There has come a point that you have read all the forums out there about frugal or simple living, you have surfed the internet finding the answers to “how to live frugally” or “how to live below your means” and now you have the answers you were looking for and can help others even. You know you have reached this when you have seen or read it all and nothing is new.
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| flickr/cc - kjarrett |
Unfortunately, there isn’t a special little pill that will cause us to wake up one morning and we will be the best frugal living expert on the planet, it will take time, putting in action one idea at time.
Right now, what is the one thing that sticks in your head that you know you need to get acting on?
Is it time to track your spending? Then think for a moment of a way you can keep track of your spending, would a checkbook register be easiest or a small notebook or piece of paper cut into quarters? Go get that set up and place that item where it will always be handy tomorrow morning for you to start. Remember- Habits take up to 21 days to kick in, so give yourself time to succeed in it.
Is it time to clean out the closet? Then put the computer to sleep, grab a trash bag and some boxes; mark the boxes as for sale, give away or whatever else you want. Open the door to your new organized self and start. Grab some help if you can, turn on some head bopping music, but put in a good hour to accomplish something, no matter how small. If you only have a half hour to do this, then set up a schedule – just like going to work or brushing your teeth, it is something that has to be done.
Ultimately, there comes a point where you have to move from the “knowing what to do” to “doing what you know”. If you don’t act on the things that you know you need to get done then all the knowledge and time you have put into finding the answers you are looking for will be wasted and you won’t feel very good about yourself.
You are so right! At some point you have to "walk the walk". Thanks for the reminder.
So true! My sister complains about how much debt she has and wonders why I have almost none despite a much lower income ... I tell her to watch me and DO what I do, instead of asking me questions and not listening to the answers.
I think you have to constantly self-revise and evaluate. Some people find it's time to let stuff into their lives. I actually just finished filling my donation and rag bin with stuff I had sorted through only a few months ago. On the other hand, I'm thinking about investing (a refurbished or ebayed) wii to improve the quality of a disabled relative's life. it never stops! <3
That is the most difficult thing to do - change, start acting. We simply get used to the way we live. I think it takes more than 21 days to change. Well, at least for me. I have tried. After the period it still is easy to fall back to old way of living. But at least we know what to do. Thanks for reminding.