A Bucket List to Stave Off Post-Election Blues

Click on image to download the PDF.

To take my mind off this numbing election, I’m diving headfirst into my writing. Yup, another book is in progress. While others turn outward and do advocacy work, protesting or just remaining angry in general, being the introvert that I am, I prefer to turn inward and tune into my creativity to help me feel better.

I relate to Garrison Keillor’s quote: “We are so exhausted from thinking about this election, millions of people will take up leaf-raking and garage cleaning with intense pleasure.” I’m also looking forward to experimenting with a “no-poo” shampoo concoction to help my hair get some bounce back, finding a recipe for the best damn mashed potatoes ever, and finally mindlessly cleaning the house for the holidays.

And, another goal: getting serious about letting the word out that my new book, Ditch the Coupons, is out. Whatever happens to our economy, there’s no lack of books and other info out there to help us save money in our own corner of the world, and I hope Ditch the Coupons can help. I know it can help. I’m also happy to say that the book reached Top 100 (paid) in Amazon’s Home + Craft Cleaning category (because it discusses decluttering your life of coupons and living simply). I was able to catch that great surprise a few times even though Amazon’s ranking and numbers fluctuate by the hour (or minute so it seems).

If you’re interested to find more out about the book, read here and here.

If you’re interested in reading a free copy of the book for an honest review, email me at msyarto@gmail.com.

Hang in there, folks, and here’s to ditching those coupons during the next four years!

~Marilyn, TFF

Frustrated Shoppers: Don’t Act Out at the Customer Service Desk

Maybe the universe is giving me fodder for posts. Twice this week, I’ve returned items to the store that were spoiled or poor quality. (Do you wonder what the folks at the Customer Service desk think when they see you coming? “Oh no, not her again!”)

We consider ourselves to be smart shoppers, right? So how do these things happen? Well, luck of the draw, but most likely we are in a rush when we are shopping. We have to slow down and inspect things and that’ll save us time and money.

Two Frugal Fairfielders Expands

We are proud to announce that Two Frugal Fairfielders is expanding and branching out to serve our readers in a more laser-focused way! Thank you to those of you who have been with us since we began the blog in 2008. Our newly designed blog has links that will allow you to get the information that interests you most through our destination sites and content.

From Aimee:

Enjoying the last tomatoes of the season. Looking forward to drying and cooking with the abundant sage in the background.

As you know from reading my posts, the core of my take is on living sustainably and frugally. It has been so rewarding to share ways of living-within-your-means that aim to sustain the health of self, family and nature with love, joy and strength! As I like to often say at the end of my posts, “Your Health is Your Wealth!”

If you have enjoyed my brief column, Quotable Quotes for a Sustainable Serenity, and would like updates on zero-waste living, clean-eating, and joyful parenting, go here and receive your FREE copy of my Small-Steps Guide to Zero Waste Living.

From Marilyn:

I love sharing unorthodox ideas and points of view about wealth, money, finances, abundance, saving money, spending money and teaching kids and teens about saving and spending money. There’s so much demand for information about how to achieve financial goals and stop worrying so much about money. My new sister site, Two Frugal Fairfielders Press (here) showcases the frugal living books (available on Amazon) that I’ve written and that are in the works.

My newest book, Ditch the Coupons: Save Money, Spot Secret Sales and Love Grocery Shopping…Without Couponing! is due out in the Fall of 2016. (Beta readers have dubbed it the “anti-couponing movement” book.) My new book teaches you how to grocery shop and save money without using coupons, and by using your noggin to easily find the best sales. It’s chock full of secret tips the stores don’t want you to know about…plus a ton of recipes that help you make the best use of your time, your sanity, and how to deliciously use up your leftovers with tons of simple and tested recipes.

Go here to make sure you know when to buy the Ditch the Coupons book on Amazon for a special limited time launch price of .99 cents (and there will even be a one-day pop-up free book giveaway).

• Other books I’m developing for 2017 include:  
  • Frugal University (lessons from the Tightwad Tutor, herself)
  • Money 101 (learn the basics of money, finances and budgeting–for teens…and adults!) and…
  • Money 911 (tips from others on how to handle everyday money emergencies)

There’s more (and more to come)!

• Newsletter with Free Gifts: If you want to know where to find free gifts from the personal growth, personal development, self-help industry, tap into my free Serenity on a Shoestring Newsletter here. The newsletter emerged out of my 2016 book, Serenity on a Shoestring: Achieve a Peaceful and Prosperous Mindset by Discovering the Secret World of Free Personal Growth Resources.
• Free Financial Cheap Sheet Download: And, if you want to keep up with your bills without missing a beat, be sure to download TFF’s exclusive 11-page Essential Monthly Budget Schedule (a popular and frequently-downloaded tool that’s been redesigned to help you keep your monthly and yearly bills in order so they don’t go unpaid!), go here, add your email address on the box at the top of the TFF Press page and download the beautifully designed cheat sheet for FREE!

Lastly, we have redesigned our logo that better represents the different approaches we embrace in order to help us save money and live a rich, frugal life. We will continue to share tips, ideas, guides and books that will help you live the best life you possibly can.

~Aimee and Marilyn

 

30-Second Survey

Dear TFF Readers,

If you can take this 30-second survey, we would appreciate it very much! Just click on the link below (or here), answer and you’ll be done! Thanks in advance!!

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2883150/Transition

Please share the survey link above with others!

Thanks!

~Marilyn & Aimee

 

Change is Coming!

We are in the process of growing our reach and changing the look of our blog. 

Wealthy Wednesdays: You Have Grains of Sand in the Bank

“Give every dollar a job.” One of YNAB’s pillars of budgeting.

Long ago, I wrote about the YNAB software program here. YNAB stands for…You Need a Budget. Please don’t run off…hear me out. I hate budgets like the rest of the universe, but, if you don’t know where every buck is going, you might as well just deposit a bucket of sand in your bank account, because that’s what it acts like. Grains of sand. Poof! Then you look one day and there’s NOTHING left! Then you wonder where did that $1,000 bucks just go that I had in my checking account last week?  Yeah, been there, done that.

If you don’t give every one of your bucks a job, it sneaks out and disappears.