Best Quote Yet

On Thursday I hosted my third intro session to Living Large with Less. Once again I was amazed at the quality of the conversations and the sharing that happened throughout the class. I am thinking that perhaps, we should meet more regularly like a book club might. Stay tuned as this idea evolves.

The best quote from a class member came at the end of Thursday's session. When asked for a tip to share with others my sister said, "Don't do anything (when Living Large with Less) that makes you feel cheap, embarassed, or otherwise awful." I think this is an important piece of information to remember as everyone is in a different place financially and our goals are all different too. If we focus less on being miserly, and more on why we want to live with less (i.e. travel more, save more, free up time etc.) then it will be easier to make the harder choices. However, hard choices such as NOT buying an item or choosing a generic brand, should not leave us constantly feeling horrible. We all have CHOICE. Choose what is important and be intentional in your plans. So please feel free to enjoy your quality cup of coffee or haircut, if those are places you do not want to skimp. And conversely, where you are willing to sacrifice be sure to remember the long term goals.

Instant Savings

Instant Savings? How is that possible without clipping coupons or waiting for the infamous one-day sale? This is a short and sweet plan and one where you can rack up savings without lifting a finger-literally. Here is the secret: Never under estimate the power of not spending. Now take a moment to ponder that statement.

The next time you are at the store (or on-line) with your eyes on the latest garment, tech gadget, kid's item, or whatever floats your boat, take a moment to consider how much you could save by not buying the item. Sure it may be nice to bring the coveted item home but how much longer would the satisfaction of not having spent the money last? I venture to guess that the financial savings would outweigh the buzz a new purchase might give you, if you really stop to think about it. Not purchasing the item might do the following: keep you from the guilt of buyer's remorse, allow you to set that money aside for a major purchase at a later date (aka delayed gratification), give you the strength to say 'no' again in the future, and thus show self control. And finally, think about the money you don't need to earn, which is time saved. If you successfully walk away from a potential purchase and are still dreaming about it days later, perhaps it is worth a return visit and/or a closer look at the budget to see if this purchase can and should happen. However, most of the time we have simply saved ourselved some cash. Instant Savings.

$22.34 Bathroom Make-Over

Don't you love those home makeover shows? As an architect I truly enjoy seeing the finished product and I especially enjoy those shows with budgetary constraints. Who has an unlimited budget these days? My victory this weekend was giving my not so large bathroom a makeover, for a whopping $22.34. How was this accomplished? Well, since the space is limited the shower curtain is a major player, we decided that our 8 year old IKEA curtain had done us proud but it was time for a change. At Bed, Bath and Beyond we found a festive shower curtain that was discontinued, making it $15. Then we added some new curtain rings and a new shower caddy to round out our purchases. When it came time to check out we used our $10-off coupon too, hence the $22.34.

Our bathroom doesn't look vastly different as the paint color is the same as is the rug, but we hope to change that in time. For now we smile when we walk by the bathroom, the fresh colors in the shower curtain have already made a difference between us simply liking a space and loving it. Have you been thinking about making some changes inside your home? If so, think about small changes that might have a big impact. Perhaps a fresh coat of paint in a new color, new throw pillows, or even a new piece of art or even a plant. Something small and affordable is often all you need to freshen up a space, not necessarily the extreme home makeover you fantasize about.