Benefits of Living in a Studio is a post from: LivingFrugalTips.com - Learn about: Living Frugal, Frugal Tips, Saving Money, Saving Money Tips

Meet Bruce

This is Part 3 of the Purging Sucks Series; first hand insights from my dear fried Bruce who embarked on a major life change just three months ago by moving across county to be near his aging mother. The journey was long, the changes daunting, but I know he is embracing this new life and relishing in the time and opportunities that are before him.

Simplifying and downsizing your life enough to live in a studio has many benefits. So, I moved from a 3 bedroom house into a studio apartment. After the shock to the system wore off here are the positives of studio living:

1.  If you have a living room ceiling light the only lamp you need is beside the bed. Awesome. Save on light bulbs. Dusting lampshades is a pain (no longer I say).

2.  Once you figure out how to program your coffeemaker you don’t need that nasty aggressive alarm clock anymore. Now I slowly wake up to the gurgling of brewing coffee and the wafting aroma of dark coffee.

3.  You can watch your best TV in bed or on the couch. And you only need one TV.

4.  Bose bookshelf surround sound speakers have never sounded better and now reach every corner of the house.

5.  When you cook you go to sleep with that wonderful smell (so don’t burn popcorn).

6.  One scented candle and the whole place smells like a French boutique (or whatever you want it to smell like).

7.  You save lots of money on entertaining because well frankly you can’t really entertain beyond maybe 2 people. One box of Triscuit Crackers and Spicy Cheddar Cheese Whiz and you are good to go.

8.  My studio has a built in under counter wine cooler. Awesome. I recommend it. No excuses for “maybe we shouldn’t have another bottle”. You can not only figuratively crawl to the next bottle you can literally do it. In addition. Trip over the couch and you pass out on the bed. How convenient is that?

9.  If you want to see a lot of someone invite them over. Trust me. Whatever they do and wherever they go you can see them. It can also help unwanted visitors leave quicker.

10.  Living in a studio has lots of positives. Not just the above. And it really does make life a lot simpler and less expensive.

If you missed Part 1 – Purging Sucks and Part 2 – The Riches of Purging, click to read more. Also, please share any other benefits to small space living.

About the author:
Bruce is a collector of moments and thankfully has a good memory. Lots of travel and lots of jobs and lots of interesting interactions with a variety of people have created some great life lessons and some funny experiences. And he likes to write about these things so other people can share in what he has seen and learned. Oh. And he always has an opinion. For more on Bruce, visit: www.brucemctague.com.

The Riches of Purging: Purged Living Part 2 is a post from: LivingFrugalTips.com - Learn about: Living Frugal, Frugal Tips, Saving Money, Saving Money Tips

View from New Small Space

This is Part 2 of Purged Living Life,  tales from my friend Bruce who recently did a massive purge, left a 3 bedroom home, moved across country and is now living in a studio. If you missed Part 1 Purging Sucks, be sure to give it a quick read first.

So you have now purged and are living “small space living.” The functional benefits are really obvious – financial savings, less upkeep, etc. and they become obvious very quickly which helps you overcome some of the emotional shock of turning around and seeing your entire living space.

A good friend of mine suggested simplifying is all about a decision to live simply versus simply live. And it could be. That is a big, big thought. And possibly after a period of time it smacks you in the back of the head as such. But in the beginning it may sometimes just be simply that it is … well … simpler. Less choices. Less maintenance. Less expense. So it means you have more of the other things .. one of which is time.

Ahhhhhhhh … but there’s the rub. We Americans rarely accept “free time” as a gift to relax but rather we fill it up with other things. Therefore this “smaller space frees up time” slips through the cracks in the consciousness pretty quickly. But I bring it up with the hope you try and remember it as a positive.

