Creative solutions for when you are tired of being frugal
We live a frugal lifestyle. For the most part we are okay with it, and even thrive with this lifestyle, but sometimes it can be exhausting. Sometimes we get tired of making meals from scratch, cutting coupons, price matching, and doing whatever we need to do just to save some money. Sometimes we just want to throw caution to the wind and buy some brand new furniture for our house, or put a vacation on a credit card, or eat out as a family at some local restaurants. In those moments it can be easy to throw our hands up in the air and say "I don't care" and make careless decisions. But in the end we would regret those decisions. So what should you do in those situations?
1. Treat yourself to something SMALL and AFFORDABLE.
The other day we went out for "Loonie Shakes." Under 5 dollars for milkshakes for our family, yet it still felt like a splurge for our family.
2. Remind yourself of your goals.
On the inside of my wallet is a piece of paper I taped to it that says "Do you want more stuff, or do you want to travel?" so that every time I open up my wallet to buy something on impulse, I am reminded of my goals.
3. Take a social media break.
Sites like Facebook can heighten our desire to spend our money on things we can't afford when it may feel like everyone else around us are able to make those purchases at the drop of a dime. But the truth is, you don't know the back story of the pictures you see on Facebook. You don't know if they've been saving for months or years to make that purchase, or if they are up late at night stressed at how they are going to make payments on their purchases they bought on credit. So give your heart a break and turn off the social media.
4. Do something fun that is free.
Invite some friends over for coffee and board games, go for a nature walk on a nearby trail, go star gazing, or go for a bike ride. Finding some free fun will remind yourself that life can still be fun on a budget.
5. Browse the internet for inspiration.
Read frugal living blogs. One search on Pinterest will reveal tons of articles written by people who have successfully conquered their financial dreams by living a frugal life. When you are starting to feel like you can't live frugally anymore you will be able to draw strength, motivation, and inspiration from these articles.
Remember that "this too shall pass." These feelings of being tired of being frugal will end, and if you stick with your budget and your saving goals, you WILL reap the benefits.
Here are some tips on how you can create a budget that works for you:
Most people have difficulty creating a budget and actually sticking to it. That's because it can get pretty restrictive and time consuming. The good news is, you don't have to make it hard. You can find ways of making a budget that works for you.
Instead of focusing on your expenses, try instead to concentrate on your savings. This process of reverse budgeting lets you figure out how much you need to save every month. Once you are able to figure this out, you can then set it up so that you have that amount going into your savings account automatically. That way it’s sort of like “out of sight out of mind” and you don’t really miss it or end up using it.
Money Goals
Before coming up with a budget, it's important that you write down your short term goals. Doing this will increase your chances of success. This is because when you write down your short term goals, you'll be able to fully understand the big picture. You get to see what it is you are saving up for and how you can accomplish that goal in the future.
Start by writing your goals out. You can do this for the next 3 or 6 months, 1 year, or even 5 years or more, it’s up to you what fits your needs. Remember to include the date you want to complete them along with the expected cost. After you have written down your goals, that's when you can determine how much money you need to set aside on a monthly basis. Here's an example:
By simply dividing the cost of the goal with the months you have available to complete the goal.
Cost of goal: $2000 Months to complete goal: 12 $2000 divided by 12 = $166.66 So you need to save $166.66 each month for 12 months to reach that $2000 goal.
The next task is to number the goals by assessing their priority.
You can also do the same for your intermediate term goals and long term goals. Remember that if you are unable to meet the monthly savings needed to complete your short term goals after figuring out your expenses, you may need to reevaluate the things that are important to you and make necessary adjustments. What you don’t want to do is quit. You want to adjust. You can do this, but be realistic when setting your goals.
Automatic Savings
It is a wise idea to set up an automatic withdrawal from your main account or paycheck that goes directly into your savings account. This way, you won't have to withdraw the money from your bank which can make it tempting to spend on unnecessary items.
When you're opening a new bank account to do this, make sure that you choose an account that will earn you a higher interest rate. This is because you won't be touching the money for a long period of time. If you let the interest accrue, it means that your funds will grow as long as you leave them in the bank.
As soon as the account has been opened, and you have your expenses figured out, set up an automatic monthly withdrawal with the amount that meets your goals. Then forget about it. Use your regular method of paying bills and ignore this new account so that it can grow and not be used as a backup and you’ll be on your way to meeting your savings goals in no time flat.
Trying to make another person’s budget and lifestyle work for you is probably setting yourself up for failure. You have to find something that works for you. Be kind and understanding to yourself. If you fall, get back up and keep going! Just. Don’t. Quit.
The more I think about it, I really think that being organized is the key to saving money. Not only does my sanity thrive when things are organized in my home, I find our bank account is happier too. 🙂
Here are 6 ways being organized can help you save money:
Know what you already own
Having a spot for everything will help ensure that you know what you have on hand at all times. No need to buy the beans that are on sale because you know that you already have plenty in the pantry! Being organized (or more organized because we can't be perfect!) stops you from spending money to replace items you can’t find.
