Thinking About Taking the LWSL Challenge?

I highly recommend it! Results can be amazing by simply paying attention. It works the same as just about any other "awareness" month that exists, with the purpose being to shine the light on something that needs attention.


The challenge allowed me to shave over $1000.00 in expenses over the coming year, as long as I stay willing to skip a few unnecessary conveniences. 

I do have a few considerations and suggestions to offer before beginning, through my experience in the past month.

1. Wait to do the challenge if this is just a whim or you just happened to find this Facebook page, and spend that time reading as many of the posts as possible. Why do I say wait? Reading and considering what others have done gives you the opportunity to really pay attention to what might need attention and correction. Inspiration from other Living Well friends could totally restructure what you intended to do.
2. If you are ready for the challenge, GOOD FOR YOU! I know you will be on an amazing journey....Hang on tight!
3. For each reduction of spending or area addressed, find some way to replace it with a "Living Well" response. Many people this month decided to "give up" drive-thru food, coffee and soda. Well, don't just deny those things, think of how the same joy could be derived by spending less. Is that buying better coffee at the grocery store, which still saves you money? Buy cases of your soda when they go on super sale and stock up! Even if you buy pre-made breakfast sandwiches from the grocery store it will still be cheaper than driving thru!
4. Expect the worst and be pleasantly surprised. This actually is my husband's life mantra. Do not believe, because you are spending less this month, that there will be no medical, vehicle, household, employment, or relationship emergencies (or, God forbid, a combination of those!) that will arise. They could be bumps or canyons. Don't blame yourself when they occur. That is just life and there were no shortage of those types of situations that happened in January.
5. Don't compare your triumphs or shortfalls with other LWSL friends. Comparisons set up win/lose scenarios and make for defeated feelings. Just measure your success by how much better you are doing than you previously were!
6. Don't judge yourself other LWSL friends. Shame gets you nowhere. Focus on the commonality we share in trying to take control of our lives. For some LWSL friends, this challenge will reveal elements in their personal lives that spending habits were a symptom of. They will need encouragement. If you can't post a comment without negativity, don't post at all. 
7. Give grace to family members and friends who don't like, understand, or even want to participate. Give it to yourself as well. You were on a journey to this decision. Not everyone under your roof or in your lives has been on the same path and really for long-lasting success, bullying or forcing change on someone never works. That said, it could certainly inspire them to put their feet on the same path. No reason to let this challenge lead to dissension...that is not living well.
8. Make this fun and positive. Try to let the little kid in you come out. You remember when you were little and could find a million ways to play without spending a dime? 
9. Express gratitude as often as possible, to your LWSL friends and the world at large. If we look for the positive out there, we will be more satisfied and that will have a ripple effect.
10. Prepare to have your mind blown on how much you will learn from others. Really. Not kidding!

Now, tell me what you would recommend to people taking this challenge because I can't wait to hear your ideas!

Keeping Everyone On Board with Frugality

Inspired by Rachel Mae (thanks Rachel!) I will address how I keep the family on board with my frugality. Not gonna lie here. 

The kids are willing to spend very little of their own money, but if there is "free" food in the fridge and shampoo in the shower it is just easy for all to indulge. 

Finding packages with 1/8th amount of an item and the discovering a newly opened package, can really trigger some unhappiness.

Keeping us all honest about use is a challenge. I began labeling the date on many consumable items. 

When it comes to certain other items I will "hide" food stockpiles, shampoos and other items. If I see it is being consumed too quickly, I will simply stop stocking up on that item and even stop buying it, since it is usually a non-essential food item :).

Avoid processed items. Cook from scratch as much as possible. While flour, sugar and butter do eventually expire, their shelf time is very long!

Put shampoo in the shower in trial size bottles. Yes, it has to be refiled, but if the choice is consume and save, then you do what you have too.

I have marked on the mouthwash and shampoo bottles the weekly "finish lines" on them. I line up the orange juice bottles in the fridge, with the first to be used the most easily reached.

Freeze as much as possible and only defrost what's to be used. 

If you have expiring items check online to see when the actual use by is.

