In a few months it will be Chistmas. Now most people would think that it is far away. They don’t consider to use this time for planning what gifts they would give. Planning is an important part in living a frugal life. It helps keep the cost a low as possible however it does not mean that you compromise quality. When you plan you are in a postition to take advantage of sales and bargains. In fact I have picked up some great deals at 25 – 50% of the retail price.

I so love sales! And what better than to find fantastic holiday or birthday gifts at a most affordable cost!

So as we head toward Christmas, make sure that you make a list of those you wish to give a gitt. Think about 2 or 3 possible items. In fact you can even ask the person to give you this list so that you can get what he/she wants and reduce the embarrassment of an unwanted gift. Armed with this list you can then start hunting for bargains and sales.

Leaving the list making too close to Christmas means that you may spend more money than you anticipated. So get planning and start searching today.

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Tags: bargains, holiday shopping, planning
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There are many similarities between your personal finances and your health. What are they?

1. Problems when they occur in both areas take a while to happen. What you do in your life affects your health and wealth. If you smoke eventually you will develop respiratory problems. They do not occur at once but over several years. So too can financial problems develop gradually. For example you may be spending all that you earn with little or no savings. You may even have debt. At some point in time you find that you cannot repay your debt with your current income.
2. We all want a quick fix. All too often people spend a lot of money on the new cure for losing weight and/or fat. In the same way we may get caught up in schemes to get rich quick.
3. Health can affect wealth since your medical costs can erode your wealth position. Wealth can be increased by your productivity. Higher productivity means that you are in good health as you are able to do a lot to move you along the wealth path.
4. The status of your health and wealth should be routinely checked. Check-ups can give you early warning of deficiencies and factors that would negatively affect you so that you can take corrective actions.

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Tags: health, wealth, wellbeing
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I’m always on the lookout for tools that can help me move toward my goal. I recently found the video below. The author instructs that you should watch this video daily. As you watch you should visualize and feel the reality that you are – a Magnet for WEALTH. Have a look, experiment and let us know your results.

http://www.dailymotion.com/videox598mg

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Tags: law of attraction, visualization, wealth
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Many people view frugallity in the same light of scarcity. However the concepts are quite different.  Being frugal is defined as paracticing thrift and avoiding waste. Thrift is the prudent use of money and goods. On the other hand scarcity refers to an insufficient supply.

Frugality should be viewed as the solution to overcoming spending addictions. We often respond emotionally to situations by shopping, spending more money then would would normally do.  This emotional response is what needs to be treated in order to control overspending.  However one of the problems of treatment is that we as humans tend to respond emotionally to change. This can either harm us or propel us to success.

What can we do to make sure that change does not produce a negative response?We must at most implement small steps that we does not threaten us or produce a negative emotion.

How can you use this to control a spending addiction?

The key is to implements change in small stages, one day at a time. What one step can you do today that will help you change your spending pattern?

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Tags: change, emotion, frugal living, spending
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To create prosperity you need two things – a consciousness and action. Have a look at the video.

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Tags: action, mindset, prosperity
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Today a lot of people over 60 are racking up a lot of debt. And not just ordinary debt, but credit card debt. Check out the story at ABC news.

Why has this happened? Well there are a number of reasons. Here are some:

• not planning for retirement
• poor health
• economic crisis.

While we may not be able to anticipate when an economic crisis may occur (although the signs are clear for those who can read them) we can plan for our future. Part of the planning not only involves saving for retirement but also making sure that you are healthy today. Your health can have a big impact on your expenses in the future.

What then should you do? The first thing would be to eliminate stress in your life.  Stress can cause serious health problems from cardiovascular diseases to mental health issues. Eliminate stress by practicing some form of meditation ir yoga. It may even be taking time to enjoy nature.

Next you should look at what you eat and the health benefits or risks of the food/drink you consume. Eating healthy can not only ensure that you have a great body, but can also have an impact on your brain.

You should also add some sort of exercise routine to your day…it may be walking, running or going to the gym. Whatever works for you at the lowest possible cost.

And finally you should give your body time to rejuvenate by getting at least 8 hours sleep per night.

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Tags: credit card, retirement, saving
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Just recently I have been contemplating the weather since I am currently in a country experiencing winter.  As a sun-loving tropical person, it is quite difficult to adjust to cold weather.  It has been quite a struggle these last few weeks. I then reminded myself that it will not last and that tomorrow will be better.

It struck me that sometimes finances are like that. Times when the outlook is bleak and it seems as though things may never get better. Then we find that life is much better…bills are paid on time and there is extra for doing all the things that we need. The present is fantastic compared with the past situation. We enjoy life! Yet how often do we ever consider the tomorrow?

Just as we plan for winter…making sure that we have the right clothing, the heating is working and there is food stocked in case of emergency, so to should we plan for our financial future. We should consider what one thing we can do today that would enable us to weather the bad weather and know that tomorrow will be much better.

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Tags: finances, saving
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These days it’s all about energy. The buzz words are “be green”! Well if you really consider it, consumers have been doing this for years.

What does it mean to “be green”?

Well according to the experts we should be reducing energy consumption, reducing greenhouse gas emission and a whole lots more but we will focus on these two.

Reducing energy consumption in the home is nothing new. Who wants to pay a large electricity bill? Not me! And I’m sure not you also. So what have we been doing to pay as little as possible?

We have been:

• turning off lights and appliances when not in use. In fact we even switch off the power card or disconnect them since we all know that even though they are off they still use some electricity
• making sure that our homes are well insulated and there is no heat loss and we use double glaze windows to help
• using a thermostat to regulate heating and cooling
• using energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps for lighting
• using energy-efficient appliances such as washing machines, refrigerators, dishwashers
• and lots more.

These practices have helped us reduce the household contribution to greenhouse gases. To help further reduce greenhouse gas emissions we have been consious of the products that we buy. We avoid those with chemicals that contribute to greenhouse gases (such as cloroflorocarbons) and we use natural as far as possible.

So who needs to really pay attention to the “green” message? Big business. These are the real culprits when it comes to high energy use and greenhouse emission. And those of us who work for these businesses should implement the things that we practice at home in our work environment. One simple thing would be to turn off the computer monitor when you leave for the night. Often a lot of people turn off the computer but forget the monitor is still connected and powered.

The simple things in life add up. Why not take the energy saving things that you do daily as part of your home life into your working life. It will make the difference on the “green scene”.

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Tags: eneryg bills, green, saving
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I found these series of videos on EFT and money. Hope you enjoy doing the technique. If you are interested in learing more about EFT you can get a free ebook from Gary Craig’s website.

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Tags: blocks, EFT, money, spiritual, wealth
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Many people think that  if they seek money then they are not being spiritual. Have a look at the video below and decide for yourself.

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Tags: abundance, money, spirituality
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