I am mid-way through my money journey. It has NOT been easy. It took basically 5 years to get my money mindset in order and I’ve spent the last 5 years working on:
- Bad habits
- Being a teeny tiny bit resentful of the debt payment journey.
- Working on fear…what would it be like to be completely debt free?
- Believing that I could actually be debt free.
- Fear of Missing Out
- Mindful Substitutions
Even though I’m not finished with my financial journey I’ve experienced a couple of fabulous financial wins during this time.
- I slashed my yearly budget by $13,500
*Related Post: How These Money Moves Saved Me Over $13,260 a Year*
- I’ve taken control of my wants and am 100% clear about my needs.
Lowering my overall budget and being clear about what is important has been a huge part of my financial journey. You can do this too!
How It All Started
My mindful substitutions process began when I found myself broke, overleveraged and wanting to quit my job. But, I was single (still am) and wanted to continue having a social life. So, I decided to figure out some ways to socialize for a lot less-but, doing the same sort of stuff.
When I started this process I was going out for dinners, enjoy the museum, and part of different social leagues in Denver. I enjoyed those activities but I felt like I could do the same activities for a lot less money.
I was right.
I began using MeetUp.com as a way to socialize for free or at a discounted price and met some amazing people. In fact, I started a business related group that will begin meeting in October. I was able carpool for epic hikes in the mountains, enjoy first-Friday Art Walks, and enjoy dim sum on Sundays with new people. I met entrepreneurs, office jockeys, and stay-at-home moms.
And, my entertainment expenses dropped substantially. I began looking for free and fun events that my city (and neighboring cities) were running and I participated in them. I had already paid for these events with my taxes LOL!
I saw free concerts like Bomba Estereo my favorite band from Colombia because Denver had an amazing event that they performed at. I practiced Spanish (for free) and I became super adept at finding nice substitutions for the fun stuff and some necessary stuff that I liked to enjoy.
The Ultimate Guide To Saving
As a result of my trial and errors I’ve figured out a ton of ways to save money, have a great life, and no one will have a clue (unless you tell them) about how much you’re economizing and saving.
“The Ultimate Guide To Saving” Is my gift to you! A free e-guide that walks you through my “mindful substitutions” process. If you are:
- Not naturally frugal
- Love to travel
- Always gravitate towards the most expensive thing
- Enjoy exercise classes
- Eat organic
But, you’re trying to lower your overall budget-this is the guide for you. I struggled in the beginning of my debt freedom journey because I didn’t want to miss out on having fun, going to exercise class, or eat bad food.
There were just some things I wasn’t willing to give up…but, I knew I had to stop paying premium prices if I wanted to change my financial story. So, why did I call this guide “No More Bad Ramen?” the name is a nod to the bad ramen that tastes so good that we used to eat in college.
I’m not in college anymore and there are just some things that I’m unwilling to do, even as I kill my debt.
Frugal Can Be Sexy!
What is your first thought when I say the word “frugal?” For many, people it’s not a positive thought that comes to mind. And, I have to admit that I used to associate frugality with being cheap. It’s not about being cheap, frugality for me is about being mindful.
Frugality: Is making mindful decisions that are in line with your values and your life.
Basically, when I am making a purchasing decision I now think about the following: is the good or service I would like to purchase or use worth me paying for or would I be willing to economize in some way in order to get that service. Here is a list of things that ended up on the list of wants that I didn’t want to give up so I had to figure out how I could do these things differently:
- Fitness classes
- Dance classes
- Travel
- Looking fashionable
- My social life
- Eating good food
Luckily, I’ve figured out a pretty painless process that saves me a TON of money and I hope this process saves you money too!
Related Post: 101 Ways to Save Money
My Life Now
I continue to lower my overall yearly expenses. It has become a bit of an obsession and has been a lot of fun. The great thing about these financial changes is that as I earn more money that is money that I can invest, save, pay off debt, or treat my mom to an epic mommy/ daughter trip.
I will be honest and admit that I am not naturally frugal and that frugal living has become second nature because of the mindful substitutions that I now embrace. I don’t fear missing out because I’m not missing out on the things that are important to me.
I’m able to continue lowering my overall budget because of the amazing amount of abundance that is out there that I now notice and recognize in my daily life. I want this for you too! I want you to notice all of the “free” that is out there waiting for you to use it. I want you to use your earned income towards retirement, immediate savings, debt repayment, fun, or helping others.
The begin of a frugal living journey isn’t easy but I’m hoping that this guide will help you identify your: wants, priorities, and triggers so that can free up your money for what’s really important.
Get Your Guide Today!
I hope you enjoy “The Ultimate Guide to Saving!” and email me how much you were able to save at: shopmyclosetproject@gmail.com
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Mmm, that bowl of veggies looks tasty! I know I’ve been guilty of eating cheap, processed foods on the journey to taking control of my money. Your guide sounds amazing!
I know! It looks so delicious. I hope the guide helps. I’ll continue tweaking it as things come up.