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Welcome Frugalistas!

What exactly does frugal lifestyle mean?  I believe it’s being smart and savvy in your choices. Prioritize and take control of what’s important to you and you will come out ahead.

This blog and website offers frugal tips and money saving ideas to help you live a richer life. Save money on everyday living. Start living the "Frugal Lifestyle" today.

Spend Less  • Earn More • Live Better

Ways to Make 2017 a Good Year Financially

3/9/2017

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by Jessica Cooper

After what we can all agree was the collective horror that was 2016, it would be nice to look forward to 2017 with optimism. The saying 'there is no time like the present' has never been more apt or important than it is now. Taking control of your finances and making 2017 beneficial to you will be a great move to kick start you into this year.


As with everything, it will be a bit of trial and error to see what ways can benefit you personally when it comes to getting the best our of your finances in 2017, but there are a few common things you can try to give your income a much needed boost. 


​Get savvy and say good-bye to eBay

Although eBay is the largest online marketplace in the world, a lot has happened since the simple selling site started, and there are many hidden fees for things like shipping and just selling in general that can be inconvenient. If you are looking for a quick way to get rid of unnecessary junk, there are other selling sites springing up now that make it a lot easier. Sites like Shpock and the app LetGo let you sell online much like you would a garage sale. When the weather is warmer, you can also think about actually doing a garage sale. Although it's an early start, you'll be surprised at how much you can make just having a de-clutter.


Save money on energy bills

If you are trying to have a more financially successful year, then saving money is going to be as good as making money. There is a reason so many comparison sites are becoming successful, and that is because people really are saving on energy bills. Most energy companies know for a fact that their customers would rather just plod along on the current contract than go through the hassle of changing it - but if you challenge this you could save yourself some pennies.



Online trading

When we think about trading stocks
 and shares, mere civilians think of incredibly confusing graphs, men with shirt sleeves rolled up screaming into the phone and risky investments. This isn't the case in the current market anymore. Ordinary people can now get a piece of the pie thanks to websites like CMC markets. Not only do they make trading accessible to the 'average Joe' (or Joanna), but they also have handy tips and tricks to help you along. You can invest a lump sum, or set up a direct debit, which is a great way to spread your risk over the months. 



Make money online

Back in the day when there were 'pop-ups', making money online was one of the more popular ones. Unfortunately, this usually led to needing to sign up to countless amounts of websites and completing a million paid surveys for $1.00. Now there are a lot more options for supplementing your income online. If you are a bit of a budding David Bailey, there are many websites that let you sell your original photos online, and if you love writing, you can sign up to a content website and let those creative juices flow. 



Stop buying lunch

Coming home from work and making a filling, healthy lunch is probably most people's nightmare. However if you actually do the numbers, it's scary how much a $5 meal deal every day can set you back. It may only be $35 per week, but that is still $140 per month. $140 may not seem like the biggest deal, but when you put that into the perspective of it covering one bill per month, it will really help you become better off.


Try and incorporate foods that you can make lunches with into your weekly shop. If you prefer a hot meal, prep in advance and make yourself an army of jacket potatoes to be getting on with. Homemade doesn't have to mean boring, and if you really are stretched for time of an evening, make a bit of extra dinner to take the next day. If you really do miss your lunches, set aside a day a month where you have the time and money to go out for a little treat.
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About the author:
Jessica Cooper is a content writer on the Blue Anchor team, covering topics relating to money, investing, business and finance. She specializes in online article copywriting and has produced work for countless blogs over her 2 years of writing for the online community. She has a particular interest in psychology
and behavior when it comes to people and money and enjoys looking to the past for lessons that can be learnt from history.


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Books Warren Buffett Thinks Everyone Should Read

3/3/2017

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​I believe we can all benefit from what books billionaire Warren Buffett have read. After all, he is one of the most successful investment moguls in the world. Here is a list of 9 books Warren Buffet thinks everyone should read. These books are helpful guides to anyone looking to be a little more business savvy.
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When Warren Buffett started his investing career, he would read 600, 750, or 1,000 pages a day. Even now, he still spends about 80 percent of his day reading. "Look, my job is essentially just corralling more and more and more facts and information, and occasionally seeing whether that leads to some action," he once said in an interview. "We don't read other people's opinions," he says. "We want to get the facts, and then think."

