"Shhhhh - We're Busy Setting Up Cindy's Porch for May"
(Check back for updates!)
Welcome to Cindy's Porch! Grab yourself a cup of tea and pull up a chair. Are you ready to discover the treasures that are available in your home, your neighborhood, and within your family that cost absolutely nothing? This is where we learn to "DO instead of BUY". Where we "SHOP at home FIRST" and discover that "procrastination" can be our best friend when it comes to BUYing more stuff.
Click here to join our e-mail list for more tips, ideas, and encouragement (hosted by Yahoo! Groups). It doesn't cost a thing.
"DO" away with debt in 2008! Are old debts keeping you and your family living in the financial past? Does day-to-day living clean out the checking account? Have you been waiting until "later" to begin setting aside money for your financial future? "Later" has arrived. Welcome to Cindy's Porch! Remember, we are NOT financial experts. We are simply people like you who have learned how to manage our money and make it work for us. No "get rich quick" schemes here. These are life-long money skills that we use every day. Keep reading...
"DO" away with debt (and create some savings) in 2008!
If 2008 is the year that you'd like to get a bit more control of your finances, your home, and the things you DO, then you are at the right place. Welcome to Cindy's Porch.
  What are your financial dreams? Your financial goals? Do you have a pile of credit card debts that you would like to get rid of? Perhaps a student loan from many years ago? Does the monthly balance of paychecks and paying bills leave you frustrated and wondering, "where did all the money go"? Would you love to go on a vacation or renovate your home without adding thousands of dollars to your credit card debt? Does the thought of retirement funds, investments, and saving for the future seem like an impossibility from where you are sitting? Been there, done that.
"We're not doing without. We're DOing within!"
This year we are going to DO something a little different at Cindy's Porch. Each month, we'll have FOUR new goals to help us down the path of financial success and personal DOing. Our emails and our website will direct you towards the information to tackle each goal. And we're going to have fun DOing this together. At the beginning of 2009, you will be able to say, "I DID it in 2008!"
Are you ready to start?
 Goal #1 for April, 2008
April Savings bring May Dollars!
How Low Can You Go? This is a challenge to see how LITTLE we can spend during the entire
month of April. We are going to give our credit cards a holiday and
our savings accounts a bit of breather space (The retailers are not going to like
us LOL). This month we are going to focus on OUR economy instead of THEIR
economy.
WHOA CINDY! Wait just a minute. The last thing I want you to think is
that you are "depriving" yourself, going "cheap", or missing out on
life and fun with this challenge. Think of "How Low Can You Go"
as "How Much Can You DO!" How much can you do is all about living, enjoying family, friends,
your pets, your community, and life!
No one is doing without. We are DOing within! Are you ready to dig into April's Challenge??
- Cindy's Dozen Tips to Start Your "How Low Can You Go" Challenge" It takes a little planning, a little imagination, and some creativity. But when you have a goal - you know how to make the plans. Remember, get the family involved. We have 12 steps to get you started.
- Tracking Your Spending for the Month - Week 1 (PDF FILE - large) (GIF FILE - small): Thank-you to the reader who suggested I create a "blank" Money Spending tracking pages. Voila - now you can track your daily spending for every month of the year. But first, you have to start - why not this month? You are going to be surprised by "Where the Money" is actually going! . To see the rest of the weeks for the month go to Rediscover Your Money
Goal #2 for April, 2008
This wouldn't be Cindy's Porch if we didn't have a goal that helped us keep more cash in our stash when tackling the food that we eat!
This month, we are going to continue to SHOP at home FIRST, so we can EAT at home FIRST. You are going to be amazed by how much money you keep in your pocketbooks when your home-cooked meals actually come out of your homes (instead of the fast food joint, local coffee club, or the deli in the mall). This month, we tackle the "Lunch Time Blues!"
Bagged Lunch Ideas: Paying too much for school, deli, or fast food lunches? Check out our ideas (including a bunch of great tips from our members) to help get rid of those lunch time blues (and save a few dollars at the same time). We also added a Lunch Time Guide that you can print out and post on the fridge for those mornings when you just have no idea what to make for lunch. Enjoy!
Goal #3 for April, 2008
Each month, we focus on a goal that works on Living for the Future. We started in January by setting up our Cash Christmas, a simple little piggy bank to hold our spare change. We then moved onto a mini-savings account - a Sophie Account - to handle those emergencies life sends our way when we least expect it. Last March, we put away one credit card - less debt now equals less debt in the future. This month, we are tackling something very difficult. Something that shows just how much you love your family! A Will.
YIKES! Don't run away yet. I know MANY of you do not have a WILL for either yourself or your spouse. Can you imagine the stress you will put on your loved ones during the worst time of their life by not having a will? You have an entire month to get this started. Talk to your family. Talk to a lawyer. Call up your local library or perhaps the law association - find out what you need to DO to create a will. A few hours of your time this month - and then you are done (until you want to update it).
- Where there's a Will, there's a Plan: Since we are focusing on the future, we might as well blow the dust off our will too. YIKES! You don't have will? Don't feel guilty about it, you are not alone. Take the time to do this. It is easier than you think and it is the best gift you can give your family during a tough time! (By the way, my oldest child was nearly seven before my husband and I did our wills. I had this silly thought that something terrible was going to happen to us if the will was written. Wrong! Silly thinking. It has been many years now and we are still fine and we are still here!)