Shifting to living simply is also a neat opportunity to give life a “fresh start.” And I imagine I never really thought about the outcome of the purging as having a variety of paths until my mother and I went through it at the same time.  My mother and I going through it at exactly the same time showed us two paths:

1. I simply consolidated my stuff and took the best of the best and created a space where I love everything that I have.

2. My mother took a core favorite group of pieces and items from her past things and then reupholstered comfortable chairs, bought a new couch, used two of my paintings she liked, bought new lamps, etc. to create a new look.

So once you get through the purging gauntlet you do have a smaller space, a simpler life and, frankly, a space you have difficulty finding fault with. While there are fewer things to fondle or juggle you have more to be happy with. Smaller space living ain’t bad. That’s the net of it.

Lastly. The odd conversations. Inevitably the people you know, knew you as a “larger living space person.” So, you find yourself in many conversations explaining your smaller space living arrangement.

We Americans often associate value with quantity. It is similar with living space, particularly if you are dealing with people who have seen you in a ‘large space.’

You had quantity of space = you were happy.

You no longer have quantity of space = you cannot be happy.

It’s weird. You spend a lot of time trying to explain to people something you have already gone through (the pain of the purge) to explain that you are happy in smaller space living. Sure. You rattle off all the functional reasons (smaller bills, less time cleaning, less chores) but people associate that with “you have less money and you had to do that.” Well. They may be right. But more likely they are wrong.

Sometimes you reach a point where doing something right for you just doesn’t seem right to others. Okay sure. Maybe at some point after we get through this depression (oops. recession.) people will accept smaller space living decisions as something like “living life simpler” choices but for now? Be prepared if you elect to do this. Remember these three things:

1.    Purging sucks.

2.    Simpler life doesn’t suck.

3.    Explaining it sucks.

Hopefully over time #2 carries more weight in your life than 1 and 3 combined. As I did all of this myself less than 3 months ago I haven’t reached the balance yet – but I have hope.

If you missed Part 1 – Purging Sucks and Part 3 – The Benefits of Living in a Studio, click to read more. Also, please share any other benefits to small space living.

About the author:
Bruce is a collector of moments and thankfully has a good memory. Lots of travel and lots of jobs and lots of interesting interactions with a variety of people have created some great life lessons and some funny experiences. And he likes to write about these things so other people can share in what he has seen and learned. Oh. And he always has an opinion. For more on Bruce visit: www.brucemctague.com

Purging Sucks: Purged Living Part 1 is a post from: LivingFrugalTips.com - Learn about: Living Frugal, Frugal Tips, Saving Money, Saving Money Tips

Sometimes you move for a job and sometimes for personal reasons. Most of the time you purge some stuff (and it is OK), but sometimes you have to take the big step and do “the massive purge”. My good friend Bruce just went through this. Actually he moved out west to be closer to his aging mother and they both went through the purging process at the same time. I asked if he would share his candid thoughts on the matter and what it took out of him to prepare for small-space living.

Here is the thought. Purging sucks. Financially and mentally.

The act of downsizing or simplifying is called purging. And purging sucks. If anyone tries to tell you it is invigorating or cleansing they are full of it. Part 2 will talk about the aftermath of purging (let’s call it the positivity of simplifying). But this is about getting there. The mental and financial and physical gauntlet you need to run to be able to join the famous and spiritual tribe of simplifiers (I believe Crazy Horse was a simplicity guy himself. But they did call him crazy).

Let’s talk financially. My first inclination is to suggest if you want to downsize, simply pack everything up, put it in a trailer or van and then proceed to have the van “accidentally” drive over the closest cliff and be declared unsalvageable. Or rent a moving van and park it downtown with the keys in it. This way you will avoid the mental anguish of attacking each item one by one in the keep versus toss mental cage match. And, with insurance replacement value you get some cash to overcome the mental aspect. You collect fair value in insurance and you can physically just start over.

Yeah. I am kidding. But I am writing about money at the moment. Or at least what looks like money on paper when you list all the items you own in your space, closets, attic, garage, etc.

