DIVORCEDDADFRUGALDAD.COM

Are You Frugal or Convenience Loving?

2011-03-08T15:00:00Z

Some people are frugal and some are convenience loving. Remember, convenience costs money.

You are planning a backyard BBQ for a few friends and family-- Are you frugal or convenience loving?

Well, a backyard BBQ is a frugal move . . . if you plan it right. On the other hand, it could be a convenience lover's non-frugal disaster.

Let's consider this closer, did you:

Make your own burgers or buy the pre-packaged ones?
Make ice and store it in your freezer or did you buy it at the convenience store?
Use home grown tomatoes and lettuce or did you pay top dollar?
Make your own homemade potato salad or buy it at the deli?
Make your own homemade lemonade or ice tea or buy it in containers?

Granted, some things need to be purchased, but many things can and should be homemade-- and better tasting for it!

As for the things you need to buy, planning ahead can allow you to get things on sale and with coupons-- saving you big bucks. Once again, last minute and "convenience" is expensive.

Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at DvrcdDadFrglDad, SelfRelianceWS, LowProfileLife, and Surfcasting2Day.

Attack Your Goals!

2011-03-04T14:00:00Z

What would happen if you attacked your goals? Things would change . . .

We all set goals, but how many of us really attack them? Why attack goals? Because that is how they get met. So what should you do?

Dive into your goals
Read and research them
Take swings at them everyday
Realign and readjust them
Keep up your goals
Live, eat, and breathe them
Set new ones when you achieve some

If you are serious about your goals . . . why not attack them?

Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at DvrcdDadFrglDad, SelfRelianceWS, LowProfileLife, and Surfcasting2Day.

There is Nothing Wrong With Regifting

2011-02-28T15:00:00Z

That's right-- there is nothing wrong with regifting. Sometimes we get gifts that we:

Can't use
Don't like
Can't afford
Don't want

So the frugal thing to do is regift the item. Regifting:

Saves you money
Avoids waste
Lets you get what you really want

Some rules for successful regifting:

Remember where it came from
Remove cards or notes
Inspect the item for personalized features
Know who will see the gift now and later

Don't be bashful-- regift that ugly thing!

Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at DvrcdDadFrglDad, SelfRelianceWS, LowProfileLife, and Surfcasting2Day.

Shopping Around . . . It Saves You Money

2011-02-24T13:00:00Z

When it comes to frugal living, it pays to shop around for the best:

Deal
Price
Features

Sometimes you will find the same item for less. Sometimes a better item with more features can be found.

I always have a mental checklist of items I will be looking for in the future-- I mentally record prices and availability. Then, when ready, I know where to go for the best offer.

Some people might argue that shopping around wastes gas and time going back and forth. I mentioned making mental checklists for the future-- I don't make special trips. I observe and record in passing. When the time to buy comes, I make one trip to make the purchase.

Being frugal doesn't have to be expensive, if you use your head and shop around.

Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at DvrcdDadFrglDad, SelfRelianceWS, LowProfileLife, and Surfcasting2Day.

The 1,000th Post: Top 10 Most Popular Posts

2011-02-22T13:03:00Z

I am celebrating the site's 1,000th post. Here are the ten most popular posts, in order of popularity:

The New "Necessities" of Modern Life

As always, more to come . . .

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Backing Into Frugality Quickly: Four Quick Tips

2011-02-18T17:30:00Z

Need to get frugal fast? Here are four quick tips to help you back into frugality . . .

Stop spending now-- Absolute needs only
Start selling-- Get rid of unused, excess crap to raise cash
Get real careful when parting with your cash
Start recycling, reusing, and repurposing

These are some quick start ideas . . . Check out my archives for more specific ideas.

Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at DvrcdDadFrglDad, SelfRelianceWS, LowProfileLife, and Surfcasting2Day.

Should You Buy Gold?

2011-02-16T13:00:00Z

Interesting question. These days gold is getting lots of attention as its prices are soaring, but should you jump on the bandwagon and invest in gold? In most situations, I would reply, "No."

I feel buying gold now is not a good idea because of three key reasons:

The "big" run up has already happened (Don't forget, most of the "smart money" sells when the masses are buying).
Most people are not financially setup or diversified for gold holdings.
Gold might not be as valuable to people as compared to other things in a real crisis.