​To help you get into the mind of the billionaire investor, Business Insider rounded up his book recommendations over 20 years of interviews and shareholder letters.

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1. The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham

When Buffett was 19 years old, he picked up a copy of legendary Wall Streeter Benjamin Graham's Intelligent Investor. It was the one of the luckiest moments of his life, he said, because it gave him the intellectual framework for investing.

"To invest successfully over a lifetime does not require a stratospheric IQ, unusual business insights, or inside information," Buffett said. "What's needed is a sound intellectual framework for making decisions and the ability to keep emotions from corroding that framework. This book precisely and clearly prescribes the proper framework. You must provide the emotional discipline."

Click here for book details.

     
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2. Security Analysis by Benjamin Graham

Buffett said that Security Analysis, another groundbreaking work of Graham's, had given him "a road map for investing that I have now been following for 57 years."

The book's core insight: If your analysis is thorough enough, you can figure out the value of a company — and if the market knows the same.

Buffett has said that Graham was the second-most influential figure in his life, after only his father. "Ben was this incredible teacher; I mean he was a natural," he said.

Click here for book details.


    
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3. Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits 
by Philip Fisher


While investor Philip Fisher — who specialized in investing in innovative companies — didn't shape Buffett in quite the same way as Graham did, he still holds him in the highest regard.

"I am an eager reader of whatever Phil has to say, and I recommend him to you," Buffett said.

In Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits, Fisher emphasizes that fixating on financial statements isn't enough — you also need to evaluate a company's management.

Click here for book details.


    
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4. Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises 
by Tim Geithner

Buffett says that the former Secretary of the Treasury's book about the financial crisis is a must-read for any manager. 

Lots of books have been written about how to manage an organization through tough times. Almost none are firsthand accounts of steering a wing of government through economic catastrophe.

"This wasn't just a little problem on the fringes of the U.S. mortgage market," Geithner writes. "I had a sick feeling in my stomach. I knew what financial crises felt like, and they felt like this."

Click here for book details.

   
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5. The Essays of Warren Buffett 
by Warren Buffett

If you want to get to know the way Buffett thinks, go straight to the Sage himself.

In this collection, he keeps it very real — in his signature folksy-intellectual fashion.

"What could be more advantageous in an intellectual contest — whether it be chess, bridge, or stock selection —than to have opponents who have been taught that thinking is a waste of energy?" he asks.

Click here for book details.

    
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6. Jack: Straight From the Gut 
by Jack Welch


In his 2001 shareholder letter, Buffett gleefully endorses Jack: Straight From the Gut, a business memoir of longtime GE exec Jack Welch, whom Buffett describes as "smart, energetic, hands-on."

In commenting on the book, Bloomberg Businessweek wrote that "Welch has had such an impact on modern business that a tour of his personal history offers all managers valuable lessons."

Buffett's advice: "Get a copy!"


Click here for book details.

    
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7. The Outsiders 
by William Thorndike, Jr.


In his 2012 shareholder letter Buffett praises Outsiders as "an outstanding book about CEOs who excelled at capital allocation."

Berkshire Hathaway plays a major role in the book. One chapter is on director Tom Murphy, who Buffett says is "overall the best business manager I've ever met."

The book — which finds patterns of success from execs at The Washington Post, Ralston Purina, and others — has been praised as "one of the most important business books in America" by Forbes.


Click here for book details.

      
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8. The Clash of the Cultures by John Bogle

Bogle's The Clash of the Cultures is another recommendation from the 2012 shareholder letter.
In it, Bogle — creator of the index fund and founder of the Vanguard Group, now managing $2 trillion in assets — argues that long-term investing has been crowded out by short-term speculation. But the book isn't all argument. It finishes with practical tips, like:
1. Remember reversion to the mean. What's hot today isn't likely to be hot tomorrow. The stock market reverts to fundamental returns over the long run. Don't follow the herd.
2. Time is your friend, impulse is your enemy. Take advantage of compound interest and don't be captivated by the siren song of the market. That only seduces you into buying after stocks have soared and selling after they plunge.

