Japanese Garden in California

I’m a big believer in saving money. Amy Dacyczyn’sThe Complete Tightwad Gazette is one of my all time favorite books because she made me look at saving money as an art form and a game and not a deprivation practice.  Ever since I read her book I often find myself asking “What would Amy do?” Would Amy go out to dinner or would she whip up a scrumptious feast from the leftovers in her fridge? Would Amy buy the knit black top on sale for $20 at Ann Taylor or would she scout the thrift stores for one that cost a dollar?

If you spoke to my husband he would probably say I’m a bit too cautious when it comes to spending money so he loves it when I do because he thinks I should treat myself from time to time. I always joke with him that he hit the jackpot in finding a life partner because I have cost him very little money. He recently wanted to buy me something as a treat and all I could think of (other than a trip to a foreign country) was a pedicure. I do a lot of yoga and I stare at my feet quite a bit. I like having a fun color painted on my toenails but I usually do it myself which is a real pain in the ass. What a treat to have a professional paint my tired little toes and massage my feet. It was worth every bit of the $28 he spent which included the tip.

Having been in major debt when I was younger, I have no desire to sing that sad song again so yes I have a tendency to live in the fear mode sometimes and to not want to spend money on anything but the bare necessities. However, I’m noticing that I’m beginning to loosen up a bit when it comes to spending money. What’s the purpose of hoarding money if you never do anything with it to enhance your life or those of others?

I’m not advocating living beyond one’s means or buying cars or houses that cost and arm and a leg to impress your friends and family. No, I’m talking about spending money on things or experiences that are an investment in your happiness and quality of life. After one has an emergency fund,  the bills have been paid, and you’re not in debt why not loosen up and open up your wallet?

I read a lot in the financial news about how corporations are hoarding their money because they are unsure of what the future will bring. My reaction to this is usually one of judgment. I think about how greedy they are and how they need to loosen up some and spread the wealth a little. Then it dawned on me I’ve been a bit of a money hoarder as well. Being careful is great but you have to strike a balance.

My household doesn’t have tons of money but we aren’t in debt and our rainy day fund is there for unexpected vet bills, car repairs, and any other emergencies that come up. At some point I think you just have to say I’ve got some back-up money now and I need to quit living in fear of going broke. How much would it take to feel totally secure? Interesting question because there’s probably not a monetary amount that would make me feel secure. True abundance comes from within not from the balance in your checking account.

Spending money a little more freely is part of my journey to lighten up, live life more in the moment, and trust that I can spend money without some horrible consequence. Below are ten things I think are worthy of spending my money on. I still look for good deals but I’m trying not to obsess over a few dollars if I have to spend a little more. Your list may differ because we all have different priorities and circumstances.

• Charitable contributions are always worth it.  Knowing that I’m helping a cause I believe in empowers me to take physical action as well.
• Travel is important to me because the experiences you have are not only are fun but your mind is opened up to new ways of thinking and living. It’s a great form of education and the memories are something you will always revisit.
• Furthering your education is always a good investment. Whether you take a foreign language class or a course in needlepoint, education always enhances your wealth.
• Anything related to your health is also money worth doling out. Yoga classes, vitamins, acupuncture, the list is endless…. Investing in your health is always wise and the return is usually very rewarding.
• Good quality food is very important to me. With food prices going through the roof my first reaction is to seek out the cheapest deals possible but buying food that I know is good and I have an appetite for is a much better use of my money. It’s the same model I use with clothes or any other material item. I would rather have less of something that is quality than a bunch of food in my pantry that I don’t like or want.
• Miscellaneous experiences such as dining out with loved ones or horseback riding because you love horses. While in AL visiting family recently my brother and I went out to dinner and I insisted on footing the tab. It wasn’t real pricey but not cheap either. What was invaluable was the great time we had together. It was worth every penny.
• Spending money on my pets for quality food and vet care is a priority for me. My little companions give me more joy than I could ever put a price tag on so I will always spend money on my pets.

•  Good wine. I used to buy the cheapest bottle I could find that was not akin to Boone’s Farm.  I now spend a little more on a quality bottle and it actually lasts much longer. The wine is so good that often one glass at dinner is enough for me because I don’t want to ruin a good thing by having too much and not remembering how exquisite it tasted.
• My hair. I have always spent money on a good haircut and highlights and will continue to do so. I only go 3-4 times a year but it’s one of my major beauty splurges because it makes me feel good. I’m not into massages, beauty supplies, facials, etc.. but I do like to have nice hair.
• Air conditioning and heat. I used to always monitor the thermostat like a hawk. Now I’m tired of that game.  If it’s too hot or cold why put myself through the torture of being grossly uncomfortable.

(If you’d like to read more about living simply and changing the way you think about wealth please consider reading my book which is available in paperback or Kindle: REDEFINING THE MEANING OF WEALTH: DISCOVERING PROSPERITY AND FORTUNE IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.

Hanging out in Solvang CA with a Dutch Shoe

Summer’s here! This laid back season brings warmer weather, longer days, and of course vacations. I love to travel. Whether it’s a destination a few hours away from home or a locale on the other side of the globe, I love to get out and see the world.

