakes in the beginning. Learn at your own pace. As you master these basic frugal habits, you’ll gradually find yourself learning new ways to save even more money. It’s an ongoing process for everyone, even the frugal masters.

As long as you’re committed to saving money and reducing debt little by little, your life will continue to improve. Remember, frugality is about improving your quality of life, not just cutting your expenses.

A day off from my to-do list

One of the easiest goals I set when I came up with The List was taking a day off for no reason. At least it should have been easy. Unfortunately, taking time off has always been tough for me.

Like a lot of women, I’m always juggling a million things at once. I’m a wife, an employee, a blogger, a friend, a daughter, a sister, a dog owner, CFO of our household … and my responsibilities continue to grow. With so many things to do, it’s hard to take a break. Even on vacations, I have a long list of what we want to do and see. There’s never time to just sit and be.

My point isn’t to whine. To be honest, I don’t know that I could live any other way. I enjoy being busy, taking on responsibility, crossing things off my to-do list. There’s nothing more satisfying for me, and I wouldn’t continue to add to my list if I didn’t relish in getting it all done. If I had to sit still more than a few minutes at a time, I’d probably go crazy.

I’ve gotten so used to being so busy all the time, though, that I forget sometimes that taking a day off is an option. My days are spent with one to-do list after another, which is fine most of the time, but I need to remember that it’s okay if I don’t get everything done sometimes. It’s okay if I take a little time off.

Last Monday morning after my parents left, I was feeling overwhelmed. We had such a great time with them, but I had a long list of to-dos, and not enough time to finish them. I was exhausted and overwhelmed. So I talked myself into doing something I’ve never done: I called off work.

I’ve never taken an unplanned day off from any job. I’ve worked through fevers, personal crises, and any number of other events when I really just wanted to stay home.

After debating with myself for an hour, I finally called my boss and told him I wouldn’t be coming in. I was stressed about his reaction, but I wasn’t surprised that he was supportive. I’ve been there for a whole year, and this is the first time I’ve called off without requesting the time off at least a week in advance.

In order for this to be a true day off, though, I couldn’t treat it like another busy weekend. I spent a little time writing, but other than that I didn’t cross anything off my to-do list. I didn’t do my laundry. I let the dishes pile up. I watched movies, took an afternoon nap, and spent the day doing nothing.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel guilty at the end of the day. I’d taken a full day off, and nothing was done. But it was a wonderful reminder that doing nothing can be an option occasionally. It’s okay to take a day off every now and then. On Tuesday, everything on my to-do list was still there. Slowly but surely throughout the week I was able to catch up.

If you’re like me and you can’t remember your last real day off from your to-do list, I urge you to take one. Call off work if you can. Ask your spouse or babysitter to take the kids for the day or even for just a few hours, and take some time for yourself to do nothing. We all need a mental health day every once in a while.

Photo by fd

Two days off & all I’ve got are excuses

I apologize for my sparse posting for the past week. It’s been a strange week.

After a lovely weekend with my parents, I took a day off Monday (more on that later). I spent the rest of the week feeling like I was catching up. Isn’t it always that way after entertaining visitors or traveling all weekend? There’s grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, writing … all of the things I normally do on the weekends that didn’t get accomplished. I’m continually amazed at just how productive my weekends are, and it’s never more evident than when I don’t have the time to get anything done.

I’ve also been dealing with some personal issues that I may or may not explain in more detail at a later date. It’s nothing too serious, just some stuff I’m working out in my head. I’m doing my best not to let it affect my ability to keep up with my blog on top of my responsibilities as an employee and wife. Rest assured, I’m not going anywhere, but if I don’t post for a day here and there, that’s why.

I love this blog, but it’s a lot of work. And when I’m feeling overwhelmed, it’s unfortunately the first thing to be put aside. I wish it didn’t have to be that way. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the things we love the most could always be our top priorities? Wouldn’t it be even better if there were enough hours in the day to get it all done?

On Monday I’ll resume my regular posting schedule, and I’ll try my best to keep it up throughout the summer. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

The bottom line: Frugality is about quality of life, not money

For me, frugality isn’t just about money. It’s not just about a bottom line. It’s not just about asking myself, how much did I earn this month? How much did I save? How much is in the bank?

Goals are so important to frugality, but they can also make frugality a little counter-productive. When you spend so much time setting goals and scrimping and saving, it’s easy to lose sight of the real goal — happiness and peace of mind.