Click here for book details.

    
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9. Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales From the World of Wall Street by John Brooks

Back in 1991, Bill Gates asked Buffett what his favorite book was. To reply, Buffett sent the Microsoft founder his personal copy of Business Adventures, a collection of New Yorker stories by John Brooks. Gates says that the book serves as a reminder that the principles for building a winning business stay constant. He writes:

For one thing, there's an essential human factor in every business endeavor. It doesn't matter if you have a perfect product, production plan and marketing pitch; you'll still need the right people to lead and implement those plans. The book has become a media darling as of late; Slate wrote that it's "catnip for billionaires."

Click here for book details.


- Drake Baer
Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Thank you for your support.



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    What does living frugally mean to me? Well, it does NOT mean being cheap, quite the contrary, I believe it’s being smart in your choices, such as how you spend your money everyday. Prioritize and take control of what’s important to you. I always strive to spend less on almost everything.

    In this challenging economy, some of us have had to cut back on our expenses. Wouldn't it be nice to still have the things or services you want and need but not have to pay full price or even better, get them for free? 

    Choose value and quality over quantity or fads and you will come out ahead. The great benefit of being frugal is that it eliminates waste and clutter which in turn helps our environment.  By doing simple changes towards more “green” and frugal ways, together we can make an impact on our planet. 
        

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     Hi, my name is Marissa Winfrey and I have been living the frugal life ever since I can remember. I have always looked for great bargains and getting the best value for my money without compromising style and quality.

    My background is in visual display and interior decorating. It’s always been my objective to recommend cost effective solutions to my clients. I, of course, practice what I preach! I have furnished my own homes mostly with furnishings and decor items from my own little vintage boutique, estate sales, discount stores, flea markets, yard sales, thrift stores and even curbside discarded furniture!

    My frugal practice goes beyond the home. I offer money saving tips on just about everything, from shopping to travel and everything in between. I hope my blog and website will inspire everyone to be their own Frugalista.

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Read and learn about useful tips and tricks from experts on how to live "the frugal lifestyle" everyday!  Check out the books below, to see more of my top picks of frugal and financial savvy books, please visit The Frugal Book Store.
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Living The Savvy Life:
The Savvy Woman's Guide to Smart Spending and Rich Living
​

It's Not About Being Cheap.  Living the Savvy Life isn't about being a cheapskate, a miser or a tightwad.  It's about having security and peace of mind by spending less than you make.  It's about knowing where you stand financially on a daily basis so you can make intelligent fiscal decisions. 

​It's about being penny-wise on the things that are less important to you so you can spend money on the things that are important to you. It's about choosing to purchase only the things that you love and make you happy.  
It's about finding, attaining and maintaining balance.  Are you ready to start Living the Savvy Life?

   
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​Thrifty: 
Living the Frugal Life with Style


Best-selling author Marjorie Harris offers a timely and entertaining guide to living the richly frugal life. From tips on how to haggle to becoming a frugal fashionista, maintaining your home on a budget, and thrifty gardening, travel, and entertainment, Harris provides essential guidelines to living a quality life on less. Written in her trademark witty, engaging, and accessible style, Thrifty is packed with simple and savvy tips drawn from Harris' own fulfilled, thrifty experience. Bonus tips come from renowned experts such as best-selling author Margaret Atwood, chef Jamie Kennedy, actor R. H. Thomson, travel writer Sylvia Fraser, and The Globe and Mail's style columnists.
  
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How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free: 
Retirement Wisdom That You Won't Get from Your Financial Advisor
​

How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free offers inspirational advice on how to enjoy life to its fullest. The key to achieving an active and satisfying retirement involves a great deal more than having adequate financial resources; it also encompasses all other aspects of life -- interesting leisure activities, creative pursuits, physical well-being, mental well-being, and solid social support. 

What sets this retirement book apart from all the others is its holistic approach to the fears, hopes, and dreams that people have about retirement. This international bestseller (over 110,000 copies sold in its first edition) goes way beyond the numbers that is often the main focus of retirement planning in most retirement books.
   
To see more of my top picks of frugal and financial savvy books, please visit The Frugal Book Store.

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