Travel can be expensive if you’re not mindful of where your pennies are going. Many expenses such as transportation and lodging can’t be avoided. And of course we all have to eat and when in a new place, you of course want to sample the local cuisine. Checking out the local sights can also add up. What’s the point of traveling somewhere if you don’t pay to see what only that part of the world can offer?

Lots of good information can be found on the web about getting good deals on travel and how to see some really great places for as little money as possible. But what about souvenirs?

This is definitely one area that can either be completely avoided or where as little money as possible can be spent. Souvenirs are completely optional of course. No one is going to throw you out of the Louvre because you don’t buy anything from their souvenir shop.

Just to clarify, I don’t think of souvenirs as that gorgeous painting from a local artist that you decide to have shipped back home or the purchase of local wines, coffee, or chocolate. I don’t put those purchases in the same category as those useless little figurines, picture brochures, key chains, salt and pepper shakers, etc… we think we have to buy so we can remember our trip to Tokyo. These types of souvenirs add up and contribute to the clutter most of us constantly fight in our homes. We also have to lug souvenirs around in our luggage which can slow us down if you’re trying to travel light and free.

When I was in high school, I went to England shortly after Princess Diana got married. London was full of all things “Diana” and I did my part in contributing to the mania by buying Princess Diana picture books, dolls, plates and anything else I could get my hands on to commemorate my trip to London. Years later, I found all these items stored away in a chest. What was I thinking? I realized that any time I thought of my trip to England, I thought about the grandeur of Stonehenge, listening to the political debate in the Speaker’s Corner at Hyde Park, and touring Westminster Abbey. I thought of the picturesque little town of Bath, England and visiting the area of London where the Beatles once played. Never once did I reminisce about the Royal Wedding souvenirs I purchased with my hard earned babysitting money.

In my travels today, I no longer even waste my time going into those shops with all the little doo dads. No matter what part of the world you are visiting, most are made in China anyway. My digital camera creates my souvenirs. I take tons of pictures of places and things that I want to remember. The memories and experiences are more important to me and isn’t that why we travel in the first place? I know it’s why I love to travel.

As cold as it may seem, I very rarely shop for gifts for others when I visit a new place. I also don’t expect friends or family to bring me a souvenir spoon back from Bangkok or wherever it was they went. I would rather see pictures and hear about their trip because maybe one day I would like to visit there as well.

Of course, old habits do die hard for some people so if you are trying to get off the souvenir bandwagon, why not start slowly and collect matchbooks from the places you visit? If you go to a foreign country, why not bring back some postage stamps or save a few pieces of the local currency or coins? If you are used to collecting something from each trip at first it may seem strange to not come back with a bagful of useless novelties. I guarantee however that you’ll have a wonderful trip anyway. Your memories will be just as vivid without all the useless trinkets. You may even find that you have an even richer experience because you ‘re out there taking in more of your surroundings and not wasting precious time in the souvenir shop.

(If you’d like to read more about changing the way you think about wealth please consider reading my book REDEFINING THE MEANING OF WEALTH: DISCOVERING PROSPERITY AND FORTUNE IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.)

spring flowers

The Roman poet Phaedrus said Things are not always as they seem, the first appearance deceives many.” I was recently reminded of this when I was browsing through realtor.com looking at real estate prices in my area. My husband and I aren’t even in the market to buy but for some reason a few Sundays ago I found myself searching for real estate that would fit into our humble budget.

I found out that for a small down payment, we could buy a condo and the mortgage would be comparable to what we are paying in rent. Note: most condos in my area that are in our price range are really just renovated apartments so we’re not talking about anything real fancy. But still, what a deal, huh? And in Southern California no less! I was beginning to get all excited until I stood back and let my saner self take over. Yes, the rent and mortgage may have run neck to neck but what about all the other expenses?

So I started to break it down. Financing a new home requires that you pay property taxes, insurance, and interest on loans. Add closing costs into the mix and condo or home owner association fees in some cases. Home inspectors, appraisers, the cost of moving – the list goes on and on….Then there are appliances that you usually need to invest in such as a washer and dryer and refrigerator if you don’t already own them. Costs for leaking roofs and overflowing toilets are suddenly your problem. No more calling your landlord and letting them foot the bill. Year to year maintenance must be done to keep things working efficiently and smoothly.

Other costs are time. Time that you will need to put into the care and maintenance of your home. Then there’s the cost of not being as mobile as one may like. If we ever wanted to up and move, it wouldn’t be so simple anymore. Then there’s the risk of uncertainly. California has low property taxes but I fall into the camp that thinks that party might come to an end soon. Any purchase carries risk and it’s important to know what those risks might be so you can make your decision armed with as much information as possible.

Jobs are another area that can cost us more than we originally thought. I recently took a job which I love at a small non-profit. I had the opportunity for other positions that would have paid more but much of that extra income would have been eaten up in other expenses. More importantly, I would not have been working for a cause I have great passion for. Since I work at home I don’t have a commute. This saves money and time. I can still take my husband to work and pick him up (he works only a few miles away) and we still don’t have to invest in a second car. I’m not tempted to go out and buy food or coffee because I have everything I need in my kitchen. There’s no need to invest in special clothes that fit a particular work culture.