{{HUGS}}
Goal #4 for April, 2008
Where do you manage your money? Do you have a spot to run this very important business of yours? Yes, your home and finances ARE a business! You are the boss. You need to know what is coming in, what is going out, and what most importantly - what is "staying" in (I am a big fan of savings!).
This is impossible to do if you purse is stashed with stuff, your wallet is at the bottom of the stuff, bills, forms and other paperwork are scattered between the floor mats in your car and the space behind your desk in the office. This month, we are going to create a space for your money! Your finances. A place that your money will be glad to call home.
This journey to rediscover your money is going to take you into places that you haven't been in awhile! It is going to make you think, plan, and do! If your money has been coming and going and you have no clue where it's been, then it's time to start!
- What's in your wallet and purse? (YIKES!) Quick, before you read any further, go grab your purse and/or wallet. Put your hard-hat on, you are going in! Look out sore back - we are making room!
- Where do you manage your money? "Huh? Manage our money?" Yes, you are a money manager. You can't imagine a bank manager trying to do her job surrounded by unopened mail, clutter, cat toys, and yesterday's breakfast dishes. If you are serious about rediscovering your money, you will want to create a space where you manage your money. It doesn't take long. Are you ready to head in...?
Spring Cleaning With Attitude!
I love Spring. I love the tulips, the return of the robins, the blue skies, the fresh smell in the air, and the fact that I don't have to wear a toque and parka anymore when I go on my evening walks. When I look out my window, I see that nature is quickly washing away all the dull greys of winter and replacing them with the bright colors of spring. Absolutely beautiful!
I wish that nature would automatically do the same thing inside my home LOL! Unfortunately, she is too busy outside and does not make house calls. So we prepare for spring on our own.
- Cindy's Porch Spring Cleaning Challenge: Thank-you to our reader who asked that this be posted on the home page - here it is! Our Room by Room, spot by spot Spring Cleaning Challenge. Please keep in mind - the challenges are NOT meant to be done in ONE day. YIKES!
Are You New to Cindy's Porch?
 Cindy's Porch is a busy place. To get you started, we've posted links to our most popular pages. Enjoy!
- The Three Rules of NOT Buying: Does money seem to flow from your home faster than you can keep track of it? Do you hit the end of the month and wonder "where did it all go"? You are not alone. Today, it is so easy to spend money and buy more stuff that we don't even remember doing it. It is similar to driving. You know you made it to school or to work safe and sound, but you do not remember which lights you had to stop at, how many times you had to pass a car, or if you stopped for a pedestrian. We are on auto-pilot. Dangerous when driving, dangerous when shopping.
- Rediscover Your Money: The future is yours in 2008! We've got three simple steps to get you started on your journey to "Rediscover Your Money. Before you know it, your purse and wallet will be overhauled, you'll be tracking your spending, and you'll even have a spot in your home to "manage" your money (and it won't cost a dime). As your journey continues, you'll be taking a hard look at where your finances are today. How much do you OWN and how much do you OWE? Then we blow the dust off your savings account (YIKES). Remember what it was like when you opened your first savings account? We are going to recapture that magic. Credit card debt holding you back? Check out the "Three Magic Words" for avoiding new debt. Then read about how to tackle your current debt ONE CHUNK MORE at a time.
- Rediscover Your Home: Loving the Home You Live In! When you are unhappy with your home or stressed by a mess that never seems to go away, the temptation to BUY something to make things better or make things “look” better can become very strong. Some of us will even use a trip to the store or the mall as an excuse to escape this mess and this stress (been there, done that). Then the retailers, advertisers, and marketers begin to whisper their clever messages of BUY BUY BUY! Blech! Check out the "NOT ME FIVE," those 5 little things that can mess up a home in no time flat ("not me" is the person who messed it LOL). Dusting, vacuuming, and washing only takes minutes when the NOT ME FIVE are gone. We've also got tips for "deep cleaning" including the "guy's version" (put your hard hats on, we are going in), and "spring-cleaning" (regardless of what time of year it is). Enjoy!
Treasures in the Kitchen: Do you know what's lurking in your fridge, freezer and pantry? With our easy to use printout sheets and meal planning calendar you can SHOP at home FIRST for supper and save money at the same time! We've also added in steps for tackling the fridge (YIKES), and tips for solving the lunch time blues. Enjoy! Updated with This Month's Meal Planning Calendar sheet!
Take care of you and thanks for dropping in,
Cindy
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Friday, May 09, 2008
"There is more to managing your money than just paying the bills."
Something New
for 2008!!
Cindy's DO-log
(Our daily adventures in DOing and Finances)
Where "Walking in Wonder" meets "DOing in amaZement"!
School's almost out...
Kids Rooms (YIKES)
Beating the Credit Card Crunch!
Summer fun is just around the corner
Into the garden!
and more...
"DO" away with debt in 2008!"
Extra Extra!
Read all about it!!
Cindy's Porch is now in the Google, MSN, and Yahoo! search engines. Just do a search for "cindy's porch" and there we are. Wahoo!
Walking in Wonder with Cindy's Porch
Walking is one of my family's favorite DO's instead of BUY's. It doesn't cost a thing. Anytime we feel the need for fresh air, some exercise, or a break from work, we just head out for a walk. You never know what wonderful things exist in your neighborhood unless you take the time to explore.
Click on the photo to enjoy a new "Walking in Wonder" discovery everyday (except weekends - that's family time!)
"Walk in wonder. Enjoy the peace, enjoy the freedom, enjoy the scenery. Enjoy."
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