First, let's consider the recent gold run up. Ever the "inflation hedge," gold ran up in the 1980s and then did backslide only to remained relatively flat for 25 years until the recent run up started. If you made the mistake of getting in late the last time, you had a hell of a holding and recovery period. Don't think it can't or won't happen again.

Next, most people aren't financially fit enough (Adequate emergency funds, insurance, basic retirement accounts, etc.) to justify a foray into gold. Most "non-professional" investors should be seeking to cover the financial basics and be sure to diversify their portfolios (commodities like gold fit into diversifcation strategies, but fit in last).

Finally, gold might not be as valuable as other hard assets might be in the event of a real crisis. Before gold, I might go with:

Medicine
Water and food
Tools
Fuel

This last point of value deserves serious consideration-- gold might buy these necessities, but will you have enough gold to pay the going rate? I happened to catch an old episode of the Twilight Zone over New Year's-- the story line was about some bank robbers who stole gold bullion and hibernated in a cave in the desert for 100 years. As they tried to return to civilization, one man had an adequate supply of water and sold sips for bars of gold. The twist was that gold no longer held value in the future-- I was also struck by the true value of water in the desert.

That still leaves the question of when gold makes sense. I already hinted at the answer to this one. If you are fully diversified, gold and other commodity holdings probably belong in your portfolio, but usually as a small part of the whole (perhaps no more than 5%).

What are your thoughts?

This post originally appeared on SelfRelianceWorkshop.com, here is the link to the original post, Should You Buy Gold?

Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at DvrcdDadFrglDad, SelfRelianceWS, LowProfileLife, and Surfcasting2Day.

How to Be More Creative . . .

2011-02-14T17:00:00Z

Ever wish you could be more creative? You can be-- it just takes a little effort. Here are some ideas to get you started on the path to being more creative:

Act creative
Think about things and how they work
Analyze situations
Break things down to the core
Always list alternatives (As many as you can)
Open your eyes to new things and exercise your mind more
Always think about Good, Better, and Best ways of doing things
Use your imagination like a child does-- no limits
Play and tinker with things
Be creative

As you become creative, you will become more creative. Build your confidence and keep pushing the proverbial envelope.

Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at DvrcdDadFrglDad, SelfRelianceWS, LowProfileLife, and Surfcasting2Day.

What if You Lost Everything and Had to Start Over?

2011-02-12T21:00:00Z

Starting over from scratch after losing everything might be painful and challenging, but it might also be refreshing.

The sentimental items in your life would be painful. I am thinking of photos and keepsakes.

The basic necessities of life would be real challenging. I am thinking of basic tools, furniture, and clothes-- but the good news is that stuff can be replaced.

The refreshing part would be the more discretionary items in my life-- here I could reevaluate my choices in a big way. There certainly wouldn't be as much clutter in my closets, basement, or garage.

Hey, what if we imagined this happened to us-- could we get rid of some things? Could we sell some stuff on eBay or in a yard sale, so we would have cash and less clutter. That is an idea . . .

Another thought . . . maybe it is time to insure some of the important stuff if it isn't already.

Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at DvrcdDadFrglDad, SelfRelianceWS, LowProfileLife, and Surfcasting2Day.

Want to Improve Your Finances? Track Them!

2011-02-10T13:00:00Z

Simple, but effective advice-- track your finances and they will improve.

I know you have probably heard this advice time and time again, but sometimes we need things repeated until we act on good advice.

I have always used written budgets and spending plans of some sort. Sometimes on napkins or post-it notes or business cards. The best approach I use is electronic Excel spreadsheets (This is my favorite approach-- it allows me to "What if" analyze). A written budget makes you stop and think about how you use your money.

The bottomline-- track it, and it will improve.

Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at DvrcdDadFrglDad, SelfRelianceWS, LowProfileLife, and Surfcasting2Day.

Want to Keep Your Auto Repair Bills Down?

2011-02-08T13:00:00Z

Use used parts! This is a surefire, frugal way to keep your auto repair bills down. If your car isn't relatively brand new, you should consider used parts.

The thing is with an older car, more used parts are available and you may not want to put a brand new part in a car with a limited life left in it.

Granted not all parts should be replaced with used parts. That said here is a list of parts that should be considered for replacement with used parts:

Compressor
Radiator
Alternator
Engine
Body parts
Wheels
Transmissions

Many of these parts are available used and many carry lifetime guarantees/warranties on the part.