Ultimately it may mean you have to be the one responsible for rationing. 
Your pocket book will thank you!

Weekend "Extravagance"

Hubby works at least 60 hours every week. Thanks, Baby! You take care of us all so very well!

It would be so easy to just eat out most meals and spend money entertaining ourselves all weekend long. It would seem like a reward. Although, I hate the idea of tossing any extra money he makes working so hard away on temporary luxuries.

And, even though he is generally exhausted come the weekend, it can be hard to transition into a truly restful mode. The temptation to spend down time addressing "honey-do" type projects rather than using the 44 awake hours off for nurturing the spirit and refreshing the soul is pretty big, when you are just kicking around the house.

After some deep evaluation, I considered the little things that would make the weekend seem more like a retreat than a part-time maintenance career.

Our living room becomes a "Serenity Room" in the mornings. No electronics or video games allowed. Quiet is the rule. It allows for a peaceful greeting to the day. Time to cuddle, read, pray, enjoy our water view and in the summertime, convene outside to the deck.

Re-connection with our senses takes place. A candle of our favorite scent is burned, our fireplace is roaring, we turn the heat up to a much more physically relaxing temperature so we don't need bulky and layered clothing to be comfortable.

Little niceties create a vacation feel. I keep a special pair of jammies for the weekends. Satin Fleur de Lis pattern in black, red and white. Hubby has squishy, soft fleece pajama pants he loves. I don't camp shower on the weekends. I let the water run the entire time, even while I shave my legs! On tap in the shower, you will find my favorite coconut scented shower gel.

We indulge in little treats like buying a high end coffee creamer...just for the weekends. A special little treat. Some of our favorite junk food is handy too. The rarely used Star Trek and Looney Tunes character mugs are saved for weekend-only use. 

Planning for our weekend meals during the prior week keeps the pace slower, along with enabling the willpower to stay home to eat, which is fine for the whole family, since we so rarely get to all be together. 

A running list is kept of dinner and dessert cravings we have all had, so the wish can be fulfilled on an approaching weekend. We might also whip out the fondue pot or have appetizers while we watch a movie. 

In summer, we also will venture out to specialty meat or fish stores, as well as the farmer's market to retrieve fresh items in our classic convertible car. Why not run an errand and enjoy the ride at the same time?


Just a little window into how we make our weekends feel like a vacation from the work week.

Share with me what you do. I love to be inspired!

Frugality Doesn't Fall Far from the Tree

Mostly due to need, my family has always watched the pennies. We check clearance racks first when shopping, or hit the thrift stores. 

My daughter is a super tightwad. I say that with respect. Her pennies don't leave her pocket without a strong force pulling them away.  She buys most of her clothing at thrift shops, but there are times, when combined with her employee discount, items can come cheaper than the thrift store. 

Anyone for a brand new Anne Klein purse for $1.00???? She rocks the deals.

When it comes to auto repair, it can be considerably more difficult to save money. She was "gifted" with a 1997 Saturn SL as an 18th birthday present from us. It was a hand-me-down, but still a "free" vehicle. 

A vehicle this age will need regular repairs, even thought it is very reliable. The present list was as follows: New tires (one is leaking air), muffler replacement (literally crumbling from rust), brake check.

As she is attending college and living at home, our daughter is trying to do as much as possible without our financial help. Working part-time makes that difficult, as you can imagine. 

This is where frugality can shine though, making the choice is to repair, rather than replace.

Rather than replace the tires, a much too expensive fix for the one leaking air, she took it, on her own mind you, to get the tire patched for $15.

Her new muffler was purchased and installed for the meager price of $56, the cost of the part only. A friend's husband works on cars for a hobby and was more than happy to do the fix. Daughter bought him a case of his favorite soda and gave his wife a small gift. ALL THIS ON HER OWN! Good job, Baby Girl!

Brake check is coming next, but I have no doubt she will find a deal that way too.

Frugality continues for this clan!

Save the Date

Paying attention has proven to be the key for many of us on the "Spending Less, Living Well" Facebook page. 

Consumption can be a thief. So I have decided to mark the date of purchase on most consumables in the house (peanut butter to mouthwash) with a Sharpie. This works on two levels to stem use.