Cars have lots of hidden costs. I don’t think I even need to go into much detail because I’m sure most people understand perfectly. Tax, registration, insurance, maintenance, and gasoline are not included in that sticker price. So the next time you go to buy a car, know that the price is not representative of what it will be when it’s all said and done.

With a few exceptions, I rarely buy any clothes that need to be dry cleaned or ironed. The money and time involved are not worth it to me. When we travel and buy airline tickets, I now know better than to think the cost is my purchase price. There’s transportation to the airport, food to buy when it’s a long flight and it’s not feasible to take your own, and baggage fees. I very rarely check my bags but you never know when they will tell you that you have to do so.

Pets have hidden costs. I should know! Those cute little fuzzy four-legged creatures have to eat, need veterinary care, and they take lots of time. Children have costs as well. I can’t tell you how many times I heard new parents say they had no idea how much children could cost. As my grandmother used to say “from the womb to the tomb”. For the record,  I think sharing our lives with children or pets or both is worth every cent. Just know that there will be some costs involved even though in most cases it seems like there was no initial expense!

I do not write about any of the above subjects to say that we should never consider any of these purchases or lifestyle changes. I write about this to get us thinking about the extra costs and whether or not they are worth the investment for our unique situations. In some cases they will be and in some cases not. Take my situation for example. For the time being home ownership is still not the right choice for me but that could change in the future and there will be no surprises when I sign on the dotted line.

We live in a culture that encourages impulse decisions. Very rarely are we taught to analyze much of anything. Going in lockstep with the sheeple may sometimes seem like the easiest thing to do but boy do we pay for it in the long run. Wrong decisions rob us of more than just our monetary wealth. Always ask, what will be the cost in terms of money, time, creativity and energy? Asking these questions can save us from making choices that leave us frustrated and disappointed.

(If you’d like to read more about changing the way you think about wealth please consider reading my book REDEFINING THE MEANING OF WEALTH: DISCOVERING PROSPERITY AND FORTUNE IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.)

There is much about our financial system that is way too complicated for me. I’ve put a lot of effort into making my life simple and peaceful so the last thing I want to do is spend my precious free time trying to maneuver my way though mountains of banking statements, stock reports, credit card bills, and insurance papers. No thank-you! Life is complicated enough. I don’t need any further aggravations competing for my attention.

I watched a friend go through the process of buying a house several years ago and to be quite honest the whole ordeal made me nauseous. I remember thinking there has got to be a better way to make this kind of transaction that doesn’t require the talents of a three ring circus. In 2003, I bought a car. You have never seen such a fiasco with negotiating the price not to mention the stack of papers that were put in front of me. To this day I’m still not completely sure what I signed. I hope no one ever comes forward to claim my first born child because I have no one to offer!

Our monetary system and financial markets really get off on making things complicated. Derivatives anyone? But could it also be that humans have a tendency to make things difficult when they don’t have to be that way? We may complain about the complexities of our finances but for the most part we go right along with all the insanity and rarely demand for anything to change. Maybe our financial lives mirror our personal lives. We are so used to clutter and difficulties that we accept the ridiculousness of our personal finances without question. Something to think about, huh?

We may not be able to 100% completely get away from all the complexities of modern finances but we can take some steps to make our own finances as simple as possible.

I’m a big fan of automatic payments. Just make sure you have the money in your account when the bill comes due or your life will be anything but simple. It takes a little time in the beginning to set up but once it’s in place, you no longer have to remember to write out the check, buy stamps, go to the post office, and all the other hassles that come with paying bills.

Simplify any other bill paying that you can’t automatically deduct from your checking account. Depending on your needs, set aside one day each month or each week to take care of any other bills that need to be paid. Set up a folder with your bills and any other materials you need such as stamps, checkbook, envelopes, calculator, pen, etc.. This way everything is in one place and you don’t waste time looking for your checkbook or trying to find a stamp.

Get out of debt. I can’t tell you how liberating it feels to be out of consumer debt. If spending is a problem for you, focus on how great you will feel when you no longer owe anyone any money. Think how wonderful it will feel when you are not wasting energy trying to figure out how you will pay your debts. Don’t be afraid to get the support of a counselor or group. There are others who struggle with overspending so why not take advantage of the resources that are out there to help you achieve financial freedom.

Downsize to one or two credit cards. Why anyone needs multiple credit cards is beyond me. I’m sure there is the rare individual who needs 13 cards but most of us can get by with just one or two. One credit card statement and one bill to pay each month are so much easier. You have to keep a really close eye on the credit card companies to make sure your statements are accurate and you haven’t been overcharged. It’s easier to do this with one or two instead of having to police multiple statements each month.

Start working on your taxes in January. Don’t wait until the night before you visit your accountant on April 13 to start getting your receipts and payroll statements together. Start early. You will feel so much better and you won’t feel rushed.

