Discover Your Bliss

Can You Go One Month Without Spending Money?

I read this incredible story about a family's no-buy experiment in Reader's Digest (they did buy only the essentials like milk, etc.)  For the full article, click here.

The article is chocked full of money-saving ideas that I wanted to share:

• Visit thriftyfun.com to find penny-saving tips to conserve cash.   
• Visit readersdigest.com/nospending to take the no-spending challenge yourself.
• Fill out the order forms in catalogs and see if you still want the stuff in a week from now.  

Can you imagine what it would be like to not buy anything for a month?  What about not spending for a week?  Is a week without spending more "do-able" or is the thought of going a full 24 hours without spending money too stressful to imagine? 

What's so scary about going a day, a week or a month without spending?  What would it say about you as a person?  How would you approach this challenge?  With open arms?  Resistance? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Black Year: Give Yourself a Gift

Traditionally, the day after Thanksgiving is called "Black Friday" because many retailers finally tip into the "black" for the year (finally turning a profit as opposed to being in the "red" of spending more than they earn). 

Since it is the holiday season, I offer you a challenge - give yourself the gift of a "Black Year."  How can you operate from a place of "overflow" rather than "deficiency?" 

Operating from overflow can mean different things to different people - financially, energetically, gratitude, etc. 

From a financial perspective, you may feel like there's no hope of tipping into the black due to credit card debt, loans and the economy - yet there's always a way to begin the shift to transition from red to black. 

What's one thing - one habit, one item, one choice that you're making right now that you're willing to change to begin this shift?  If looking at this from a financial perspective feels too overwhelming, then I invite you to look at any part of your life and make one change to live from the overflow.

Sometimes the practice of shifting to a place of overflow in one part of your life will make it easier for overflow to be introduced into other parts of your life. 

What's living from the overflow?  Filling yourself up first, then helping others.  Saving your money, then spending it.  Getting support for yourself, then supporting others.

Much like the oxygen mask on an airplane, you must take care of yourself first, then you will be in a better place to help others.

Why do flight attendants tell adults to put on their oxygen masks first?  So they can help the child. 

If I fumble to put on a child's mask or the person sitting next to me before I put on my own mask, then there's a good chance that I'll pass out from lack of oxygen.  And what good does it do for me pass out?  I am unable to help myself or others. 

By putting on my mask first, I have oxygen and a support system to help others.  My oxygen mask gives me a source of support to work from the overflow. 

What's the first step you're willing to take to live from the overflow?  How does giving yourself the gift of a black (overflow, abundance) year feel? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Save Money - Print Your Own Holiday Cards

I found a web site that offers contemporary holiday card designs that you can customize and print yourself - for free!

Visit Dwell Holiday Cards and follow the prompts to create holiday cards. 

Now these cards are not at all traditional, yet they do offer a style that can be customized to fit any holiday occasion. 

Get creative - you can write whatever you want in the text section, so why not personalize each card with a note, rhyme or jingle of your own. 

How does personalizing your holiday cards support your connection to others?  How does saving money on holiday cards support you mentally, spiritually and emotionally? 

I'd love to hear you comments and discoveries.

Save Money This Holiday - Discuss a Gift-Free Zone

My mom has a pen pal in England named Betty.  Each year they exchange gifts.  Betty also sends a gift for my dad, grandma & me.  In turn, my mom sends Betty's grandchildren gifts. 

The kids are getting older and harder to buy for and my mom knows that gift buying is getting harder for Betty (as well as money getting tight for her family), so this year my mom pitched a gift-free zone.  She asked Betty if it would be okay to only get a gift for each other and not the rest of the family.  Betty agreed.

There's another really cool part to this story - what Betty gives to my mom for each gift-giving occasion.

Betty is much older than my mom and has started taking inventory in her life of what she has and where she wants it to eventually go (no she's not sick, she's just being realistic). 

Betty has a set of blue and white dishes that mean a lot to her and she wants someone to have them that will appreciate them.  Betty asked her family if they'd like to have them (she has one son that's divorced) and no one does, so she's sending one or two piece to my mom for each birthday and Christmas and any other gift-giving occasion. 

The cool thing is...my mom loves blue and white dishes and has a mish mash of odds and ends of blue and white dishes of her own - so these fit right in - and they have more meaning because they're coming from Betty. 

In order to honor this gift from Betty (according to my mom, Betty appreciates and enjoys giving her dishes in this way), my mom will continue to exchange between the two of them.  This way, she knows that Betty is not spending money on a present (only on shipping) and the stress of what to get and how much to spend goes away. 

Two key ingredients to save money this holiday season:

• discuss a gift-free zone
• consider giving something you already own/have (Always let the person you're giving know that this is coming from you - I thought you would enjoy and use these bowls of mine since you have a pink kitchen.)

The key is to discuss the gift-free zone before anyone has a chance of buying presents for each other - so don't wait until the day before the holiday to call up your sister or aunt. 

It is also important to show equal concern for both sides - In the spirit of saving both of our families money this year - not - You look like you're going through some hard times so you don't have to get us anything this year.  See the difference?  The first one shows concern for both sides and doesn't put the "blame on one side" and the other might feel condescending or embarrass the other person. 

Remember to sprinkle some neutrality and sensitivity on your request so you don't alienate the person you're asking.  Get creative and see the gift-free zone as an act of freedom. 

Where would you like to request a no gift zone?  How does coming from a place of "your needs equal my needs" color your request?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Want to Save Some Money? Here's How

With all this talk of an economic crisis, some bargain-specific blogs have been created just in time for the holidays. 