You'll avoid late fees
When you have an organized system in place for paying bills and returning borrowed items on time, you'll certainly avoid the ugly late fees. Avoid paying late fees by implementing a system that will work for you. I have to tell you a story about the one time I had a late fee on the Visa bill. My bill paying "system" is not how my husband would do it and he suggested I try it his way. His way was to pay off an amount as soon as there was a balance. My way is to pay it once a month on the due date, the balance of the statement in full. As soon as I receive the statement in the mail, I log into our online banking and schedule the payment to be made on the due date. Sure, it may be a larger amount doing it my way, but I'm never late in paying it! My husband has learned to just let me do my thing in that regard. 😉
Have time to plan a menu
When you're organized, you'll have time to set aside to plan the menu for the week. I'm a firm believer that having a menu plan in place will save you unnecessary trips to the grocery store and your sanity. In our case, it saves us a ton because we're avoiding the drive thru and actually eating what we buy from the grocery store.
Have time to cut and use coupons
If you're a coupon user, being organized means you most likely have some time set aside for printing and organizing your coupons. Which also means you are probably organized to use the coupons at the store to pay rock bottom prices!
Know what projects you have on the go
Let's pretend that I don't know all about incomplete projects. (you know, those unfinished sewing and knitting projects that I found...) Every once in a while I get an urge to do something creative. But when I take the opportunity to have an organizing session, I usually discover a few unfinished projects.
Most recently, as I was going through my fabric stash, I found two unfinished projects. A purse, which only needs to have the handles sewn on, and material for a sweatshirt I’ve cut out for my husband. I now have two projects to finish to satisfy my creative urge without spending any more money!
Buy gifts well in advance
When you're on the ball with upcoming special occasions, you can buy ahead when you find a great deal online or in the store. Helping you to avoid paying full price for something near your deadline.
How does being organized save you money? In what ways would you like to be more organized so you can save more?
I recently got to thinking about some of the items I don’t mind paying more for if it means better quality. Outerwear and most footwear would be on my list. I would consider those investments that I can make use of for several seasons. But, even then, I try to get a deal! So….
I’m Wondering: What are some items you don’t mind paying more for? Would you ever pay full price?
Something I like to do on a semi regular basis, is to declutter the stuff in our home that is not needed anymore. Although there always seems to be some sort of mess around these parts, extra clutter drives me crazy. But before I haul everything off to the thrift store, I set aside anything I think I could sell online; it's always nice to earn bit of extra spending money!
While I'm a fan of the traditional garage sale, selling some of our old things online is really gaining popularity in my books. I've found it to be less work and I tend to make more money than if I were to sell the items in a garage sale.
I've been dabbling a fair bit with some local Facebook Buy & Sell sites, so that's where I have most of my experience. But Craigslist and Kijiji are also great free options for selling your stuff online. Although, I've found that small items typically don't sell well with Craigslist and Kijiji so that's why I've been sticking with these Buy & Sell Facebook groups. Ebay is also a great option is you have brand name items and collector items to sell.
Here are some tips on how to sell unwanted items online through Craigslist/Kijiji, Facebook and eBay:
Research
Spend some time taking a look at items similar to what you want to sell to get an idea of what you should price your item at. It might also be a good idea to research some of the details you think buyers might want to know. (ie: dimensions, special features...etc.)
Price Your Item Well
If you simply want to get rid of stuff quickly, price your stuff quite low. If earning a bit of money is your goal, price your items by what you see similar items selling for. Quite often I'll price something a bit higher then what I'm willing to take because it'll be a bonus if someone does purchase it at my asking price. But I know people like to barter to get a lower price. They'll feel like they're getting a deal and I'm happy I was able to earn some decent spending money!
Take Good Photos
Having good, clear photos with your item is fairly crucial if you want to sell it quickly. Here are some basic tips for taking a good picture:
Find good lighting. Try to take your pictures in natural light. In a dark room, the photo won’t show clearly, and artificial light can change the color of the item.
Clean the item. Make sure you give the item a good wipe down or wash to show off the condition.
Create a clear background. Place the item in an area of your home or yard that is free of clutter. You want to make it clear what you’re selling so don’t let any other distracting items show up in the photo.
Take several shots. Take at least one shot from every angle.
Choose the Right Category for your Item
To make your item easy to find, you'll want to make sure you choose the right category to list your item under. After all, no one is going to look for a car in the Housing category!
Write a Clear Headline
In the headline, I like to include what it is and the price. For example: Fisher Price Jumparoo, $40. Having a good headline is important because it’s the first thing people see about your ad and it’s how buyers search for items they want.