Put your tax receipts in a special place each month. I’m currently a 1099 employee so I have to keep up with a lot of receipts and mileage. I have a special notebook set up with pockets for each month. At the end of each day, if I have a receipt I file it away in the notebook. If I’ve done any work related driving, I immediately log it onto my spread sheet. It becomes part of my daily routine and I’m not  panicking when I do my taxes the following year because I can’t remember how much I drove or where I put a certain receipt.

Consolidate as many of your accounts as possible. I’m a big fan of credit unions as most of them are more personable and less bureaucratic than the big banks. I have my checking, savings, and money market at the same credit union. There’s one statement (I get it via email) and I can easily transfer money from account to account on-line if I ever need to do so. I also have consolidated my investment accounts with the same company. Again, this makes it easier to monitor and know what I have.

Eliminate paper clutter by getting as many of your statements and bills as possible via email. I don’t like having a bunch of paper cluttering up my file drawers so I save my electronic statements to my computer. Make sure you organize them by month and year for easy finding if you ever need to look something up.

Rethink your need for certain kinds of insurance or any other protections that promise security but actually end up complicating your life. There are a lot of companies out there that will sell you insurance for just about anything. I’m not going to tell you what insurance you need and what you don’t need because that is up to you. I can however say that we don’t need to insure every single thing in our lives.

Purge whatever financial statements you can. Unless I will ever need it for tax purposes, I don’t save every financial statement that I’ve ever received. Every year, I go through any loose papers I have and throw them away. Check with your accountant about what you need to save and what you can throw away.

Have as few financial obligations as possible. I have reduced my need for multiple goods and services over the years. One of the many positive things about this is I have one less bill to pay for each good or service I choose to eliminate. No bills for magazines or the newspaper. I don’t have to write out a check to the maid or the gardener. There’s no cable company to pay and no water delivery service either. I don’t have to budget money for pedicures, manicures, or someone to wash my car because I do it all myself.

Ask yourself is it going to simplify or complicate your life? Ask this question before committing to any purchase, major or small. Will you have to insure it? Will you have to go in debt for it and if so for how long? How much will it cost to maintain it? Do you have to pay taxes on it each year? Do you have room for it? Know what you are getting into with each and every purchase you make. This way there are no surprises and you can choose if it’s worth the investment of your time and money.

(If you’d like to read more about changing the way you think about wealth please consider reading my book REDEFINING THE MEANING OF WEALTH: DISCOVERING PROSPERITY AND FORTUNE IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.)

Those of us in countries with more developed economies (the U.S. in particular) have just about “consumed” ourselves silly! Our homes are overflowing with junk we don’t need and many people are up to their eyeballs in debt. We’re craving simpler lives but sometimes the mere prospect of changing our lives in even the smallest ways seems like a huge overwhelming project.

After all most of us are busy trying to make a living and at the same time carve out time for our family and friends. Many people don’t have the capacity for a major de-cluttering project. Finding time to sit down and reflect on ways we can simplify or save money is challenging enough because our days our scheduled to the hilt.

Everyone has to start somewhere and I can assure you that no one turns their life around in one weekend. It’s all a process and an experiment of hit and miss. Cheer up though! There are some simple things you can do right away that can make you feel empowered and give you a sense of accomplishment. Then you can build on these accomplishments and before you know it your life is less complicated, you are saving money, and you’ve streamlined your possessions.

Let’s re-cap what simple living, minimalism, and frugality mean and discuss some quick ways we can put these practices into place today.

The simple living movement (when I say movement, it’s a philosophical movement not an organized movement) has its roots in frugality, environmentalism, social justice, and spirituality. Simple living is a lifestyle choice that allows a richer inner life through a simpler outer life. Like wealth, simple living can have many definitions as well. There are no rules when it comes to living simply. One person’s idea of simple living might be to pare down to as few possessions as possible while another person’s definition might be selling one of their three homes.
Five things you can do right now to live more simply:

• Ask yourself what is most important to you in this life? What do you value and what is your passion? Cut out anything in your life that you can and start focusing more on what you value. Maybe you enjoy painting but don’t have time to pursue this interest because you are a member of too many committees and too many volunteer groups. Decide what you need to give up so you can give more of your time to what’s important to you.

• Mind your own business. People love to gossip not only about the people they know but the people they don’t know! You have enough to take care of for yourself without barging into someone else’s affairs. Author Katie Byron says it well: “I can find three kinds of business in the universe: yours, Gods, and mine. When I think, I want you to get a job, I want you to be happy, you should be on time, you need to take better care of yourself, I am in your business. When I am worried about earthquakes, floods, war, or when I will die, I am in God’s business. If I am mentally in your business or God’s business, the effect is separation.”

• Be yourself. Trying to be something that we are not is exhausting and doesn’t feel right. Don’t try to pretend with others that you are something you are not. Be proud of who you are and celebrate your own uniqueness. Trying to be something other than who we are so we can fit in disturbs our peace of mind and there’s nothing simple about that!

