Smart Living: Frugal Lifestyle

Featured from The Smart Cookie (an online community I created dedicated to living life smart):

Here at The Smart Cookie, I take on the challenge of doing the research for you and saving you the time. I distribute all the important, effective methods, facts, and information you should generally know about if you want to live life to the fullest.

With hundreds and thousands of books on frugal living out there, I have saved you the time and effort of having to read through each one and maybe spend more time attaining knowledge than you would like to. A lot of websites and books aren't purely factual and the steps and advice can be pretty dragged out. 

These are pretty basic steps you probably see mentioned on a lot of different websites/blogs dedicated to frugal living. However, I have gathered a specific list of the most important and beneficial methods out there, through throrough research and study. These are tested methods that have been proven to work if you follow the steps correctly; you can be on your way to an overall better life, in every aspect

Points of Importance:
-Becoming and staying debt free
-Saving as much money as you can (resisting temptation/making smart choices) "It's not what you make, it's what you save."
-The world revolves around money, it's at the core of almost everything we do, therefore it's very important to be financially educated and know how to manage and save your money.
-Since we're targeting the topic of preservation, it's important to note how you should be preservative in every aspect of your life, which is why here at The Smart Cookie, we pride ourselves in giving only factual useful information in straight-to the point posts. We value our time as well as your's and believe you shouldn't waste any more time on something than what is necessary. So my goal is to deliver to you the most effective methods in an efficient manner. Sometimes the time we put in isn't worth what we get out of something, I want my blog posts to be worth your time and waste as little of it as possible. So after making that clear, I want to get straight to the point of financial fitness.
This can work as a guide for you, with specific steps and important points.

FINANCIAL FITNESS-

-Budget your money (use The Budget Calculator here at TSC, created by me). It helps you map out what you're spending and how you can spend less and save more.
-Allow yourself flexibility, being tight on money all the time would be inconvenient for an emergency. So always plan to put off some extra spending money on the side. Even just $100 here and there, it adds up.
-Make smart choices when it comes to purchases. You may be spending more than necessary. Maybe you need to shop at a new grocery store, or start using all those coupons that are overflowing in the drawer of your desk. There's always ways to save money and overall be more resourceful, so be attentive to them.
-Are you holding yourself back from a higher potential? Ask yourself, can you do better? Are you working at a job that isn't really worth the pay? If you answer yes or are doubtful, then most likely you can find a job that offers more.
-If you get to the end of the month with extra money, then consider yourself successful. That is what we're striving after.
-Debt causes stress and stress can lead to depression. You want to avoid all of that as much as possible. (Verified tips on how to avoid debt)
-Sometimes we take on more than we can handle or more than we need, simply because we have the money or rather think that we do. Treat your money as a limited amount always, that is key. It doesn't matter if you made $100 extra this month, maintain your same budget, stay consistent with it.
-Rule 72, it's a very important and beneficial concept to learn that many people surprisingly don't know about. Be well informed, stay on top of the latest information and knowledge. If you implement Rule 72, you can double up your money in a short amount of time.
-Organize your life. Inside your head, it may be a cluttered mess; all these worries and concerns may be causing you unecessary stress and problems. Prioritize everything, write it down, analyze it.
-Buy a planner and/or a calendar. Something that you can see every day and serve as a reminder to keep on top of the important stuff.
-Being resourceful helps you become financially fit, so I will be promoting resourcefulness as well. It's both a benefit to yourself and the planet. Don't be wasteful, maybe you're wasteful without noticing, this is why you must organize your life and analyze what you're doing and what you should be doing. Resourceful tips to stay on top of: Turn your bottles and cans into money by taking them to the recycling center yourself, a little extra spending money doesn't hurt. Use cloth instead of paper. People waste so much paper in different ways and for different purposes. A lot of the times, a cloth can be used as an alternative. So stop spending unecessary money on paper towels and baby wipes. Those are just a few ways to be more resourceful.
-Making custom/DIY stuff with material you might already have lying around anyway. I will feature how to make your own furniture/miscellaneous items and how to be more resourceful with food and meals.    
-Turn house clutter into money, set up an online shop or take your unwanted stufff to a consignment shop. You can also scout out cheap things, even free things, to sell at higher prices and make a profit. This could be a little side job for extra money.
-Paying taxes is something we all need to do and is generally dreaded. Being prepared for it helps the process go much quicker and avoid excessive stress. Check out Income Tax Records which can help you keep your tax documents organized all year long. Being proactive prevents a lot of unecessary things.
-Contribute to your goals. Most goals require some kind of money to fulfill. Separate your savings into a personal donation pool for yourself, you deserve it. As long as your goals are't too extreme, then putting aside a little bit of money for them each month shouldn't be an issue. However, necessities do come before hobbies. You must learn to balance both.

Note: I will be targeting each of these points specifically in separate posts.