For one, it shouts "I WAS BOUGHT ON JANUARY 1. USE SPARINGLY".

Secondly, it gives me a more accurate picture of how long it takes to use something up, preventing over buying and cluttering.

Efficiency is the rule of the day. Write on!

Weekly Saving Total $830!

Just doing the math for the week, I saved our family $830 for the coming year so far! 

Cell Phone Charges Corrected $130.00
Making Ice Cubes vs. buy       $245.00

The rest of the savings comes from not buying bottled water. Our home uses well water, and I don't feel completely comfortable using it for drinking it straight, so I've always bought purified drinking water. 

I decided to take a gamble and purchased a Pur water pitcher and filter. Since it seems to satisfy taste and purity wise, our savings over the next year will be $455.00, and that includes purchasing replacement filter cartridges.

Awesome. 

Simple little changes add up!

Save Money by Paying Attention To Use

I've mentioned the Facebook Group I joined to spend less and live well. By way of accountability, I have created a post-it not sticky screen wall that has all my spending categorized which I see it every time I log on the computer.

Inspiration struck again to put the date of purchase on all my non-edible consumables (shampoo, detergents, shower gel, etc.) My intention is to keep a list of those things, tracking how long it took to use it up.

 Progress will be made if I can make them last longer the next time purchased. It makes projecting spending easier too, so I don't purchase items unneeded and that take up space.

Good luck to me and those who choose to take this challenge on!

How to Save Money on.....All Your Bills! (cell phone)

Yesterday, I saved $130 on my cell phone bill. 

Here's the story....

The most boring thing I have ever done is try to analyze my cell phone bill! My eyes glaze over immediately.

However, when the amount was much higher than I anticipated since I terminated my contract for a phone when the contract expired, I knew something was wrong and set out to examine the statement. 

My statements are online, which I learned from the customer service representative,  looks nothing like a paper, snail mail copy. That's problem number one. Online statements are condensed and eliminate much verbiage, for example, the words TERMINATION FEE are no where to be found in the online statement. I decided to call for help.

This venture took almost 90 minutes! 

Who, in real life, has 90 minutes (15 on hold, security screening, computer screen loading, checking current and past statements, getting permission from a manager to give me credit for the termination fee because it is such a "high" amount ($89), my additional inquiry as to if any other fees were incurred due to the new billing system believing I had terminated my contract early, lo and behold there were other incorrect charges ($47.40),(IF YOU DON'T ASK THEY WON'T TELL!!!), more permission sought for more refund, time to calculate the new amount due, getting name of representative in case of a problem since the company won't send out CORRECTED statements)?

All this left me wondering how often in my busy life I just paid bills without closely EXAMINING them.

Do I want to spend 90 minutes of my life doing this? No, but I don't want to be ripped off either.

Look over your statements and call if you are confused by them. It is the customer service reps job to help you understand them and get you answers. It isn't always the reps fault when something goes wrong, just document who you spoke to, the date and time as well, for c.y.a. purposes.

I'm Back-Happy New Year

Whew. The holidays, freezing cold and snow have taken it out of me! My son has missed 5.5 of the past 8 school days due to the weather and related issues. Hopefully routine will return soon!

On January 1, I joined a group on Facebook, which challenged people to have a "no extra" spending month. I love the opportunity to save money and learn the habits and challenges of others. 

I began to consider even if what I was buying was a "need" was I really getting the best value and keeping a handle on usage?

 Inspired to dissect my receipts, I created the following categories:
*Food(basics like fruit/veggies, meat, pantry, etc)
*Health (medications and personal care)
*Home (cleaning supplies, repair items, domestics)
*Clothing
*Pets
*Cars
*School
*Beauty
*Entertainment
*Date Nights (I separate them in the budget to make sure we have funds specifically for this important time!)
*Fun Food (convenience foods;frozen pizza, chips)

Now that I am tracking these items, with the help of computer screen post-it notes, (which I highly recommend because every time you are on the computer you face your spending!) my goal is to research the internet to see if I can find any savings. I will pass on whatever I learn to you!