• •As soon as you get the mail, immediately discard all junk mail into the recycling bin. You’re not going to need whatever it is they are advertising and getting rid of this type of mail is one less thing you have to waste valuable time going over. You also lessen the clutter in your house. Go a step further and Google “getting off junk mail lists” and make a plan to end junk mail once and for all.

• Spend some time in nature each day. Nature connects us back with the divine and calms us down. What could be more simple and joyful? You don’t have to live in the mountains or on the beach to enjoy nature. A simple walk around your neighborhood can provide fresh air and a chance to take in the sky and the sun and all the plants around you.

Frugality is not just about spending as little money as possible or being cheap. Frugality is about being as resourceful and creative as possible with our money and what we already own. Frugality is not about stiffing the waiter, or trying to rip someone off so you get a better price.
Five things you can do right now to live more frugally:

• Cancel any services you aren’t using or that don’t enhance your life. Either eliminate them or shop around for better deals. Some examples are cable tv, magazine and newspaper subscriptions, portions of your car insurance that may not be necessary especially if your car is older, and checking accounts that charge too high a fee.

• If you eat out a lot, cut back one day a week and prepare your food at home. Not only will you save money but you will eat more healthfully .You don’t have to be a gourmet cook. Baked potatoes, simple salads, and quesadillas are some of the simple things you can make at home.

• Be mindful of the food you already have in the house. Use it up and don’t let any of it go to waste. It’s amazing how much food Americans waste. Each time we throw out something we didn’t get around to using before its expiration date or something we let ruin, it’s tantamount to throwing money down the drain.

• Pay your bills on time. Late fees to the credit card company, power company, etc. can easily be avoided with a little planning. Make sure you pay these bills on time or try to negotiate an alternative payment due date if need be but put an end to those late fees. You work hard for your money and should be able to keep as much of it as possible.

• Quit using shopping as a way to entertain yourself. If going to the mall is your idea of entertainment but you want to cut back on what you spend then by all means find something else to do and quick. Go to the library or check around to see who’s offering a free concert or lecture. Go do some volunteer work for those less fortunate. Take a hike or go to the museum on their free day.

Minimalism is about scaling down your possessions to only those items that give you pleasure and enhance your life. It’s about getting rid of the excess and making room for a life of what you enjoy and love. The whole idea is not to have a whole lot of “stuff” weighing you down.
Five things you can do right now to live more minimally:

• If you have too much stuff in your house and need to downsize but don’t have time right now consider putting a moratorium on buying anything at all unless it’s a consumable. At least you won’t be bringing in anything new and adding to your already existing problem. When you do schedule time for throwing out what you no longer need you can take comfort in the fact that you don’t have a bunch of new stuff to go through as well.

• Practice living without it: If you can’t bear to throw things away right now, fill a shopping bag with things you aren’t using and in a few months, open it back up and re-evaluate your need for what’s in the bag. Better yet, be brave and throw it out if you can’t remember what’s in the bag or you haven’t missed anything.

• Keep your surfaces as clear as possible. Do you really need multiple knickknacks on the tables and counters around you? Do you need magazines and paper work cluttering up your living room? Even if you can’t part with it right now, hide it out of sight and notice how much more serene your living environment becomes.

• Expired food, pharmaceuticals, household and beauty products are no brainers. You certainly don’t need to be keeping any of this stuff around. Get a trash bag and go through your home and throw all this stuff away. There’s nothing to think about since it’s old and expired, so just toss into your bag and dispose of properly. You’ll see a big difference in how much clutter you got rid of without any of the emotional issues that come with throwing sentimental items out.

• We all have books on our bookshelves that we will never read again or don’t even want anymore. They just sit there because bookshelves are such convenient places to store them and we forget about them. Go through your books and find the ones you can either pass along to a friend or donate to the library. You might even make a little extra money by selling them online.

(If you’d like to read more about changing the way you think about wealth please consider reading my book REDEFINING THE MEANING OF WEALTH: DISCOVERING PROSPERITY AND FORTUNE IN THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE.)

My mother's simple yet elegant Christmas dinner table

As a young girl I loved reading the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was especially fascinated by how they simply yet joyously celebrated Christmas each year. Their financial resources may have been limited but that didn’t stop them from celebrating to the fullest. The Ingalls didn’t spend weeks shopping for gifts for each other or planning the perfect holiday soiree. They focused more on spending time together and participating in fun frugal activities like baking gingerbread and making cranberry and popcorn chains to trim the tree. The family would gather around the fireside and read the Christmas story from the Bible. Gifts for the children were stockings stuffed with an orange, hard candy, and maybe a special doll or toy.

The simplicity of a prairie Christmas is still appealing to me as an adult. I may not be able to emulate the exact way the Ingalls celebrated the holidays but I can come up with my own version of a simple Christmas. Too much pressure is put on us to have the perfect holiday festivities and buy the perfect gifts. Trying to meet these expectations takes the fun out of Christmas for me and makes the season seem superficial and sacrilegious.

Simplifying the holiday is a process. Each year you better figure out what are the most meaningful activities and rituals you cherish most. You might find that cooking is where you want to put your energy or you may decide that going all out with decorating your home is what you enjoy best. Simplifying is not about deprivation but keeping those traditions that enhance and make the holiday season most meaningful to you.