Yes, frugality is about saving money. But the true bottom line is quality of life. The whole reason I want to get out of debt, save money, avoid living paycheck-to-paycheck is because I want to live better. I don’t want to worry about money. That’s why it’s so ironic when frugality occasionally leads me to do just that — worry about money.

When I worry about money now, it’s so unnecessary. It’s not because I can’t pay my bills or buy groceries. It’s because I forgot a coupon at home and paid an extra 30 cents for groceries, or a slight setback prevented us from hitting our savings goal for the month. Those are the times when I have to stand back, look at how far we’ve come, and remind myself to relax.

I continue to be mindful of my spending and save as much as I can, but I draw the line when it crosses over from mindfulness to worry. I’m frugal because I don’t want to worry about the money issues that really matter, like making ends meet or covering emergencies. If I still worry about money after all of this hard work, then what’s the point?

If you sweat the small stuff when it comes to frugality, take a step back and ask yourself why you’re clipping coupons, budgeting, saving. No matter what your overall goals, chances are your motives are the same — you want a better life. But fretting about every last penny isn’t the life I envision when I think about my best possible life.

When you’re kicking yourself for leaving a coupon at home, worrying about how long it’s going to take you reach your final goals, just take a step back, breathe, and remember the real bottom line.

Ask yourself: Is this improving my quality of life? Many of my frugal habits do: menu planning, budgeting, saving. At the end of the day, those things make me calmer and happier.

But the ones that don’t — worrying, depriving myself, sacrificing my comfort or happiness for a little bit of money — shouldn’t be a part of my lifestyle.

Comfort & complacency – frugality’s worst enemies

A year ago, our situation was drastically different than it is today. Our savings was depleted after months of bringing in less than we needed to make ends meet. We had a little money in the bank, but not enough to sustain us for very long.

We were living frugally out of necessity. Though our spending was cut to the absolute minimum, I estimated that our savings would last only a few more months. I could count the number of restaurant meals we’d had in a year on one hand, and we never spent money on anything but necessities. We were in frugal survivor mode.

A month later we were married, enjoyed a frugal honeymoon in Washington D.C. that we’d saved all year to take, and came home with a little nest egg from generous friends and family who had attended our wedding. I wanted to save the money, but I feared that our situation would force us to spend it to continue paying our bills in a few months when the rest of our savings ran out.

Thankfully, I was hired at my job a week later. The additional income helped us start saving again, pay down our remaining credit card debt quickly, and turn our financial situation around.

Eleven months later we have no credit card debt, 60 percent of our emergency fund in the bank, and we’re on our way to paying cash for a vacation in Europe all on the equivalent of one full-time salary. We’re considerably more comfortable and nowhere near as stressed about money. And yet, we’re still in danger.

The more comfortable we become, the easier it gets to edge toward the lifestyle we’ve fought so hard to resist. When I look at our bank balances, I feel calm instead of stressed. But that makes me more likely to forgo cooking dinner for a meal out. We can afford it now, right? When I see a good deal on clothing or books, I’m tempted to drop the cash. I deserve a little treat for my hard work, don’t I?

Comfort breeds complacency, and while I’m okay with being a little more lax about our spending than we used to be, I don’t ever want to be complacent. I always want to be mindful of our spending to ensure that every penny we spend is for good reason. I’d rather go out to dinner to spend a date night with my husband than head to a restaurant because I’m too tired to cook. I’d rather save our money for one memorable experience than fritter it away on a thousand little things I won’t remember a week later.

Now that we have more income and more savings, our finances are less stressful, but our impulses are harder to control. When I see a big screen television on sale or browse a bookstore, I’m no longer resisting because I can’t afford it. After all, the money is right there. I could easily withdraw it from our savings account and buy any number of things. The more comfortable we become, the harder we have to work to fight it.

Lately I’ve felt complacency creeping in, replacing the desperation to keep our heads above water that we felt last year. I’m aware of just how much money we’ve saved and so tempted to spend it. The struggle to pay our bills has been replaced with the struggle against our culture and our spendthrift natures.

Every day I remind myself that our goals are more important than frivolity. It’s a constant battle, but it’s one that I’m willing to fight. The reward of accomplishing our financial goals is much greater than the brief satisfaction we’d get from instant gratification.