Downsizing preparation. Remember. Purging sucks. Be prepared. Financially it is a bottomless drain of which you will watch money value disappear down the sink to be dispersed somewhere into some financial cesspool where wasted dollars and cents slowly rot and the stench sours your nose.

When I moved out to the west coast to help my mother we ended up purging both our households at the same time. She sold her two bedroom, three story townhouse (after 22 years) and moved into a one bedroom, two room apartment in a senior complex (yup. The mental aspect may outstrip the financial on that one).

Me? I went from a three bedroom house of things down to a studio apartment. Let me give you a financial example to prepare you. I went from around a $75-80,000 value in things on my homeowners insurance to maybe a $4,000 check after selling the stuff. The upside is that my replacement insurance is a lot cheaper now. Yeah. On paper your net worth takes a pretty big hit.

Mom? Well how do you put a dollar value on the wedding gift silver set? (eBay and consignment stores can do that).

Dollars and cents wise it gets painful to even write this, describing either myself or my mother’s situation. But it helped that we did it at the same time. And interestingly there was a reverse relationship that kind made the mutual purging palatable. Because she sold her house in less than a week, financially it became easier to swallow “things” slipping out of her home and the loss of ownership to the tune of small amounts of cash. While I was tempted to drain a bottle of Jack every time I thought of the dollars and cents.

Emotionally it is difficult to compare my loss of ownership of that CD with the song that reminded me of great times in the bar with great high school friends in Vermont … to the loss of my mother’s mother’s (my grandmother to you who don’t want to draw a diagram) best plate set. Or something my father gave my mother years ago.

Sure I lost things that were important to me (my 3000 CD collection and half my library of books). But my mother was losing memories. She hung tough. There were certainly some really tough days. I spent a lot of time on the phone with my sister talking about how to help her through it.

Think of purging as running a financial and mental gauntlet. (definition: a form of physical punishment wherein a man is compelled to run between two rows—a gauntlet—of soldiers who strike him as he passes.)

The journey sucks but it is the destination that matters. Part 2 of Purging showcases the destination. But the only way, and let me repeat that, the only way you can make it through the actual purging is to keep the destination (a simpler space and life) in clear site. Trust me. Your eyesight gets a little fuzzy (possibly clouded in pain) every once in awhile during the process, but focus on the destination and as you get closer to the end of the gauntlet you start seeing it a little more clearly and it seems like a huge light of hope at the end of the tunnel.

Do I regret going through purging? Nope. It did make me realize some of the stupid, nonsensical purchases I made over the years. And while it was painful to release some of those things, in the end, these things didn’t matter because I like the destination I reached. It is a nice spot. And I think more people should visit it.

Read More: The Riches of Purging: Purged Living Part 2 and Part 3: Benefits of Studio Living

About the author:
Bruce is a collector of moments and thankfully has a good memory. Lots of travel and lots of jobs and lots of interesting interactions with a variety of people have created some great life lessons and some funny experiences. And he likes to write about these things so other people can share in what he has seen and learned. Oh. And he always has an opinion. For more on Bruce visit: www.brucemctague.com

Create a Rich Life is a post from: LivingFrugalTips.com - Learn about: Living Frugal, Frugal Tips, Saving Money, Saving Money Tips

A rich life is a life measured by memories and milestones and not based on money and stuff. The quicker you can realize this, the faster you will be able to create a rich life for yourself.

Of course you need a certain degree of money to provide for yourself and your family, but the amount is far less than you would expect if you save and spend wisely. As a society we are far too caught up in “keeping up with the Joneses” and this can takes its toll on your happiness as well as your wallet. The bigger house, the newer car, the hottest designer outfits, the latest touch phones, gaming systems and gadgets … all come at a cost.