The Los Angeles Times has a new blog called - To Live and Buy in L.A. - even if you don't live in L.A., this blog offers some money-saving tips that can apply to everyone - regardless of location. 

If you're up for saving some money, then I challenge you to Google the name of your city and the word "bargains."  You just might find some hidden money-saving treasures. 

How does saving money support your mood?  What would it look like to find great deals on items you were planning on purchasing without the "deal?" 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Remember to Give

Even though there might be chaos in our country's economy, it is important to remember to give.

Yes, of course, I'm not telling you to give all of your money away or make financial decisions that do not support you, yet I find that in times of economic "struggle," giving is the first player to be "let go."

On my way to see a musical yesterday, my ears smiled.  A group of four men stood near the entrance to the theater singing pure joy. 

Something in their voices hugged my attention and I stood in gratitude listening to their 1960s songs and acappella harmonies. 

I pulled a dollar from my purse and tucked it in their tip hat.  At that moment their song ended and I had the opportunity to tell them how wonderful they sounded.  It was lovely moment in the present and gratitude. 

One the men handed me their card.  They call themselves the Doo-Wop Allstars. 

I didn't give them $100 or $50 since that would not have supported me - yet - I did have a dollar to give. 

The Doo-Wop Allstars reminded me that it's okay to continue to give and that the dollar amount is not important - it's the act surrounded by gratitude that matters.

How can you give to others while continuing to support yourself?  What does it look like to give (for you)? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Save Money Running Errands

I'll let you in on a little secret - running errands can be fun *and* there's a way that you can save money if you're willing.

Besides walking or riding a bike to run errands, I have two "money saving tips" when you have errands to run and you don't want to spend all day (or more money) running them. 

Money & Time Saving Tip #1 - group your errands with already scheduled events. 

For example, one of the grocery stores that I like to go to is close to my acupuncturist.  On the days I have an acupuncture appointment, I go to that store.  I'm already in the right part of town, so I stop off at the store after my appointment. 

Money & Time Saving Tip #2 - plan your errands according to location, traffic and customer level. 

I often run my errands between 11am-2pm, since I know there's less traffic and people shopping during those hours.  I also consider the day of the week - I rarely run errands on Mondays or Fridays. 

I also make a loop - which means I never backtrack.  Here's a quick example - I begin with my furthest away location (Michael's - since time does factor in and traffic increases as the day edges closer to 3pm).  At that location, I also walk to a second stop (a bead shop), then back to my car.  I begin the loop back to my place as I hit the bed/bath store, post office and finally the library. 

Tuesday & Wednesday mornings & Saturday evening are the best days/times to shop.  Pay attention to your area's most-shopped days and opt for another day/time. 

Bonus - Money & Time Saving Tip #3 - Ask a friend about his/her errand schedule and possibly carpool.  How cool would it be to save gas, time and money - and - visit with your friend? 

How does making a game out of your errands color your day?  What does it look like to make "have to" tasks fun? 

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.

Hooray for Oprah: Doing More with Less

I'm so happy to see Oprah doing a show that focuses on how to do more with less. 

If we all band together and re-evaluate what we spend and where our money goes then we're one step closer to financial freedom and security. 

Just one baby step is all it takes to move closer to living more with less. 

What's one thing you can do today to re-evaluate how you spend money?  What's one thing you can change so you can begin the process of doing more with less?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

The Clutter/Money Connection According to Suze Orman

On Tuesday's Oprah show, Suze Orman said, "When somebody doesn't have debt they also keep everything in order.  Cutter = debt.  Order  = No Debt.  When you respect what money can buy you (things) you respect money itself."   

So in the time of current economic unrest - what can you do?  Clear out some clutter so you can make space for money to come into you life.

As a life coach, I love working with people around clutter and clearing their mind, body, spirit and home of stuff that gets in the way of their living. 

Here's a few quick tips to bust some clutter today, this weekend or in the coming weeks:

• pause before you bring new stuff into your home - ask yourself - Do I really need this?  How is this "thing" serving me?  If needed, give yourself 24 hour in between finding what you want to buy and actually buying the item.
• does this raise or lower my energy - look at the object - Do you feel uplifted?  Do you instantly feel bummed that you wasted your money?
• use your public resources - Can you get that book at the library?  Most libraries not only allow you to check out books for free - they also have cds, book on tape and movies. 

What's something that you can clear today?  How can you incorporate "clutter busting" into your daily, weekly or monthly routine?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries. 

Are You a Money Magnet?

When I jog, I often find various coins on the ground.  I stop, pick them up and say, "I am a money magnet!"

Lately, I've been noticing more and more ways that I am attracting money. 

Attracting money doesn't have to result in actual physical money.  I've won several drawings for services I would otherwise have to pay for - coaching, theta healing, etc. 

I've also been attracting money through non-traditional ways.  I received a letter in the mail asking me to be a participant in a survey (completely legitimate - I know the organization) that will pay me for my time. 

I've also been given things - like crystals, healings and services - without me asking for them. 

My water aerobics class doesn't have an instructor for Tuesday and Thursday (days I usually go), so as a result, I get to go to the pool and swim - for free!  I am a money magnet!

While digging out a cypress tree in a flowerbed at my apartment, I found a quarter and a dime.  I am a money magnet!

Other opportunities - like alternative ways of earning money - have also come my way.  I am a money magnet. 

As my awareness increases around how I am attracting money (in all of its forms) the more money comes my way.

I am a money magnet!  Are you?

How many different ways do you attract money?  What does attracting money look like for you and what can you do to expand your opportunities and awarenesses?

I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries!