Frugal Living Challenge

Just found this wonderful challenge on another blog!! Check it out!

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I consider myself, my husband, and my children to be fairly frugal people, and sometimes I admit we take it too far; for example, our couch has a hole in it and we still refuse to buy a new one, I used my old running shoes until the soles were bare, and our truck has 140,000+ miles on it but he still runs like a charm.

In no way am I recommending this to others. Nor am I saying that you have to live with holes in your furniture! However, I will suggest that there are many other ways to scale back spending and live a more frugal lifestyle.

Join me in a 23 Day Frugal Living Challenge!
Why attempt a frugal living challenge?

1. First, because living frugally allows for you to spend less than you earn. And the benefits from this are endless. You can use the difference to: get caught up on late payments, pay off debt, save, and potentially invest.
2. Second, because the less you spend, the less is required for you to earn. The benefits of this one mean: you and/or your spouse have the potential to work less, you obtain freedom from a wage, you may have the opportunity to pursue your true passions, and you may be able to retire early.

Frugal living is not suppressive! Quite the opposite, it means breaking free of the chains that bind us to unfulfilled lives.
It means spending more time with the people that mean the most. It’s having conversations, reading for leisure, growing in knowledge, enjoying nature, doing things that you think are fun, exercising, being a slave to no one, and focusing on what truly is important. The good life is waiting!
So…together let’s see how many people we can get to commit to living frugally for 23 days!
We could change the tide of society! Or, at least encourage each other along the journey. Obviously, there is a broad array of things that could happen!
The Ground Rules:
You are not committing to the implementation of all 23 ideas for living frugally. I should admit that I do most, but not all, of the tips that will be recommended and discussed. My commitment to you is to be honest with you as we move along.
I ask no more from you that I ask of myself.
Simply commit to the process and to openness.
Be willing to change, take baby steps, or jump on the path of frugality for the first time! Where ever you are on the journey, don’t be afraid to join in. We will challenge ourselves to:

• Redefine “enough”
• Learn how to use a 30-day list
• Stop the impulse buys
• Grow a garden
• Cook ahead
• And much more…

Let’s do this!

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Anybody want to join me?!?!   Its a great way to start a new year!

30 Day Giving Challenge

I have decided to join a blog challenge. But this one isn't just a silly little challenge for fun...this one is really important. It is all about giving. A group of bloggers have issued a challenge to anyone in blogland that would like to put more giving into the season. Taken from their site:

"If you have a heart for giving, we invite you to join us from November 1 – 30, 2010 as we take giving to new heights, combining the efforts of thousands of people. We’ll be working together to bless our friends, family, neighbors, and complete strangers by making a conscious effort to give each day of November. And we’ll do it all for God’s glory!

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. 2 Corinthians 9:10-11

The big day has arrived. A challenge to GIVE. An opportunity to be CHANGED.

We invite you to blog about your experience on this journey. Each Monday, a linky will be posted for bloggers to share their stories. We need your stories. They inspire, they encourage, and they touch lives.

Is there a particular cause or charity that you are burdened with? Share it.

Does giving seem impossible yet you accept the challenge anyway? Tell us.

Write and give for an audience of ONE. Then sit back and watch what He does."

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Life is a bit crazy for me right now, but that is good! I just want to make sure I am not always focusing on myself. Wanna join in? Grab the button below....

I will be back in a few days to share what I have been up to! I hope that some of you will join in!