Living with intention in uncertain times.

 A Survival Guide

Frugal- The act of being intentional with spending. I don't think many in our society today know this word or its definition. We live in a world that doesn't want to wait on anything, it is all about instant gratification. If our government doesn't know how to be a good steward of taxpayer money, why should we think society would be any better about how to handle it wisely? As of  September 2021, the average American debt is $ 92,727 dollars. The overall debt includes mortgages, student loans, and credit card balances. Credit card balances are never good because of the interest incurred. If you do use a credit card, pay it off immediately, or pay double payments. Sadly those that are using credit cards are using them to go out and eat, pay bills, or just to make ends meet. This is a disaster in the making. It is so easy to whip that card out and spend without thinking about the payments, and before you know it you have a balance that you will never be able to pay off for years. Mortgage debt is the largest outstanding debt for Americans averaging $208,185 in 2021. If you want to be debt-free before your retirement age, buying a home that is way over what you know you can make extra monthly mortgage payments on is not in your best interest. Try to buy a home where you can comfortably afford to pay double your mortgage payment to pay it off quicker or do like my husband and I did.  Our first home wasn't the best or prettiest on the block,  but we were blessed enough to buy it on a land contract and fix it up. Having carpentry skills is a wonderful asset to have to save you money on remodeling. Even if you don't plan to use carpentry as a trade, it is a great skill to learn.  and will save you the hefty expense of paying someone to do it for you. The first house we brought, and fixed up we were able to make a profit of $20k on, and we turned around and invested it in another property, making more profit. We have since flipped over 10 houses making more profit each time. We have been debt-free, mortgage-free for 30 years. Student loans average $38,792 in 2020 and because of the suspension of student loan payments during the pandemic, the average balances will grow as others add new loans. Sending your son or daughter to community college or to a trade school is a great way to save on money, especially if they live at home. Making sure that your son or daughter is going to college for something they will actually be able to get a job is essential, so do your homework on what the job trends are.  

How do I get out of debt?

• Write a list of what you owe, your due dates, monthly payments, interest rates, and balances,
• Make a list of how much you spend on rent/mortgage, utilities, groceries, entertainment, doctor bills, etc.
• Subtract the amount owed from what you earn. Put that amount back to pay your debts every month.  Any extra money such as tax returns or other windfall put toward the principal balance of loans. You may also look at the list of how much you spend on non-essentials such as entertainment and access whether you could cut back on some or all of it. Remember what is important, what is your priority?
• Prioritize your debts by either paying off the small debts first or paying off the highest interest debts first. In my opinion, paying the highest interest debt is saving you more money, and this is the one I have always used, especially with credit cards at an interest rate of 20% interest. 

Why live a Frugal lifestyle?

1. Decreased financial stress.  This is the biggest one for me. I don't have to worry about being indebted to anyone. 
2. Self-sufficiency.
3. Increase of net-worth.
4. More quality time for family.

Where Do I Begin?

My husband and I have lived frugally from the time we married because we had to out of necessity. I know if we can be debt-free anyone can do it. Like I said it's all about priorities. I can say, I have never felt deprived of anything living with a tight budget. It is all about what you get used to. We have been conditioned in our nation, by commercials telling us we deserve this or that, and we can have it now. There is a reason they call TV shows "programming," because that is exactly what it does.  We put stress on ourselves believing the lie, if we have this or that our lives would be so much better when most of the time it makes it worst. We have added financial obligations, spend more time at work to pay for the thing that was going to make life so much better, that we miss out on our children growing up, which is time we will never get back, by the way. Our marriages suffer because we have added financial stress, I guess you get the picture.  Here are some ways to start tightening your belt. Start out small, and once you see the reward it will get easier. 

• Eat at home.  Making going out to eat a special treat, by eating out once a month, it becomes really special when you don't eat out every week, plus it's a lot healthier for you.
• Cut the cable. There are a lot of free streaming services with lots of variety of programming.
• Buy used. I have never had a new car. A new car depreciates as soon as you drive it off the lot. Look for a nice car that is 3 or 4 years old and you will get your money worth out of it. When my children were little I brought used clothing at yard sales. My children always dressed well in name-brand lightly used clothing I was able to purchase for no more than a dollar an item. 
• If you do buy anything new, negotiate the price as much as possible.
• If buying new items such as appliances, buy higher quality so it will last a long time.
• Go to the market early in the mornings to find markdown meats, rewrap them in freezer bags. The store will take a mark-down of 50% when meat sale by date is ending that day. As long as you put it in the freezer, the meat will last for months.
• Buy store brands. Many store brands are made in the same plant as some name brands, so don't pay several dollars more for the name.
• Create a meal plan for a couple of weeks, the less you go to the store, the less you spend. Making and sticking to what is on your list also helps with temptation buying.
• Make your own home cleaners. This not only saves money, but it is so much healthier for you and your family.
• Grow a garden. By planting your own veggies and fruits you can save quite a bit of money a month, and you are getting a healthier product to boot.
• Turn down the heat/air a couple of degrees.
• In the summer, hang your clothes out to dry. I know, this is old-fashioned, but I love the clothes drying in the summer breeze, it reminds me of my childhood.
• Close off rooms you don't use. Why heat or cool a room no one uses. Simply close off the vents, and keep the door closed, this will help keep the rest of the rooms in your house toasty, and save you money.
• Sale things that are laying around your house you don't use anymore to pay off a bill.
• Open up your curtains or shades in the winter on sunny days, it will help heat up your house for free.
• Use black-out/thermal curtains during the winter months for added energy efficiency. 
• Use your cell phone and ditch the landline. 

How to be self-sufficient

• Start with a reasonable goal in mind.
• Start a homestead even if you have just an acre of land, you can have chickens, rabbits, and a few lambs or goats. Having a sustainable meat source for your family is of utmost importance. 
• Start a garden. Growing and canning your own vegetables will save you money, and it means that your family will be able to eat when there is no food on store shelves.
• Learn about composting. Grass clippings, leaves, manure, food scraps,  wood chips, and coffee grounds make wonderful rich compost for your garden making your garden produce abundant amounts of healthy organic vegetables and fruits.
• Learn about herbal remedies. Growing your own herbs and flowers for medicinal use could save your family's life in an SHTF situation.
• Stock up on Alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, bandages, antibiotic cream, and other items needed for an emergency medical kit.
• Harvest seeds from your heirloom plants in your garden because there may come a day when seeds may become unavailable.
• Learn to smoke and cure your own meat. This will help you keep meat if there is no refrigeration available.
• Find a community of like-minded people. Having people to barter with, in an SHTF situation is a win-win for everyone involved. Trading material items, as well as skills and other resources, is a must.
• Make your own candles and soap. Using basic soap and candle-making recipes makes this skill easy to learn and inexpensive to do.
• Purchase a wood stove. Having a wood-burning stove will ensure your family will stay warm and dry if electricity is no longer available. 
• Learn to handle and shoot a gun. This skill is not only to hunt your food but for self-protection.
• Make sure you have a sustainable water source. It is also advisable to have a water purifier to use if you have to get water out of a creek or pond source.
• Learn about wild edibles. Forging from the land may become necessary in a worst-case scenario.