Keep in mind that many people may not understand your desire to simplify the holidays. Many people are used to the commercialized way of celebrating and are not going to understand for example why you no longer display the blow-up Snow Man on your front lawn. But that’s ok because there’s nothing simple about trying to pressure others to conform to your ways. People will change when they are ready if they ever change at all. For those of us who want to simplify the holiday season, the best we can do is come up with what works best for us. If they follow-great! If not, then we can hope we lead by example.

Several years ago when I first began my quest to get away from the material aspects of Christmas and focus on the true meaning of the season, I was met with a bit of resistance. For example some of my friends and family wanted to continue with gift exchanges so I suggested we set a limit on what we spent. The next year I suggested consumable gifts or gift cards. Eventually some were even game to opt out of gift exchanges altogether. Instead we would spend time together at a local restaurant or going to a special event. I think people were actually relieved to have one less gift to buy. I’m not completely against gift giving and I think people give gifts with the best of intentions. However, I now feel that I have enough of everything I could possibly ever want and spending money just to spend money does no one good in the long run. I now take the money I would have spent on gifts and give it to those in need.

I’m not going to give you a list of what you should do to simplify the holidays because I don’t know everyone’s individual situations. My husband and I don’t have children so obviously our holiday will be celebrated quite differently than someone who has three kids who are anxiously awaiting Santa’s arrival. Below are some of the things we do in our household to simplify the holidays and enjoy them to the max. I’d be interested to hear what you are doing this year to simplify so please feel free to share.

• My husband and I do not exchange gifts. Since we travel to see family every year at Christmas, we spend our money on airline fare and eating out at good restaurants. This year we travel to Baton Rouge and we have many favorite eateries we will visit. New Orleans is not far away and their cuisine is some of the best in the world. We also go to Natchez, Mississippi for a few days-more wonderful southern food!
• We don’t exchange gifts with siblings or friends. We do however buy our parents a present and our young nieces and nephews a small gift like a book or some art supplies.
• I’m in charge of the decorations and I like to keep it very simple yet elegant. I hang a live green wreath with a big red bow on the front door and set out lots of red and white candles throughout the inside of our home. I take a large glass vase and fill it with some of my tree ornaments and place it in the middle of my dining room table surrounded by greenery. I would love to have a small tree but so would my feline companions!  Enough said, huh?
• Just because I don’t go all out with the decorations doesn’t mean I don’t love them. Since there are people far more talented than me when it comes to decorating, I prefer to go riding around the city and look at their creativity.
• I love Christmas music and play it around the house and in the car from Thanksgiving until New Years. Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas collection is my favorite.
• We no longer send out Christmas cards. I do love them but my husband and I have become more concerned in the past few years about our environmental footprint so we choose to forego them.
• We make a donation every year to our favorite charity. I get the most reward from this because this is what the season is all about!

The Sacred Bridge in Nikko Japan

I’ve been reading a lot lately about digital sabbaticals. Always on the quest to simplify my life, this concept was of particular interest to me even though I had never heard of it before much less experienced one. What exactly is a digital sabbatical? A digital sabbatical is dedicating one day or more to being away from any of your on-line activities. That includes e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, message boards, and anything else that the wonderful world of on-line bliss provides for us.

I’m a very “wired in” kind of gal. I love technology and am constantly in wonderment of it, but like everything in life, balance is the key. Until last week I had no clue as to the extent I was addicted to spending time on-line. What prompted this epiphany for me? A yoga retreat to Nikko, Japan! Thanks to my  husband who held the animal fort down while I was away, I had the good fortune to spend a week in this beautiful town located in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture, Japan about 90 miles north of Tokyo.

I had a fantastic experience that will live forever in my heart. The Japanese are some of the most gracious people on the planet. I also admired their minimalistic décor and spirit of community. You can bet you will be hearing more from me in the months ahead about this beautiful country and its even more beautiful people.

But back to the business of taking digital breaks. When I arrived in Japan, the first thing to go was the cell phone. My carrier had told me that phone calls would be $2.40 a minute and even worse, I ran the risk of being charged up to $30 a pop each time my internet service ran updates. Needless to say, I figured it best to just not turn the dang thing on. At first this was weird because with the exception of yoga classes, I’m used to having my cell phone on pretty much all the time. Imagine the culture shock when I arrived at the train station in Nikko and had to call the hotel using a pay phone. I’m surprised I even found one but I did.

At the hotel, I quickly found out that internet service was available only in the lobby. Since I didn’t travel over 5,000 miles to spend the majority of my time hanging out in a hotel lobby, I decided then and there to unplug from the on-line world. My only exceptions to this rule were e-mailing my husband a few times to assure him I was still safe and sound and scheduling my last blog posting I wrote on the plane for later in the week.

I had planned to blog several times from Japan and check in on all my favorite sites as well. I was going to keep up with the political buzz as we moved into the 2010 midterm elections. Posting beautiful pictures from Japan on Facebook and tweeting about my adventures was also on my agenda. I did none of these things. Instead I excused myself from cyber space and hiked, visited old Buddhist temples, and attended other fun activities like a Japanese tea ceremony. Oh and I did tons of yoga as well. I made lots of friends and I laughed a lot.