Write a Good Description
In your description, you'll want to include:
What you’re selling. Start the ad by explaining what your item is.
Item’s condition. Briefly explain the condition of the item. Make a note of any damages.
Technical details. Include as many technical details as you can about the item.
Price. Don't forget to state the price again. Be sure to include whether you’re firm in your price or willing to take a best offer.
Your contact information. At the bottom of your ad, note your preferred method of contact.
Be Safe
Once you have your ad up and running, and you have your buyer, you'll want to meet in a safe place. If I'm home alone, I like to arrange a public place for item pick-up. I try to plan it with an errand I'm already running to save running around all over town. (This one doesn't really apply to items you sell though eBay since you're shipping the items to the mailing address your buyer provided.)
The Best time to use:
Craigslist/Kijiji
Craigslist and Kijiji are great options for selling furniture, toys, vehicles and household items. My husband has had great success selling a couple of vehicles. I have had success with selling some furniture we no longer need. It's free to list your items, so there really isn't any reason not to try a handful of items!
eBay
eBay is the best option for selling popular brand name items such as Coach, Kate Spade and the like that are in excellent condition. High value collector items or hard to find items are also a great match for eBay. It's free to list items on eBay but you are required to pay a commission if your item sells.
Facebook Buy & Sell Groups
It's no secret that I'm a fan of the Facebook buy & sell groups. After all, these Facebook groups are easy to use and are free to join and list. I've had great success selling baby items, household stuff, outerwear and books. Search for a local buy & sell group, then ask to join. I'm fairly certain that these groups are in almost every city these days. You'll want to be sure to read the rules of each group so you don't end up with your listings being deleted by the administrators. (They set rules to cut down on some of the clutter that posting many items by so many people can cause.)
I've created, what I hope will be useful, a Stuff For Sale printable that you can use to keep track of your items as you sell them. Because I use Facebook groups mostly, that's how I structured this printable:
Who doesn’t love to save money and time over the holiday season? Each year, the holidays can quickly become all consuming. They can quickly rob us of our hard earn money and precious, limited time. Below, I’ve listed some of my favorite, simple ideas to help you save your hard earned dollars and precious time!
Shop online
Online shopping is great this time of year. Especially if you want to avoid crowds and if you know what you need to purchase. Online shopping is also great for those who find it difficult to find time to get to the stores. Here at Simply Frugal, I try my best to list the best holiday deals from retailers across Canada.
Search for discount codes
This goes together with the shopping online tip. Often, retail stores have discount codes available. They can range anywhere from dollars off to percentages off to free shipping. To find these discount codes, do a simple search here on Simply Frugal, Retail Me Not or google “‘business name’ coupon code”.
Ask for a Price Adjustment
Stores quite often have a 30 day price guarantee. So if something goes on sale within 30 days of you buying it, you can come in with your original receipt and receive the difference back! Each store is different, but it’s definitely worth checking out if you could save a pretty penny by doing it!
Follow your favourite businesses on Social Media
Use social media to your advantage. By following your favourite businesses on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you’ll be one of the first ones to know when they have a special promotion going on! On a related note, sign up to their email lists. I often find small businesses have special discounts or secret sales for subscribers.
Handmade Gifts
Sometimes handmade gifts are the ones that are loved the most. I’ve seen some pretty amazing gifts during my travels through the web! Pinterest is a gold mine of ideas. I even have a whole category of homemade gift ideas on Simply Frugal! I’ve often sewn my husband hooded sweat shirts to give as gifts because the store bought ones usually end up fitting him weirdly after a short amount of time. He loves them and loves the thought I put into making them for him!
Buy new accessories instead of a new outfit
If you’ve got a holiday party or two to attend this year, why not pull out one of your favourite outfits you already own and simply purchase new accessories to create a new look? Way less expensive than buying a whole new outfit!
Make your holiday get-togethers a pot-luck
Who says you have to spend all the money and time to put together a gathering? Make others bring along their favourites, and you’ll have a great selection of food! Or an appetizer party could be fun too! (Don’t we usually fill up on appetizers first anyways?)
For decorating, use nature to your advantage
Wander around your neighborhood and collect all the great looking sticks, cedar boughs, and pine cones. Then use your findings to create your own unique mantel displays, railing decor and wreaths! Use some metallic spray paint to inject a bit of shimmer.
Have a decoration swap with friends
Tired of putting up the same decorations year after year? Get together with some friends who are feeling the same way, and swap your goods! This also works with wrapping paper, if you’re thinking you’ll never get to the end of a roll!
Shop the after Christmas sales
I don’t suppose this need to be said, but this is how I get all my holiday bags, wrapping paper, ribbon and bows! Usually for a whopping 50% off or more. Holiday greeting cards are usually deeply discounted as well.
May you have fun, be frugal and enjoy the pleasures of the Christmas season! What are some of your best money and time saving tips for the holidays?
