8 Weeks of Saving More! Ways to Save (Week 2, Part 1)

Hopefully last week, you did a little dreaming and finding your "why" for joining this challenge.  If you haven't done that yet, check out the first post in the challenge and be sure you complete both Week 1 tasks.  Also, be sure to share in the comments section!

Week 2 is here and it's time to get practical!  This is where we will decide the methods we will use to actually save.  I'm going to outline four methods today and the other four in Part 2, which will release later this week.  I encourage you to choose more than one method to try as you're working through the challenge, but no more than three.  I don't want you to be completely overwhelmed!  That would just give you reason to quit.  And you're not going to quit now!

Before we talk about these methods to save, I'd like to encourage you to read the corresponding chapters in my book 8 (Really Creative) Ways to Save.  As this is just a blog post, there is only so much I can write.  The book goes into great detail on each of the savings methods, which is why it makes the perfect companion to our challenge.  You can get it here on Amazon, and the best news is, it comes in paperback or ebook, your choice!

Again, the ways to save will be divided into two parts to prevent overwhelm.  Read through all of them, and make note of the 2 or 3 that seem doable to you.

Ways to Save

1. Grocery Shopping Savings (Chapter 3):  This savings technique is fairly straightforward.  Keep your grocery receipt and save the money your receipt claims you saved.  Do this every time you go to the store and add up the savings during the course of the month.  You'll be surprised at how quickly it adds up!
2. Habit-Building Savings (Chapter 4):  Are you trying to establish a healthy or positive habit?  Why not pay yourself for it?  Make a contract with yourself to pay into a savings jar or container each time you complete the habit.  You choose the habit you're working on and the rate of pay.  For example: "For the next month, I will pay myself .25 cents each time I drink 8 oz. of water."  See how easy that is?  Just make sure you do actually pay yourself!
3. Save Your Change (Chapter 5): This one is easy-peasy, but are we really using it to its full advantage?  Because you can't save your change if you don't have any.  And you won't have any if you only use your debit or credit card on the daily basis.  That means, you're going to have to use cash.  The easiest way to do this is to designate a category of your budget as a cash category.  For instance, I usually get cash for my discretionary money.  And then I make sure I use it, and dump the change into a piggy bank at the end of each day.  Call it old-fashioned, but saving change is one of the easiest and time-tested methods of saving up cash quickly.
4. Percentage Savings (Chapter 6): To try this savings method, you designate a percentage of your paycheck (or any check or income that comes into your hands) to go into savings.  The recommended amount to aim for is 10%, but many of us can't do that when we're just getting started.  So, start instead with 1% or 2% and increase the percentage as you become comfortable with this method.  The rule to remember is to pay yourself first, before you pay anything else.  Otherwise, even that 1-2% is going to disappear!

Those are the first 4 methods!  Look for Part 2 of Week 2 in just a few days where I'll outline the other 4 methods.  I encourage you to tweak these savings methods however you like to make it work for your life.  After all, it's your money!  No one gets to decide what to do with it but you and your family.  Make these methods work for you.

Week 2, Task 1: Read this post.  Start thinking about which of these tips will work for you as you begin this savings challenge and how you can make them your own.  If you have any questions or want to share with the group the methods you've chosen, comment below!

That's all I've got for you today!  Which of these methods above are your favorite?  I'd love to hear from you.

8 Weeks of Saving More! Getting Started (Week 1)

Congratulations, you've made it!  Made it to the starting line, that is.

You don't typically hear those words at the beginning of a challenge, right?  More likely when you hit the finish line.  I decided to write them now to not only give you a preview of what's to come, but also to cheer you on for just getting started.  Not everyone shows up to the starting line!  So, hooray for you for taking on the challenge.  We've got 8 weeks of fun and fatter wallets headed our way!

Today's post may get a little lengthy, but that's only because I have so much to tell you as we embark on this savings journey.  Here's the main question I'd like you to keep asking yourself as you read through this post:

"Why am I doing this challenge?"

What was it that piqued your interest, that made you sign up to take on 8 weeks of saving more?  It's really important that you answer this honestly.  Telling yourself, "I just want to save more money" is a superficial answer.  Read through the following statements and see if you identify with any of them:

• Are you tired of the same old, same old when it comes to managing your finances (as in, not having any extra to manage)?
• Would you love to go on vacation this year and not have to put it on a credit card, but don't know how that's even possible given the size of your budget?
• Is there a big ticket purchase you'd like to make and not have to worry about financing?
• Would you like to have a cash reserve to pull from anytime you wanted or needed to?
• Would you like to finally take charge of your money, instead of always feeling like you never have enough?