I arrived back in LA on Halloween, just in time for my husband and me to celebrate in our usual fashion. Monday rolled around and I still wasn’t ready to jump full speed back into all that was digital so I took it easy for a few more days. It was a much needed fabulous break.

I’m now inspired to take a day or two off every so now and then. It’s great for the soul and great for the psyche. You don’t have journey to a faraway location to un-plug. One can do it right where they are. If you haven’t had a full day of a digital sabbatical in quite some time, I encourage you to go ahead and try it. You will survive. I promise. As a matter of fact you will survive quite nicely. I know I did!

Flowers from a Mississippi Garden

Frugal is finally in vogue! It wasn’t very long ago that many people didn’t even have the word in their vocabulary let alone were they practicing it. Even mainstream publications and news shows are offering tips on how to be frugal. Driving up to the UCLA campus the other day I saw a Best Buy billboard advertising electric bicycles that said “Major in Frugality”. Everyone is getting on the frugal bandwagon. Some because they are forced to and some because the spending party of the last few decades is over and they want to keep more of what they earn.

I started reading about frugality in the late 90s and was shocked at how careless I had been with handling my money. All the “necessities” that I thought I had to have like cable television and weekly manicures quickly made their way out of my life. I didn’t even miss them! Frugality became a creative exercise for me. I quit buying into the mentality that I needed all that was being advertised to me. I began to question all that society told me I must have and found out I needed very little after all. Frugality became fun for me and it still is to this day!

It’s fun to figure out how I can get the best price for something or better yet do without! There are still areas in my life that I struggle with (the latest being tech gadgets) but I have the frugal skills now to start reining  my desires in when I begin to get out of control. More importantly, I have awareness which is the most valuable asset of all when it comes to being frugal.

Many people think frugality is a fad and people will go back to their spendthrift ways once the economy improves. I have two things to say about this. First I don’t think the economy is going to improve and go back to how it was before. The so-called prosperous years were not what they seemed. Most of the wealth was abstract and not real. We’re moving into unchartered territory and we have no idea what economies are going to look like in the future. Too many people are tapped out and having a hard enough time just covering the basics. We may have to learn to live with a lot less which may not be such a bad thing.  More importantly, we will all have to begin to share with each other. We will have simpler lives but lives with more meaning and quality.

Second, once you start practicing frugality, it becomes part of your lifestyle. You wouldn’t dare pay for something without questioning it first. Did you get the best deal? Do you really need it? You begin to realize that frugality is not about being cheap. It’s about conserving our money and resources and not being wasteful. Frugality allows us to take control of our lives and get out of the debt cycle. Only time will tell, but I think frugality is here to stay.

Big Bear, CA

Several weeks ago U.S. News and World Report featured an article titled “15 Things You Shouldn’t be Paying For”. I highly recommend it. Free computer software, drinking tap water, fee-free checking accounts, adopting animals from a shelter instead of buying from a breeder, obtaining books from the local library, and lots of other great ideas are discussed. Check out the article and see if any of the ideas resonate with you. 

Too often we blame high costs as the reason we are broke or can’t afford something. But if we are willing to shift some habits and in some cases trade our time for money, we can keep more of our hard earned cash. Somewhere along the way we have all been brainwashed into thinking expensive goods and services have more value than something that costs very little or better yet is free. Even though many expenses are beyond our control like healthcare (please don’t get me started!) there are still many things we can get for free or for very little money. I share some of my own ideas below:

• Why spend money on cable? Stream your favorite programs from the web.    Check out Hulu (great for TV shows)  or Crackle ( great for movies)

• Wash your own car instead of paying someone to do it. The summer months are a great time to play in the water and get a little sun. Washing your car is also good exercise.

• Read your favorite magazines and newspapers on line and cancel your subscriptions. This option also cuts down on clutter.

• Craving new clothes? Shop in your closet. I guarantee you’ll find at least one treasure you forgot you had.

• Entertain at home. Next time you get the urge to get together with friends and go out to eat, why not invite them to your home? Sure eating out is about the food but it’s also about the company. You can just as easily socialize with friends at home as you can at the latest trendy restaurant.

• Never pay for a credit report. Check out the Federal Trade Commission’s website for more info: http://www.ftc.gov/freereports

• Have you been thinking about buying an e-book reader but you’re not sure you want to delve out the money just yet? Amazon has a free kindle you can download to your computer. It’s a great way to check out this fun new technology before you take the plunge and buy one separately. Who knows, you may even find out that you enjoy reading books on your desktop or laptop. Many e-books are cheaper than regular books and Amazon also has free books you can download.

• Trade pet sitting services with a friend. Our pets are like family and we want them to have the best care possible when we are away from home. Team up with a friend or a good neighbor and help each other out when pet care is needed. The pets will come to know these sitters as family and won’t be so freaked out when their people are away.

• Vacation at home. Stay at home and be lazy. Better yet, be a tourist in your own town. Nobody loves traveling more than me but sometimes it’s nice to vacation at home especially if funds are tight.

