Want to be considered one of the savviest, most thoughtful people in your circle of friends?  That’s right, you so do.

While I could extol the virtues of thoughtfulness through this blog, or implore you that thank you notes are the life blood of generousity (and you really have no excuse to be lazy), I’m not going to.

Simply put, if you don’t have the courtesy to say “thanks” for a nice dinner out, a kind gift or the lending of a helping hand- you probably won’t learn now from me!  On the other hand, for those of you who love receiving gifts and love the people you get them from (or even if you don’t) and want to keep them coming, read on…

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Before we know it, Christmas will be upon us.  For those of you hardcore frugal-ers, you might be already armed with coupons, a gift stash and a budget tailored down to the last penny for your holiday shopping.   Some frugal folks don’t advocate for buying on a budget, they might not be buying at all!  So, could you handle a gift-less Christmas?

To save money in the past, I have gifted homemade knitted wares, hand baked goodies and purchased pre-made edibles that are cost effective and cover more gift-giving ground.  This year I wondered-  what if we just don’t give gifts at all?

My problem is- I love giving gifts but as costs rise and travel eats up most of my budget, how can I afford to make the holiday special and give a meaningful gift to everyone I love without going into credit card debt?  

Going gift-less doesn’t have to be horrible, but dedicate some brain space to whipping up creative ways on transforming your holiday season into “memories” not just “things.”   The holiday season is notoriously an out of control spending orgy that leaves too many of us paying off credit cards well into springtime- don’t let that be you!  

 I’ve done some pondering and have come up with a way to make going gift-less suck-less!

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When was the last time you got really excited? Like, REALLY FRIGGIN excited.

If you’re struggling to get up in the morning, and even the most personal and sweetest of joys in your daily life fail to rouse you any longer, perhaps it’s time to tap into something nostalgic just to muster up your love for life again.

Having goals are a great way to keep a forward focus on life and give you a reason to keep trudging forward especially if you’re going through a rough patch. If you’re finding it hard to get your goals to DONE, imagine that you’re a kid again and see your goals as a treasure trove of presents that you’d waited impatiently for as a child.  Go back to a time in your mind when you were counting down the days until it was the day to take the big trip to the amusement park, or you knew you’d finally get that toy on your birthday.

I know we have all been at times in our life where it’s a real challenge just to get ourselves out of bed in the morning, much less push towards our goals.

Whether you’re trying to build up to a new business while working a day job, or trying to manage healthy eating during final exams, you might feel totally drained of the inspiration to push forward, and you may even wonder if losing that last 10 lbs. when it’s so difficult to achieve is even worth thinking about- Just know that whatever dreams and desires you have for your life are a true gift that you give yourself, so see the completion of your goals, or the arrival of your accomplishments to be a special present waiting to be unwrapped by YOU!

Reassociate that feeling of walking into Disneyland as a 9 year old with the feeling of walking into your job for the LAST DAY because you’ve quit to start a new pursuit.

 Tap into that feeling of opening the perfect toy at 11 years old to understand what it will feel like to finally pay off your credit card.

 Imagine the feeling of accomplishment and freedom you felt when you first learned to ride a bike in order to help you visualize what the freedom of having your car paid off will be like.  

Because my lovelies, you already know what true joy feels like.  You know what exuberance and freedom and beauty really is- because you’ve already known it as a child.    Tap into those great feelings as an adult and you’ll find your goals become so much easier!  

Are you the Jedi Knight of coupon clipping or more of a Picasso of repurposing?  

Find out exactly what kind of frugal mastermind you are and share you wise ways with us sensei!

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Stuff happens. Computers and Venti Iced Teas collide with disastrous results.  Your neighbor burns the bacon and ends up flooding his floor (and your ceiling).  Between bar #1 and your best friend’s futon, your credit card ends up somewhere in between.

Taking 10 minutes today could prevent disaster- and it’s almost stupid that most of us don’t.   Let’s get smart and get secure in stupidly simple steps:

Step One: Take Inventory.

Take stock of everything you have that could be useful in case of an insurance claim,  plus all of your crucial financial information and contact numbers in one handy (and locked) computer file.

Your secure inventory should include:

-Your bank information, your credit cards (at least the last 4 digits) and the numbers to call in case of an emergency or stolen wallet.

-All of the items you would need replaced in case of a disaster, with model number and photo documentation if possible.

-Emergency contact information of your doctors, insurance (with account number), family/friends and any vital people you would need to contact or have contacted on your behalf.

Step Two: Secure a Backup.

Now that you have your awesome inventory on a computer file, where to store it in case something happens to your computer?  I have everything backed up on both an external hard drive and on Dropbox.com.  You can get an external hard drive for $45 or less, and it will hold all of your music and pictures.   I personally use Dropbox for my documents as it saves automatically and syncs with my computer as I save new documents.

Step Three: Make Sure You’re Insured.

Renters insurance can be under $10 a month and protects you from a myriad of problems:  flooding, theft, fire and all kinds of other potential mishaps.  After one end of my insurance building caught on fire for NO reason (they still never told us why), I knew it was worth the $10 a month to replace my electronics and furniture at the very least.

I also personally have Term Life Insurance. For around $35 a month, I am putting money aside that can be reclaimed later if not used if something happens.  I know you can get cheaper payments and different rates but for my needs this worked out!

Take a few minutes to evaluate if you have enough insurance, of if the insurance you currently have is giving you enough protection for the best price.  Give a quick call to your institution to do a check in and see if you can get a deal.

I know there’s something I’ve left out.  If there’s anything you’ve done to secure yourself that made you think “Hot damn I’m smart,” please feel free to share so I can bask in your glory and prevent my own self-imposed disasters.