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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

Squeeze the Last Cash Out of Summer with a Yard Sale

7/25/2022

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Photo Credit: via Pexels


by Hal Salazar

 
If you intentionally avoid going into the garage, chances are, you have too much stuff collecting dust. The good news is that you can turn those boxes into big bucks by hosting an end-of-summer yard sale. Keep reading on how to make your free-market mercantile a success.

1. Pick the Right Date
 
Your most important job is to determine which day, or days, you’ll open up for business. Traditionally, yard/garage sales are held on Fridays and Saturdays, but it’s not unusual to spread out from Thursday to Sunday. Avoid holiday weekends, since fewer people will be in town to browse through your belongings.

2. Gather the Goods
 
Here’s an opportunity to get the entire family involved in the planning process. Have each member of your family fill a box with possessions they no longer need. Make a rule that if it hasn’t been used within the last 12 months, it has to go. Money Crashers notes that everything from old perfume bottles to unidentified cords and cables has selling potential.

If you have a storage unit, go through it and pull out items you no longer need for the sale. You may also want to move things out of your garage temporarily to keep buyers focused on what is for sale. In that case, try finding self storage in Los Angeles before the sale. Look online and arrange to move items off your property at least a few days before the sale.

3. Assign Responsibilities to the Kids
 
Once your children have determined which of their belongings can go, keep them engaged by giving them specific responsibilities during the sale. Many children will delight at the idea of selling small items on their own, such as Pokémon cards, Barbie clothes, or Hot Wheels. If they aren’t willing to give up their prized possessions, give them a $20-budget to open up a snack and lemonade stand. A word of caution, here, however: check with your local codes enforcement agency to find out if selling food and drink is legal in your area.

4. Get your Supplies Together
 
Even though you’re selling items you already own, there are plenty of accessories you need to make the day go smoothly, especially signage. The only way you’ll have a successful yard sale is if you have lots of people coming to check out your swag, so be sure they know how to get there by having plenty of big, bold signs with arrows that will direct them right to your home. Additionally, you’ll need price stickers, a cash box, and a calculator.

5. Price to Sell
 
Now that you have your stuff together and your stickers in hand, it’s time to get to work with pricing. Avoid the temptation to allow your guests to name their own price, since that can be intimidating. Keep in mind that yard sale prices are typically much less than retail prices. For instance, baby clothes typically sell for approximately $.25 to $1, and you can expect no more than a Lincoln for your old hand tools, no matter the brand or condition. This yard sale pricing guide by My Frugal Home is a great reference sheet if you’ve never hosted a sale.

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Photo Credit: via Pexels

6. Advertise
 
In addition to hanging signs around your neighborhood, advertise your yard sale on Facebook, Craigslist, and your neighborhood’s website. There are also yard sale specific sites, like Gsalr.com and YardSales.net that you can try.

You can also post fliers on community boards at your local rec center, church, or other neighborhood hangouts. Be sure to promote your sale at least a few days in advance so people can make plans to come by.

7. Stay Organized
 
Perhaps most importantly, on the day of the sale, make sure your items are grouped according to function. Keep your stuff off the ground, too. This will make it easier for people to find what they’re looking for and for you to keep tabs on what’s hot and what’s not.
 
A successful yard sale is dependent upon a number of things you don’t control. Keep that in mind as you make your plans. Your homeowners association rules, unpredictable weather, and blatant disregard for your personal property by bargain hunters are all things to consider. Even with the negatives, selling your stuff from the comfort of home is a great way to earn a little bit of extra cash and make sure your home is organized while you hibernate through the long winter.



About the author:


Hal Salazar created Elders.Today to lend a helping hand to seniors via carefully curated resources. Hal is newly retired, and as he embarked on planning and preparing for his golden years, he realized there was a lot of information to keep up with so he started gathering it all on his website to help out his fellow seniors. When Hal isn’t working on Elders.Today, he enjoys walking at his local park, testing out new recipes with his wife, Marlene, and playing piano.





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How can you create a budget for your home renovation?

7/20/2022

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Image via Unsplash


by Elizabeth Long

Are you ready to update or renovate your home? Do you know how much you have to spend? Is your budget limited?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, then it's time to do a bit of careful planning and budgeting to get the results you want without breaking the bank. The good news is that there are some techniques you can use to help you achieve this goal. Here, we share four of our top tips to keep things simple.

Prioritize the projects you want to do

Usually, when you are ready to renovate your space, you want to tackle more than one project. However, if you have a limited budget, you must choose what you’ll do first.

When prioritizing your projects, consider the goals you have. For example, are you renovating your space to increase your home value? If so, complete projects that will help you make more on the sale than what you spend on it.