• Send e-cards for special occasions. Many sites offer them for free and they are a great way to cut down on environmental waste as well.

• Don’t buy water at the airport. We all know that we can’t take liquids through airport security anymore but that doesn’t mean you have to pay for bottled water once inside the terminal. On a recent flight, I gulped down my last drop of water as I reached Security and the TSA guy encouraged me to save my bottle and fill it up once I passed the security checkpoint. What a brilliant idea, I told him. In the future, I plan on taking an empty water bottle and filling it up at one of the filtered water fountains that all airport terminals provide.

• Bring your own food to the airport. With the exception of some fruits and vegetables, most food is allowed through security checkpoints. Of course it may not be practical to pack a gourmet meal but snacks brought from home are much cheaper than buying them from the high priced eateries at the airport. I like to pack trail mix, dried fruit, blue corn tortilla chips, and dark chocolate.

• Can you borrow it? If you only need an item temporarily, why not borrow from a friend or relative? Offer to return the favor in the future with anything they might need as well. Appliances, tools, clothes, suitcases, serving trays and dishes are great examples of items we can borrow from each other.

• There is never any need to buy gift wrapping. Use an old brown grocery bag and decorate with markers, stickers, and ribbons you have laying around. Reuse gift bags. Just remember to remove any gift tags and make a new one. If you absolutely must buy gift wrapping, tissue paper is the cheapest.

• Entertain yourself for free. The web offers hours of free entertainment. U-Tube alone can keep one engaged for hours with music, crazy pet videos, and special interest stories. Check out your library or community centers for free lectures and concerts. Don’t forget enjoying nature. It’s truly the best show in town. Quit using the excuse that you don’t have money for entertainment. There’s plenty out there if you just look for it.

For me saving money is about freedom and taking control of my life. It’s not about being cheap or trying to get something for nothing. Saving more gives me the freedom to possibly work less, have an emergency fund (which gives me peace of mind) or spend my money on a really cool item or experience such as traveling. What about you? Why do you like to save money and do you have any ideas to add to the list above?

Banner at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival

What Are You Reading Right Now?

As an avid reader and lover of books, I’m embarrassed to admit that until this past weekend I have never attended a book festival before.   Now I’ve been to plenty of bookstores and libraries in my time and I’ve spent many hours on the Amazon book site but  never to a book festival.  So this past weekend, along with my friend Maddy, who has attended numerous book fairs by the way, I attended my very first one ever. On Saturday, she and I hopped on the Santa Monica Big Blue Bus and headed on up to UCLA  for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

I’m always on the look-out for low-cost (or no cost is even better) things to  do that are fun and inspiring. A book festival seemed like the perfect outing. There was  no cover to get in and we even utilized public transportation so we didn’t have to pay $10.00 for parking our car. I’ve  always thought it rather ludicrous for one to have to pay for the privilege of parking one’s car. But that’s another blog/rant, right?

I recently read that Americans are reading less and less. This is a pretty dismal statistic so I was happy to see such a great turn-out at the book fair.  Now granted people could have been attending for the food because there were almost as many food tents as there were book tents.  However, I’ll set aside my skepticism and assume people were there to broaden their knowledge and awareness of new literature and not just to sample the latest Panda Express entree or purchase a $5.00 lemonade. Yes, you read it write, lemonade was selling for $5.00.  There would need to be a shot of liquor in any drink I paid $5.00 for, so needless to say I kept my thirst quenched with the water I brought from home.  Disclaimer: We did eventually end up buying a $5.00 + drink  but that was for the Margarita we had in Westwood Village before we headed back home.  And it was $5.00 well spent I might add!

Back to the book festival….. Lots of people are self publishing these days which I think is fabulous. I’m a firm believer in we all have something to say. We all have a unique perspective and we all have a story to tell. If a publisher is not willing to pick your work up then you still have an opportunity to get your voice out to the world. Also, just think of the great wealth of stories and information for the reader. Why should we all be at the whims of what publishing houses choose to publish?  They can’t publish everything and have certainly overlooked some good books the first time around. For a list of books that were originally self-published, check this out by clicking here.

Patti Zona author of The Value of a Homemaker is a great example of an author who recently self published. She was signing and handing out copies of her book at the festival.  I was especially intrigued by the title since “homemaker” is pretty much my main job these days. Actually, I like the term “home arts practitioner” better because running a household is definitely an art.   And an often thankless one at that!  I look forward to reading Ms. Zona’s book and several of the other freebies I picked up while making the book tent rounds.In addition to books, there were lots of other great resources for anyone who is interested in writing, publishing, etc…

Since a lot of my blog has to do with living as abundantly as possible even when times are lean, I thought I would pass on an interesting book site I found out about. It’s called Swaptree. It’s a site where you can trade books, music, dvd’s, and video games all for free.  Check it out. You might be able to get that book or cd you’ve been wanting by trading one of yours. You’ll save money and it’s environmentally friendly.

So to reitterate my question in bold at the top of this post. What are you reading right now?

Until next time….