Six Figures Under

You are much more likely to be successful at reaching your goal when you’re not doing it alone.  That’s why we talked about the importance of having a buddy or accountability partner.  Of course, getting your spouse on-board with your financial goal is a huge win! Sometimes, however, we overlook the benefit of involving our […]

In the WWII era of Victory gardens, saving kitchen grease, and donating scrap metal for munitions, the frugal slogan “Use it up, Wear it out, Make it do, or Do without!” became a nationwide mantra. Oh, how that has gone out the window today!  Instead of using things up, we buy multiples in every color, style, model, and […]

One reason budgeting gets a bad rap is that traditional budgeting often makes people feel like failures.  When the month’s spending doesn’t match the amount you projected at the beginning of the month, it’s easy to decide that budgeting just doesn’t work. Traditional budgets set spending levels in each category at the beginning of the […]

Have you ever paid a library fine (or had to pay to replace a lost book)? Have you ever paid a late fee on a bill because you lost it or simply forgot to pay it on time? Have you ever intended to return something you bought at the store but didn’t get to it […]

Last year we spent $5,160 on gasoline. That’s a lot of money, just about as much as we spent on food four our family of 8! Today we’re going to talk about how we, and you, can spend less on fuel, so we can do more interesting and enjoyable things with our money. Saving on […]

How much do you spend on your lunch each day?  If you spend just $5 a day eating out for lunch on weekdays, that’s $25 per week, over $100 per month, or $1,300 per year. If your lunch spending is closer to $10 per day go ahead and double those numbers. That would be $2,600 […]

Sometimes we chalk utility bills up as one of those monthly costs that we don’t have control over.  We don’t see the cost with every use.  When we’re shopping, we can put something back if the total is too high or we can choose to return items later.  Once energy is used, on the other […]

Here’s something to think about. There’s a word that’s been costing you money! That word is “fixed” as in “fixed expenses.”  When I say “fixed expenses” what’s your first impression? If you’re like most people, you associate “fixed” with words like “unchangeable,” “permanent” and “unavoidable.” That’s why this word is costing you money! A fixed […]

Today we’re going to show you the method of budgeting that totally changed the way we feel about budgeting. It’s a move away from the traditional budgeting that has you feeling like a failure every month.  We want a budget that will empower you to really tell your money what to do instead of the […]

It’s time to address the B-word.  You knew this was coming sooner or later.   If “budget” is a bad word in your vocabulary, it’s time to fix that! A budget doesn’t have to be depressing and restrictive– it can be exciting and freeing!  We actually love our budget! It was exhilarating when we settled on […]

Do you know what’s one of the most shocking expense categories that people discover when they start tracking their expenses?   It’s food.  Between grocery trips throughout the week, eating out for convenience and entertainment, and grabbing snacks at vending machines and gas stations, food expenses add up quickly.  If you don’t keep track of how […]

How many times have you set a goal and not stuck with it?  I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all dropped the ball more than once before.  When you don’t have any accountability, it’s easy to not follow through. It helps to have accountability to yourself and someone else. Have you written down […]

Do you really know where all of your money goes each month? I don’t think there is anything more critical to personal financial success.  Even people who think they have a good idea of how they spend their money end up being surprised when they carefully track spending and add everything up. “Measurement is the […]

Want to make a small change that can have a big impact on your finances? Want a quick win that will get you closer to your financial goals? That’s what we’re going to do today. If you’ve already set your six-month goal that we talked about in Day 1 of the challenge, then it’s time […]

Are you ready to make this your year of financial success?! Welcome to the Frugal Fresh Start Challenge! We are so excited to help you make new frugal habits, lower your expenses, and get your finances in order. Each day will include a valuable financial lesson with an actionable challenge that will set you up […]