I can tell you I have identified with all of these at one point or another in my life.  After I had my son, Landon, I started to realize just how expensive life is, especially with a kid!  My husband, Jamie, was working full-time and I was working part-time, and we still had very little savings to spare.  That was not the legacy I wanted my son to grow up with, so establishing a stable financial foundation for our growing family became my "why".  My what and how evolved into the book that is now 8 (Really Creative) Ways to Save.  If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend you check it out.  I will be pulling something from it each challenge so it helps to be familiar with it.  Here's a snippet of what I have to say about the importance of knowing your "why" in 8 (Really Creative) Ways to Save:

"Finding your why is critical to get you started on any goal, big or small.  If you say you want to lose twenty pounds and then set out to do it, the first time an obstacle in the form of a hot, glazed donut presents itself, you're going to fail if you don't know why you're trying to lose weight.  It's the same concept with your money.  If you're not accustomed to saving regularly, you might start out strong, but without a clear reason why you're saving, it will be too easy to quit the first time you're tempted to blow your savings."

So, now you see why it's so important to know your "why".  You will have it in front of you when you want to quit.  And yes, there are going to be times during this challenge when you'll want to quit. So will I.  But we won't because it's at that point, we'll be able to remind ourselves (and each other) WHY we're doing this savings challenge in the first place.  Do you have your why yet?  If so, you've already completed half of this week's task.

Week 1 Task 1: Define your "why" for completing this challenge and write it down!

Now that we've completed that, I want to share how the process works for this challenge.  There are 3 Steps to the challenge, and they are the same 3 steps that I outline in my book.

Step 1: Define 2 goals to save for.  We'll come up with these this week!
Step 2: Begin saving using the 8 creative ways to save outlined in the book.  You'll choose a couple of these to try and tweak them to work for you.  We'll discuss these next week.
Step 3: Pay cash for one or both goals.  Note: this may not happen at the end of the challenge.  You may have to keep saving to reach your goals, but you'll have two months of a savings habit that is sure to give you a great start!

Week 1 Task 2: This week, your challenge is to come up with 2 goals to save for during this challenge.  Here's the really fun part: you can choose any two goals you want, large or small.  Get creative!

I'll share mine with you to give you an idea of what will be motivating me.  The first goal I have is to save cash for my "sister trips".  My sister and I have decided that we will take two trips this year together.  She's a flight attendant, so we can really fly anywhere we want for little to nothing (!!), but I know I'll want to have plenty of cash when we get to where we're going.  We each get to plan a trip.  I am so excited about this, so I'm very motivated to save for this goal.

My second goal is something a little more practical, but no more less exciting to me.  I've wanted LASIK vision correction for a very long time.  I think I wanted it before it was even invented because I've had poor eyesight for most of my life.  Because I have many issues with my eyes, I'm sure the procedure will not be on the cheap end, so my ultimate goal is to save up enough cash to have the procedure, pay for it outright, and enjoy the rest of my thirties with contact-less vision.  Wow, I can't imagine how great that would be!

Ok, now it's your turn!  Make sure the two goals you come up with excite YOU.  It doesn't matter if they mean anything to anyone else; it's your money and your goals.

Part of this challenge is going to be interacting with each other.  So, once you've completed the two tasks outlined in the week 1 challenge, please share them in the comments below!  I can't wait to read about your "why" for saving and the two goals you came up with.

This is going to be so much fun!!!

Kristin

Ps. If you're just reading this post, but aren't a part of the challenge, you can join us at anytime!  Simply follow this blog by email and you'll start receiving each challenge post right to your email inbox.  I do recommend starting here first and performing the challenge tasks in order!

Why You Will Save More in 2017 Than Before!

January 1st is less than a week away!  Can you believe it?  Has your bank account recovered from the holidays yet?

Some of you panicked when you read the title of this post.  You thought, "I'm so far into debt from Christmas, there's no way I'm going to be able to save any money next year!  I'll still be paying off my credit card at the end of the year!"  You can't think like that.  I love the beginning of the year because it gives us all the chance to start over.   You can effectively push an imaginary "reset" button on any area of your life that you wish.

So, why not make 2017 THE YEAR for your finances?

You didn't think I would suggest that without including a plan, right?

I do, in fact have a plan.  Actually, it's more of a challenge.  I'm going to take it, and I hope you will consider taking it too.