‘Envy’ is a temporary feeling and the ‘stuff’ that we buy to try and fill the void in our lives is just that … it’s ‘stuff’. And while we may get a rush of joy or excitement over our new purchase, it’s a fleeting feeling. As soon as you buy the new outfit, game or gadget, a newer version is already on the market. And when it comes time to pay the higher mortgage or bigger car loan … buyer’s remorse can hit you hard.

If you read my About page you’ll know that my income is 25% of what it once was. We’ve always lived below our means. Gosh, I’m the girl with the crock pot, hand mixer and blender that were wedding presents that will be 20 years old this May. My poor toaster died after 19 years. While we always lived below our means, when we made more we naturally spent more. So, when I gave up the big job we gave up other things too:

• We downsized our home and chose to put a priority on the location and not the size. After years of do-it-yourself projects we have the home of our dreams.
• My Lexus SUV and the $750.00 monthly payments were traded in for a shiny red Mazda 3 which is paid for.
• Dining out was replaced with staying in, and with more time I realized how much I love to cook.
• I started coloring my own hair which I found so easy. And, because it’s so cheap ($10.00 or less) I do it more frequently than when I was paying $150 at a salon. The net effect … my “natural” blond looks more natural without the roots showing.

The list goes on.

The point is that these ‘things’ were not missed, and the changes that we made in our lives afforded us far more valuable opportunities. Time with each other and time for family and friends. I’m learning about myself, I’m pursuing interests and dreams, and I’m relishing in the little things. I have the time to make memories … and to sit back and reflect on them.

Whether you choose to downsize your life or it happens to you with a job loss or layoff  … focus on what matter most and make it memorable and not material.

Minimize the Stuff and Focus on What Matters is a post from: LivingFrugalTips.com - Learn about: Living Frugal, Frugal Tips, Saving Money, Saving Money Tips

While reading another one of my $0.10 library magazines, Sierra Magazine (stated mission: “To explore, enjoy, and protect the planet”), I came across a great quote that so clearly and simply puts life into perspective:

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius

What a great quote. Just stop and think about that for just a minute. We fill our homes with stuff. We over extend and over schedule our lives. We feel compelled to stay constantly connected — texting, emailing, talking — while walking, talking, eating, sitting in the movies and even while driving. I have clients who actually have two cell phones and they’ve mastered the art of having two phone conversations at once. Crazy.

How simple could we make our lives and how happy would we be? Let’s just think about it. Sift through the stuff, minimize things, and find out what really matters.

Simple living, rich life. It’s the less is more principle. A life built on memories and milestones versus money and stuff.

Taking the Leap to Living on Less is a post from: LivingFrugalTips.com - Learn about: Living Frugal, Frugal Tips, Saving Money, Saving Money Tips

Lisa Duncan

Internal thoughts after taking the big, scary leap of leaving my successful career for small-town living:

Money and titles and awards and peer respect and things like that. My future planning was as American as it could be .. I valued promotions .. titles .. respect from peers … money .. and continuous upward movement in organizations I worked within.

There were times over the years I thought my husband  just didn’t get me. Or maybe he just didn’t ‘get’ my professional life and all that came with it. It is really only now I truly realize he ‘got it’ better than anyone else.

While he certainly was proud of me over the years for my omnipotent like titles and wizardly like business skills and increasing income, he loved me for something else — the person whose only title was wife and life partner and whose income was better valued as ‘time together’.

He married the me without a title and the income and the professional accolades and with the strong ambition to be successful .. well .. maybe better said .. to be good at what I do.  I am still ambitious (just for something else other than what it was – whatever that was) and he still loves the “title-less, less income” me. I gotta say I love this man for that.

I also have to admit (the professional competitive ambitious side of me) it feels good to know he knew something I didn’t know. I admit I am still trying to learn about me from him. Thank god he is a good teacher and that he has the patience (and always has). I’m grateful he still loves me for all the same reasons he did in the beginning.

And maybe I have finally recognized all the things he saw in me all those years ago really are the most important things to make me successful in the next stage of my life.

I’m living proof that living on less, gives your more.