Now, as I mentioned before, there are some parts that should be replaced new, including:

Belts
Hoses
Brake pads
Rotors (After they have been turned [resurfaced] a few times beyond use)
Tie rods ends
Ball joints
Sway bar connector kits
Tires
Wires
Lightbulbs
Filters

As to where to find used parts? Call local salvage yards. They sell these parts at about 1/3 the cost of the price of brand new parts. Again, many give lifetime guarantees on the actual parts.

This is a big way to save on your auto repairs.

Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at DvrcdDadFrglDad, SelfRelianceWS, LowProfileLife, and Surfcasting2Day.

Best Time to Review Your Finances?

2011-02-06T21:00:00Z

February is a good time to review your finances (So is every other month, for that matter). With tax time rapidly approaching, now is the time to look EVERYTHING over. What should you be checking?

Tax liabilities
Investments
Savings
Insurance
Credit and loans

Make sure to review EVERYTHING and make adjustments if necessary. In many cases, under the current economic conditions, you can get better deals. Plan, renegotiate, and adjust to save!

Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at DvrcdDadFrglDad, SelfRelianceWS, LowProfileLife, and Surfcasting2Day.

DDFD Ends Year Long Hiatus

2011-02-06T20:00:00Z

After just over a year, I am starting to post again on DivorcedDadFrugalDad.com, DaddyCooksQuick.com, and Defensive-Entrepreneurship.com effective today. I was involved in launching new sites, as well as pursuing other projects.

I will be posting on DivorcedDadFrugalDad.com almost daily-- mainly on frugality and quality of life issues.
With DaddyCooksQuick.com, I will post several times a week, adding more recipes, kitchen and cooking tips, tricks, and techniques to the site.
Defensive-Entrepreneurship.com will have a few posts a week on defensive entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship, business, and moonlighting ideas.

In addition, I still have an ambitious schedule of posts planned at SelfRelianceWorkshop.com, SurfcastingToday.com, and LowProfileLiving.com.

I hope to see and hear from you at those sites . . .

Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at DvrcdDadFrglDad, SelfRelianceWS, LowProfileLife, and Surfcasting2Day.

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Interested in Guest Posting on My Blogs?

2011-02-06T13:00:00Z

I am always open to guest posts from fellow devotees of the topics I cover.

If you would like exposure to other audiences and link backs-- please contact me with a comment to this post.

The topics I am interested in include:

SelfRelianceWorkshop.com-- Self reliance, self sufficiency, DIY, emergency preparedness, self defense, self motivation, hunting and fishing, recipes, how to's, hints, tips, techniques, etc.
DivorcedDadFrugalDad.com-- Frugality, quality living on a budget, how to's, hints, tips, techniques, etc.
SurfcastingToday.com-- Surfcasting, surf fishing, recipes, how to's, hints, tips, techniques, etc.
LowProfileLiving.com-- Low profile living, privacy, how to's, hints, tips, techniques, etc.
DaddyCooksQuick.com-- Recipes, homemade, BBQ, how to's, hints, tips, techniques, etc.
Defensive-Entrepreneurship.com-- Defensive entrepreneurship, passive income, wealth creation, how to's, hints, tips, techniques, etc.

Ideally, well written posts between 250-500 words . . . Longer posts can be broken into multiple posts. Photos with posts are appreciated as well. Please contact me through a comment to this post for more details.

Thank you for visiting and come back soon for more . . . follow me on Twitter at DvrcdDadFrglDad, SelfRelianceWS, LowProfileLife, and Surfcasting2Day.

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Terrorist Threats and What You Can Do About Them . . .

2010-01-11T13:06:00Z

These days anything can happen. The United States is no longer as insulated as it once was in days past. We need to change our mindset to one of readiness. What should self reliant people do?

When traveling:

Stay on-guard for your person and property.
Be totally aware of your surroundings.
Report suspicious activity.
Be prepared to act on a moment's notice.

On the homefront:

Maintain stored water, food, and supplies.
Consider having alternative electrical generation capacity.
Have alternative communications capabilities (CB or short wave radio and handheld walkie talkies).
Have an emergency kit and plan.

In the car (beyond automotive basics):

Keep extra food and water.
Have a safety kit.
Include an emergency bag.

At work:

Have food and water supplies.
Maintain evacuation supplies (a flashlight at a minimum).
Keep an emergency bag.

In future posts, I will fully discuss the contents of emergency bags/kits based on need, location, and seasonal weather.