Let me give you some details:

2017 Savings Challenge!

• 8 week savings challenge kicks off on January 2nd.  
• Exclusive to this blog (meaning, you will only be able to access the posts and content here, although I will have links from my social media pages)
• 1-2 blog posts per week with a weekly challenge "task" for you to complete.  Part of the task will be sharing your progress in the comments section.
• Embarrassment-free!  I promise you will not be shamed in any way, shape, or form (shaming comments will be deleted!)  We're here to encourage and uplift each other, and therefore save a boatload of money in the process.
• Spenders and savers are welcome.  If you have a plan and a community of like-minded individuals, you are so much more likely to succeed with your money goals.
• This challenge is completely FREE!  I will be using material from my book 8 (Really Creative) Ways to Save, so you are more than welcome to purchase that as your own resource, if you wish.

How do you join the 2017 Savings Challenge?  I'm so glad you asked!  It's easy. 1. Sign up for email updates from this blog (right-hand side of the page).  You will be sent a confirmation email and will receive a notification each time I post a new challenge.  2. Comment below saying, "I'm in!".  You can also introduce yourself in the comments section and leave any questions you might have about the challenge.  And that's it!  Pretty simple, right?

I promise, you WILL have fun, and eight weeks from now, your wallet will be fatter.  Are you ready to jump on this band wagon?  Let's go!

Happy Saving!

Kristin

Use Your Resourcefulness This Christmas

I know I'm not the only one who feels the pinch in my budget during the holidays.  Ouch!  It's not much fun.  Now, I'm not talking about the act of picking out and giving gifts; I really enjoy that part. It's the deflated bank account I seem to have after buying all those gifts.

If you've read previous posts or my book 8 (Really Creative) Ways to Save, you know that I don't use my credit card for Christmas.  I strive to pay cash or use my debit card, that way, I make it into January guilt-free.

This year has been extra interesting because I am not earning a steady paycheck as I once was when I was a teacher.  I say "interesting" not as a bad thing, because I've really gotten into shopping the sales, using coupons, and becoming very resourceful.  My husband works hard for our money, and I want to make sure to honor him by spending as wisely as I can.

In fact, one of my favorite gifts this year hardly cost me anything.  They are the presents for my music students.  I have five students and they will each get to enjoy this gift.  Here's some pics:

Here's the breakdown of these gifts:

1. A couple of years ago (after Christmas), I found these beautiful cupcake liners with matching embellishments.  I purchased them for at least half off, so no more than $3 because the holiday was over.  Then I put them with my other seasonal items in boxes so I'd have them this year.  Cost this year: $0.

2.  Cake mixes have been so cheap lately!  I guess it's just because it's the holidays and that's when baking supplies are at rock-bottom prices.  I stacked a coupon with an in-store offer and ended up with 3 of my favorite name-brand cake mixes for about .75 cents a piece.  I decided I would doctor a box of devil's food cake mix with a recipe from The Cake Mix Doctor (if you've never tried her stuff, do it today!).  Cost of my cupcake mix: .75 cents

3. I had most of the ingredients on hand for these chocolate cherry cupcakes with fudge frosting.  Still, I needed two more ingredients to finish off the recipe.  I bought canned cherry pie filling (store brand) and chocolate chips (name brand).  Both were on sale and I paid about $2.15 for each.  Cost for ingredients: $4.30

4. My students will appreciate the cupcakes the most, but their parents will appreciate this part the most.  I designed and printed out gift-certificates for a free music lesson in the future (not pictured).  I found my graphics online and they are commission-free, so I used those in a document and just added my text.  I printed them out and attached them to bags of leftover cookies I have from a party I hosted a few days ago.  Cost for certificates: $0

There you have it!  Some of my favorite gifts ever and I made five of them for a little over a dollar a piece.

There are many ways to be resourceful this holiday season and beyond.  You just have to think outside of the box!

What are some of your favorite ways to be resourceful during this season?  I'd love to hear about in the comments below.

Merry Christmas,

Kristin

How Saving Money has Enhanced My Life

Hello my fellow savers (and spenders too; we all have those times)!

It's been a while since I posted on this blog.  I'm sorry about that.  I don't have a good excuse for you other than to say that life has been incredibly busy, in a great way.

I enjoyed a great summer, spending time with my son who just turned three!  Wow, where is the time going?  We worked really hard on potty training, and although he still has his moments, I can say that we've definitely saved money on diapers since he's transitioned to using the potty.  Well, most of the time!

Here's my sweet boy at his 3rd birthday party in September!

I wanted to write a post on how building our family's emergency fund has enhanced my life.  And it has done so in a major way.

After much deliberation, my husband and I decided that I would not return to work as a teacher this school year.  That has been a decision years in the making, but we didn't feel that we were financially in a place to do that until now.  After releasing my savings book (check it out here), we were able to eliminate our household debt by paying off my car and student loan.  Then we started piling up any extra cash and were able to quickly establish our full 3-6 month emergency fund.  And that enabled us to make the decision for me to be a SAHM for this season!

