Grey Thursday, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Holy SH&T Saturday – you name it, the Thanksgiving week has many nicknames for each day for shopping. What does all of this really lead to? Broke Tuesday. As we come to the holiday season, Thanksgiving, let’s remember to keep our frugal hats on as much as possible and cherish what’s really important, as well as keeper our pockets a little tighter by not falling into the “Jones'” or the social media trends that are blasting us to buy a new 70 inch LED TV, Gaming System, Phone, Laptop, Jacket, Shoes and a new car. Is that what it’s all about? Let’s take a look at the way to balance it, why it’s okay to find an item or two that you need and what the holiday can truly be celebrated as.
Category Archives: Frugal Living
My Journey to Lower My Monthly Car Payment – Part 1
Since I gladly accepted the Dividend Diplomats 60% Savings Challenge, I have been brainstorming ways to increase my savings rate by both increasing income and reducing expenses. Let me tell you, it is fun brainstorming all the different ways you can accomplish this. A simple internet search will provide you with many creative, simple ways that you have probably never considered. After reviewing my expenses the last couple of months, there is one elephant in the room for my expenses: my car. Over the last month I have been working on reducing this expense. This article will walk you through my current situation and what I have learned over the last month.
Bert’s Savings Rate Summary: October
Last month I decided to take a plunge and accept the Dividend Diplomats’ Savings Challenge which pushes us and any brave reader to save 60% of their monthly income! This month I am going to try a slightly different method of displaying my savings rate. Last month, I listed the dollar amounts for each category used to calculate my final ratio. However, this month I am going to experiment with a new format (much like Lanny’s) and list each expense category as a percentage of total income for the period. With that being said, it is time to calculate my saving’s ratio for the month!
Frugally Upgrading My Television for Less Than $100
My girlfriend and I are planning on upgrading my television in the near future and we have been discussing an upgrade since we moved in together in July. A few years ago I bought a flat-screen, non-smart LED television and I love the purchase. But as we all know, electronics evolve at a rapid pace and today’s latest and greatest becomes an antique within only a few years. To get the most out of our cable, tablets, and other devices, we decided that we need an upgrade. With our credit cards in hand, we set out on a voyage to frugally improve our “out-dated” television. Let’s see what we decided.
Bert’s Savings Rate Summary: September
Last month I accepted Lanny’s challenge to save 60% of my income. As I discussed in my post about my decision, I mentioned that I have been very bad about tracking my expenses and I have never put together a tracking mechanism to calculate my savings rate. Well that has changed and I am now watching my expenses like a hawk. In order to save 60% of my income, I need to watch all income and expense sources closely to figure out where I can trim the fat. Now that September is over, the questions is…Did I save 60% of my income??
Endless Liabilities of Owning a Car
Endless liabilities owning a car. I’m going to come right out and say it. I am sitting here in a hotel in the middle of Pennsylvania, very fortunate that one of my co-workers, which happens to be Bert, drove his car out here for our client. Owning a car is part of my fixed expenses that I had, that I discussed wayyy back in the beginning of the blog. Over the last 6 months I have found to discover that owning a car signs you up for endless liabilities. It is all on a mindset and how much time you spend on the road, and well, life as an auditor – gives you plenty of time for that.
Why Bert’s Aiming to Save 60% of His Income
About two months ago, Lanny wrote about why he aims to save 60% each month. His article got me thinking about saving a large portion of my income and you know what, if his Italian self can do it – I can too! See why I am now also aiming to save 60% of my income each month.
