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Frugal Mantra

This is not a tip at all.  It's just my favorite saying about living a frugal life:

Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.

Simplify

The tag-line to this blog is "Save Money and Simplify Your Life".  So today's tip is more about simplifying than about saving money. 

Tip #4
I've been thinking a lot about the idea of simplifying my life lately.  To that end, I began googling and I found a great blog post that I hope you will take the time to read. 

My favorite part of this blog post is this:
A simple life has a different meaning and a different value for every person. For me, it means eliminating all but the essential, eschewing chaos for peace, and spending your time doing what’s important to you.

It means getting rid of many of the things you do so you    
can spend time with people you love and do the things you love.  It means getting rid of the clutter so you are left with only that which gives you value.

However, getting to simplicity isn’t always a simple process. It’s a journey, not a destination, and it can often be a journey of two steps forward, and one backward.

If you’re interested in simplifying your life, this is a great starter’s guide (if you’re not interested, move on).

The Short List
For the cynics who say that the list is too long, there are really only two steps to simplifying:

        1. Identify what's most important to you.

        2. Eliminate everything else.

From here he goes on to offer a list of 72 ways you can simplify your life.  These are things like: learn to say no, limit communication, simplify your wardrobe, do what you love.  There are many great suggestions. 

I feel like there is a different feeling among many of the people I talk to.  There is a desire to stop being so tied to work or commitments.  There is a desire to slow down, take a breath and appreciate the things around them.  I feel this way too. 

So I hope you will find time to skim through the long list and consider some of the suggestions for ways to slow down in your own life. 

Photo in the above post is by thejonoakley

New Year's Resolutions

For the most part, I'm not a big fan of New Year's Resolutions.  I feel like generally they are pretty hollow.  I've never actually made a resolution and stuck with it for the entire year. 

What I do like though is the feeling of a fresh, new beginning that happens every New Year's day.  I like looking back at the previous year and seeing what worked and what didn't.  And then looking towards the New Year and devising a plan for changing the things that didn't work. 

Tip #2
If you are interested in making some changes in 2009 I suggest you follow some basic goal-setting strategies.  First, your goals need to be specific.  I want to earn more money is not specific enough.  Is $1 more okay?  Or were you thinking more like $10,000 more?  What do you have in mind? 

Also, if it applies, set some dates for these goals.  Perhaps one of your goals is to take the advice from Tip #1 and get yourself set on a budget.  If you don't know how to get on a budget than Goal #1 would be: Read one of Dave Ramsey's books by February 1st.  Goal #2 would be: Implement Ramsey's budgeting tips and debt reduction lifestyle by February 15th.  These are clear, concise, and track-able.  You know what you want to do and when you want to do it.  You also know that if February 1st comes and you haven't achieved your goals, you need to re-evaluate.  Ask yourself why you didn't achieve your goal.  Was your time-frame unrealistic? Did you simply forget?  What happened?  Then, after you've evaluated what didn't work, you can adjust it so that it will work.

I think there are many of good reasons to set goals and stick to them.  For me personally it helps me measure if I'm moving forward or not.  It also helps keep me focused, something I struggle with regularly. 

If you would like to read more about setting goals and staying focused I highly recommend the book The Power of Focus.