It's been an emotional rollercoaster for me.  I've had days, especially in the beginning, where I was so sad to give up a job that I like a lot.  I mean, who wouldn't want to teach music to sweet little cherubs every day? Except when they're not so sweet!  But overall, I am really enjoying my life and time at home with my boy.  We've bonded more than ever before, and I know that's due to the extra time we get to spend together.  I don't believe I'll always be a SAHM, but in this season, I wouldn't wish for anything else.

Being able to quit my job and not worry so much about finances is only one huge benefit of our saving money.  Another perk is that I've been able to work on and fund some of my dreams.  Currently, I have two projects in the works, a novel releasing soon and a vocal warm-up program for singers, that I'll be using some of my stashed-away savings to fund the creation of.  Unfortunately, product creation takes money for all of the preliminary work that goes into it, but I made a plan to set aside some extra $$ so I could work on these.  Without that cash, both projects would still only be dreams on paper.  With it, they're coming together before my eyes!

Another benefit of our savings is being able to plan and take our version of a vacation.  I say our version because we use vacation time to visit my family who lives about 15 hours away.  Most of the time, our trips are for extended weekends, but this time, we've planned a trip that spans 8 days!  While we're visiting with family, Jamie and I get to travel 3 hours south for a business conference and have our own date weekend.  I can hardly wait!

Posing with my book.  Can you tell I'm proud?

I wrote today to give you an update on what's happening in my world and also to let you know that none of it would probably be happening were it not for the journey I went on with saving money and the book that came out of it.  8 (Really Creative) Ways to Save is that book and I would love to see it make a positive impact on your money too!  Check it out here.

What are some of the things you've been able to do with your savings?  Leave a comment below!

Free Ebook!

Hi guys!  Sorry it's been a little while since my last post.  It's been crazy around here, especially being a teacher at the end of the school year.  But the very good news is that summer is on the way!

I am excited for the blog posts to come during this summer.  I am hereby declaring summer of '16 to be the Summer of Savings.  You are going to love my next post, all about lean and green cleaners.  But before we get to that, I just had to write a quick post to let you know about some exciting news for my book 8 (Really Creative) Ways to Save.  For the next three days only (May 23-25), you can download the eBook from Amazon absolutely free.  I promise, there is no gimmick and no catch, except that this offer only applies to the eBook and is only good for 3 days.

I would like to ask you a favor though: if you enjoy the book (or even if you don't), I'd love for you to leave an honest review on Amazon under the product page when you're finished.  That would make me very happy, indeed.

To download your free copy of 8 (Really Creative) Ways to Save, click here.  You will be redirected to Amazon's site.  The ebook goes back to full price of $3.99 on Thursday.

Thank you for your support. As always, happy saving!

5 Cheap and Easy Ways to Motivate Yourself off the Couch and Into the Gym (Guest Post)

Today's blog post is from a guest blogger.  If you've never read any of Megan Smither's stuff, you're in for a real treat.  She is a beautiful young woman, creative and sweet to the core.  She makes her living as a flight attendant and travels the world, visiting places many of us would only dream about.  Her writing style is so unique and fun, but it will make you think even as you laugh out loud.

Oh, did I mention, she's my sister.

If you're needing some motivation to get back into exercise, look no further.  By the way, her tips are all cheap and easy.

Check out the rest of her stuff at: www.inflightandfabulous.com

5 Cheap and Easy Ways to Motivate Yourself off the Couch and Into the Gym

I was in Phoenix, Arizona this past week lounging in the pool with some of my friends, and we starting talking about health and fitness. As you all know, “Winter is Not Coming,” for all you Game of Thrones fans out there In fact, summer is practically here, and it has everyone in a panic, remembering all of those winter nights… and days… cuddled up on the couch with a large pizza and a box of chocolates (we have to keep ourselves warm somehow people!!). As we were talking, I realized that the biggest problem is not the gym itself, but getting there. So I want to focus this month on health and fitness, and I think that the best place to start is motivation, because in my opinion, staying motivated is the hardest hurdle we have to face in order to get healthy and stay that way. Prepare to be motivated people! By the end of this article, I expect you to have your tennies (tennis shoes) on and your butt out the door.

1. The Calendar Method: Such a clever name… I know. I came up with it myself ;p For those of you who don’t know me, I started my adult career as a teacher. I did some teaching in primary schools and some in pre-school. The one thing that I found to always motivate my students was stickers. I would give them a sticker on a chart for good behavior and then throughout the year they could visually track their progress. Stickers are magical y’all. I’m telling you! This year, gradually getting used to my busy lifestyle as a flight attendant, I found myself working out less and less. I knew that I had to come up with some way to track the days I worked out, so I came up with the calendar method.   

To read the full post, click here.