However, if you want to increase your enjoyment of the space, choose something you personally want to improve. For example, do you want more counter space in the kitchen or a larger closet? While these projects may not increase your home's value, they can increase your enjoyment of your home whilst you’re living in it – and if you’re not planning on moving soon, then that might be the most important thing.

Estimate how much the project will cost

Once you know what project you want to take on first, it's a good idea to pull out your calculator. You need to consider all the elements of the project to determine its cost, including the materials you need and the labor involved. When making decisions, make sure to consider how the work will last, and what impact it will have on your home – for example, eco-friendly renovations can help you cut down on bills, although they’re more expensive to start with.

Remember, there's no way to get a detailed understanding of a project until you have received itemized estimates. However, crunching the numbers yourself will give you an idea of what to expect, which can give you a number to save towards.

Speak to several contractors

After working out a rough cost, it's time to get estimates from a few contractors in your area. Be sure to ask for itemized breakdowns of the costs so you can find the one who offers the most value for their services. This is a crucial step in the process if you want to budget properly for a home renovation.

Tips to reduce home renovation costs

Usually, home renovations should not be do-it-yourself projects because of all that's involved in them. However, there are some tasks that you can do yourself:
  • Handle demolition on your own (be sure this is safe first)
  • Try to find low-cost or discounted materials
  • Hire subcontractors yourself
  • Handle the painting and other small tasks

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Image via Unsplash

Are you ready to invest in a home renovation?

As you can see from the information here, more than a few considerations and costs go into any home renovation project. Keep the tips and information in mind, which will help you budget appropriately. If you take the time to plan, you can handle any home renovation without spending too much.


Author: Elizabeth Long

I love finding home renovation solutions that don’t break the bank, and am keen on making the most of second hand products to be as sustainable as possible. I write meaningful posts, designed to give readers take-home actions they can act on in their own projects.





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5 Steps to Launching a Budget-Friendly Business with your Significant Other

7/10/2022

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Image via Pexels

by Hal Salazar


Maybe you and your significant other have always imagined that you would start a business together one day. Now, you’ve finally reached a place in life where you can make this dream come true, but you’re not sure how to get your company off the ground while keeping your romance alive. And if you’re on a slim budget, you might be worried about whether or not you’ll be able to succeed as an entrepreneurial team. It is possible to keep your costs under control while starting your business. Furthermore, these tips will help you launch a business without losing the spark!


Choose a Business Idea

In order to kick off your entrepreneurial journey as a couple, you’ll need to agree on a business idea. If you’re working with limited funds, you’ll want to choose an idea with low overhead expenses. Renting a brick-and-mortar space, or leasing expensive equipment, will probably be out of your reach. Tweak Your Biz recommends starting a business centered on social media management, web design, virtual assistance, event planning, or home-based food services, like custom baking.


Invest in Accounting Software

No matter the size of your budget, every business owner should use software for bookkeeping to manage their finances. This will allow you to manage your business income effectively and ensure that you’re not wasting a dime. Furthermore, you’ll be able to store and organize all of your receipts and other financial documents so that you can stay compliant and earn deductions when tax season rolls around. Plus, you’ll be able to easily assess your cash flow whenever you like.


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Image via Pexels

Nail Down the Basics

In order to officially launch your business, you’ll need to take care of a few administrative items. Sit down together to draw up a business plan, and then get the paperwork you’ll need to register your business in your state. You will also need to create a budget to ensure that you don’t overspend. Furthermore, you can jot down ideas for your marketing and sales strategies.


Working Well Together

When you’re opening a business with your significant other, you want to make sure that personal disputes don’t affect your company’s operations. It’s important to stay on the same page as far as your goals for your business and your finances. Marriage recommends coming up with plans for dealing with common problems in advance, keeping your family’s finances separate from your company finances, and setting boundaries between your work and your downtime.


Keep the Romance Alive

If you’re busy getting your company going, how can you and your partner make time for each other? Time management is key. Choose a time each day when you’ll “clock in” and “clock out.” Outside of those boundaries, stay away from work-related tasks and focus on each other instead! Close your laptops and turn your attention to your relationship.

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Image via Pexels


As entrepreneurs, it can be tough to stay away from business projects when you could be relaxing - you might feel like you have to work constantly in order to stay ahead of your competition. But enjoying your coffee together in the morning, taking leisurely lunch breaks each day, and scheduling a date night each weekend will help you balance your relationship and your business.

Running a business with your significant other does bring unique challenges. But at the same time, you’ll have some advantages - you’re already in sync, you share the same values, and you understand each others’ strengths and weaknesses. With these tips, you’ll be able to start a cost-effective business without neglecting your romantic relationship.




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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
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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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