The bottomline is to think "it" can't or won't happen is to kid yourself . . . be prepared. You really don't be the farmer trying to buy fire insurance while the barn is burning . . .

This post originally appeared on Self-Reliance-Exchange.com, here is the link to the original post: Terrorist Threats and What You Can Do About Them . . .

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Related posts:
Self Reliance Posts

In My Moleskine Monday 01/11/10

2010-01-11T12:54:00Z

I always have a pen and paper. Specifically,I carry little Moleskine notebooks to jot ideas, plans, lists, post topics, budgets . . . you name it. I get ideas all the time, but they can be lost if not quickly recorded. Some ideas sit for days, weeks, and months, but I still have them at my fingertips.

Every Monday I will share some of what I have recorded in my Moleskine notebook and how I used it the prior week-- it will provide great insight as to how much of what you read here comes about.

Here is what I gleaned from this week's notes:

Again, added more ideas to my list of Frugal Money Saving Tips.
Started thinking about my tax refund spending plan
Made notes on Low Profile Living ideas
Wrote about auto repair savings

Quote of the Day 01/11/10

2010-01-11T12:49:00Z

Learn something new everyday! Here is today's quote:

Penny wise, pound foolish . . . Richard Saunders (aka Ben Franklin)

Words to live by . . .

Like this post? Check out the related posts for more information. You can also get email notification of new posts in your email by subscribing. Your email address won't be used for any other purpose than to send you notification of a new post.

Related posts:
Words of Wisdom: Ideas DDFD Expresses Almost Daily . . .
Why I Like Motivational and Inspiring Quotes
Words of Wisdom: A Ben Franklin Recap
Words of Wisdom

I highly recommend the following be in your personal library:

Book Recommendation: Encyclopedia of Country Living

2010-01-10T12:41:00Z

The late Carla Emery's Encyclopedia of Country Living is a great reference for those living in the country-- even old hands. It is a nice companion to Basic Country Skills, however, this book has a heavier emphasis on recipes. It would also have a value to suburbanites who want to do more with their outdoor spaces (gardening) and want recipes and ideas on canning. I own this book in my personal home reference library.

Some of the more useful topics include:

Homesteading
Gardening
Growing and producing herbs, grains, and vegetables
Canning and preservation
Raising animals

I highly recommend owning it, but I have seen it at the public library as well.

DDFD's This Week Last Year (#21)

2010-01-10T12:33:00Z

Each week, I provide a recap of posts that appeared here one year ago. Here are the posts for this week:

I hope you enjoy the chance to review these posts . . .

Related posts:

DDFD's This Week Last Year

Don't Keep This Site a Secret . . . Share the Link!

DivorcedDadFrugalDad.com's First Anniversary is Today!

In the Workshop at Defensive-Entrepreneurship.com 01/10/10

2010-01-10T12:15:00Z

Here is this week's review of entrepreneurial posts that appeared over Defensive-Entrepreneurship.com:

More to come . . .

DIVORCEDDADFRUGALDAD.COM

Are You Frugal or Convenience Loving?

Attack Your Goals!

There is Nothing Wrong With Regifting

Shopping Around . . . It Saves You Money

The 1,000th Post: Top 10 Most Popular Posts

Backing Into Frugality Quickly: Four Quick Tips

Should You Buy Gold?

How to Be More Creative . . .

What if You Lost Everything and Had to Start Over?

Want to Improve Your Finances? Track Them!

Want to Keep Your Auto Repair Bills Down?

Best Time to Review Your Finances?

DDFD Ends Year Long Hiatus

Interested in Guest Posting on My Blogs?

Terrorist Threats and What You Can Do About Them . . .

In My Moleskine Monday 01/11/10

Quote of the Day 01/11/10

Book Recommendation: Encyclopedia of Country Living

DDFD's This Week Last Year (#21)

Blog Review: Pimp Your Finances

Thinking About Credit Repair and Dispute . . . Start Here

What Is Defensive Entrepreneurship?

Words of Wisdom: Zig Ziglar

How Do You Learn?

How Do You Budget?

Two Four-Letter Words . . .

Noteworthy Blog Posts of the Week (#3)

Words of Wisdom: Les Brown

Words of Wisdom: Quality of Life

Do You Really Want to Eat Organic?

Credit Cards, the New Crack-- How to Game the System

If It Was Easy, Everyone Would Be Doing It . . .

In the Workshop at Defensive-Entrepreneurship.com 01/10/10