Ask A zombie Housewife
A lot of people fail new years goals because they are two big and not fun. If I would have said I am reading 200 books this year I would of failed. I wouldn't have gotten past four books. If you want to do the challenge.
The rules were
1. The books could be unfinished books from last year.
2. They could be really short nonfiction books. I had been putting off reading books about raising chickens "for eggs" for over six months maybe longer. I realized I probably don't want to raise chickens because I don't think I could put non egg layers down. Though I do know I could probably raise a couple of chickens if I needed to. The shortest book I read was 11 pages it was very useful self help book but it could have used a couple extra pages.
3. I could have read them last year and reread them.
4. Unfinished books don't count. One ebook was this book on yoga and it wasn't bad but it didn't move me to read more.
5. Picture books could count but board books wouldn't. They had to be deeper thought books. (Though none of the books I counted were picture books.) Meet the Frugal Woods
6. Cookbooks counted anything that made me a better person counted.
The Big Frugality Issue
My No/low Spend Weeks
Ask A Zombie Housewife
I do a no/low spend weeks or month at least once a year for the past three or four years. Though I had a lot of no spend months when I was younger. That wasn't by choice. I have something called mad/fun money and its my personal spending money for the year. I can add to it if I sell a story or some of my artwork. No spends are not gimmicks with me. I do them to stretch my fun money out.
It also lets me contemplate my blessings and the feelings that I have enough.
Last no spend month. I gave homemade gifts, babysat as gifts and learned to make my own laundry soap. I am frugal by choice. I extended way past that I needed too.
This year I am trying more for less. I am doing one week of no personal spending. Then if I can I extend it a week or two. I use reward points to buy things. I earned digital money by choosing slow shipping on Amazon.com and buy ebooks with it. I did spend a little much after my no spend but I had to buy gifts for people and buy new used clothes. (Not part of my fun money but a needed expense because I hadn't bought clothes for myself in over a year and I lost the weight I gained.)
I am going to have shorter low spends through out the year. My low spend this week is Tuesday to Friday. Monday I needed to buy a thermos because I could only find broken ones in the thrift store so it had to come out of my fun money as a gift to a family member . I am planning a low/spend
week next week then I am going to spend
Why Frugality is important for Everyone "including the rich, poor and upper middle class"
By Unicorn Frugality
40% of Americans are just one pay check away from poverty. About %25 of people who make over 100,000 are struggling. Its even higher with millennials who make a good living even though Millennials are more frugal housing costs, student loans and not documenting.
I am not an extreme frugality person I am a selective frugality, and a value green person.
The frugality is just the tool I use to get green. Its the tool I use to buy the things that are more meaningful to me. I would rather buy books than shoes and fancy purses and have good reasonably priced food and nice kitchen gadgets.
1. A frugal person has more money to give to the charities and people who need it.
2. Frugality is greener and more eco friendly. Reusable items cost less are more elegant than disposables. That doesn't mean I am zero waste. When my kitchen needed to be redone I used disposables but reusables are cheaper and I even have reusable straws.
3. Being Frugal doesn't mean you never can go to Disneyland. It means your going to save for it.
4. Being frugal means having a retirement plan.
5. Being Frugal means being abundant. The true masters of Abundance spend less than they earn and give to charity.
Book Ebook Reviews: Frugality
Unicorn Frugality
I have amassed a good sized frugality, homemaking eco friendly book and ebook collection. There is always something I disagree with in frugality books even the ones I really recommend.
I bought used frugality books. I supported the writer if they also sold inexpensive for sale ebooks.
I bought the Frugal woods on Sale and part of that was digital gift code I had. I bought Kate Singh's ebook Living on One Income on one of her free sales on Amazon.com. I have bought several of her ebooks with money because they are cheap and inspirational. Frugalwoods speaks from someone who is upper middle class/wealthy person who saves to stop working the job she hates and retire to work at home jobs and motherhood. Both these points are different but valued.
Right now I am being more Frugal. I still buy things, food, clothes for the kids, art. My husband has a good job but frugality sets a huge safety net, and lets us live magically greener, be able to give.
It also affords to indulge in our hobbies. My husband's hobby is cooking and mine is writing and being green.
Review One Living one Income a Simple Guide to making it Work Kate Singh
I love Kate Singh's books. The ebooks have a lot of good tips for beginners even those like me who been frugal for a while will find it inspiring. Though I did find a tip or two I plan to use. Her writing makes you want to be frugal and make it sound magical, homespun and romantic. Even when her books aren't on sale they are pretty cheap.
The only thing really I disagree with this ebook is co sleeping. I felt safer having my babies in their own basinet in my room for the first few months.
There also couple of books on her book list that are not have not liked as much as hers.
I agree with her not to bath a baby in the sink or tub. I agree with her frugality can be beautiful and you can live well on less. I agree that home should a joyful place so you will want to spend more time in it instead of wasting money.
This ebook is full of the Life Kate lives. Its like listening to a real friend and I recommend people buying this book. Even though some subjects overlap the inspiration is well worth it. I think anyone who is embarking on being frugal or being a frugal homemaker, doing the Dave Ramsey Program, or going through a job loss or just wanting to spend less. You should buy at least three Kate Singh ebooks. They are pretty cheap inspiration.
She teaches you in this Ebook:
1. How to build savings one Penny at a Time. I have always believed people go broke on little things.
2. I am going to try use a bucket to catch water in the shower while it heats up for the garden. It will do two thing not waste.
3. I don't have pets but she has tips to save money on that too.
4. Even though its a short book its not like those cheapy frugality rip off books with no real content.
Its full of content.
Meet the Frugalwoods
Elizabeth Willard Thames
I recommend this book as well. It is a fast read and enjoyable. Its more a biography than a frugality book. I put it in my inspiring I hope she does put out of a frugality book though much of those tips can be found on her blog. I absolutely love her blog. I love this book as well. I bought when the ebook went on sale.
There have been some not kind reviews which I don't feel are completely honest or they misunderstood what they read.
Mrs. Frugalwoods never claimed to do what she did on a modest income. She has always stated she and her husband made good money. She said she didn't make as much as an investment banker. Which is the wealth that she worked around when she worked for a non profit. I don't think she owes it to me or anyone else how much she makes.
She comes off as thoughtful and very knowledgeable of her privilege.
Some people think her saving was extreme. Her upscale trash picking would give Amy Dacycyn a run for her money. A middle class person could find use of her advice its just going to take longer than two years.
