RichardWelcome to my regular roundup post, giving a brief insight into what happened in my part of the world over the previous month, plus links to my favorite personal finance articles published recently.
Vacation Time!
What a busy (and expensive!) month July has turned out to be!
Firstly I took my very first (frugal) vacation in what must be 5+ years since I decided to get serious about becoming debt free! It certainly wasn’t a “luxury” vacation – we went camping in Jersey – but it was great to take a break, relax in the sun and not worry about all the normal everyday stuff. I also got to drive my car onto a ferry for the first time; quite an experience!
(I should say to my American readers that I mean the “original” Jersey – not “New Jersey”!)
Here are a couple of photos of Jersey – talk about peace and tranquility!
A New Job
In other news I landed myself a new job! I’ve mentioned before how much I hated my previous job but that I was sticking it out for as long as possible because it paid better than any other job I’ve had before. However life there was simply getting worse and worse as our staffing levels kept getting cut while the workload continued to increase.
After talking to my boss about how unhappy I was, and him basically telling me there was nothing he could do, I went home one night and decided to see what else was out there. As it turns out, I found my “perfect” job almost instantly and within the space of a week I had an interview, got offered the job and then resigned from my old job. How quickly things can move sometimes!
There are so many upsides to my new job it’s not even funny. I get to work “normal” hours (no more 4.30am starts!). I get weekends and public holidays off. I’m working in an office doing far less physical work so I should get less tired. I’m working fewer hours than I was before. And they managed to match my old salary!
It feels like a major lifestyle change that I’m so excited about.
The only potential weakness I can see here is that it requires some commuting, unlike my old job which was within walking distance of home. That means that my traveling costs will go up – though I’ve already found all sorts of cuts I can make in my budget. For example my car insurance renewal is due shortly and the quotes I’m getting are far cheaper than last year.
Overall I’m pretty darned excited; I start on Monday so wish me luck 🙂
Sadly I’m expecting this to be another expensive month because I’ve just had a load of work done on my car so it’s ready for some serious daily abuse and I’ve also (for the first time in 18 months!) actually gone out and bought some new clothes for my job. I haven’t gone crazy; I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I did – but from someone who basically spends nothing on clothes each year it’s still going to make an impact on my budget.
I’m already looking forward to September, when I’m a little settled in my new job and can get the budget back in order.
Best Personal Finance Blog Posts
July hasn’t just been an exciting month in my personal life; there’s also been plenty of good stuff going on in the personal finance bloggosphere. Hayley was kind enough to include me in her “Editors Picks” for the Carnival of Financial Camaraderie – (thanks Hayley :-), my Pinterest followers topped 600 and growing and there were all sorts of top-quality blog posts related to frugality, debt elimination and budgeting.
Here are my favorites that I strongly encourage you to check out…
In this rather deep yet educational article, Trent discusses the sticky issue of losing control of your spending when life is going well, only to realize that your financial responsibilities have locked you into a lifestyle you can’t escape from. I wrote along a similar theme here.
10 Essential Personal Money Management Apps
As a tech nerd I love to find new apps to make life easier. Here we find out some of Jason’s favorites. Well worth a look if you’re a smart phone owner keen to get your finances under control.
Breaking Bad Habits: How to Stop Overspending
It’s all too easy to overspend these days with credit cards and loans so easy to come by if we “need” them. But overspending doesn’t just have financial consequences; they can also be behavioral. I love Hayley’s take on the subject and her tips for avoiding overspending.
Saving Tips to Allow You to Live Your Dream
A relatively new blog in my feed reader, Christine is “living the dream” after getting control of her finances, saving up a load of money and then heading off traveling. Here she discusses some simple, proven tips for successful savings. And, if that interests you, you might be interested in my own tips which I wrote about here.
Music for Free Comparing Nine Free (and Legal) Online Music Options
I look around at my local record stores sometimes and wonder how they’re still in business. I mean; who really buys CDs any more? Digital isn’t just easier, it’s also much cheaper. While I love Spotify and iTunes, they do involve spending some money; how refreshing then to find this impartial review of some free music download services worth checking out.
Somehow every month it seems Derek manages to sneak in to these roundups; it seems that somehow his writing always manages to speak to me. Here he gives some “tough love” on the realities of gaining weath.
What Or Who Do You Rely On To Earn An Income?
When you think about it, many of us rely on a variety of resources in order to actually earn our incomes. For example you might need a car to get to and from work or you might need childcare help if you’re working long hours. Here Mr CBB puts together a thought-provoking list of considerations to keep your earning potential as secure as possible.
Blog superstar J. Money writes a blazing post about not getting jealous of people with all the bling. As he says, anyone can buy that stuff if they’re willing to take on debt or makes loads of other compromises. By not buying all that stuff, you get ever closer to freedom. “Freedom from stuff, freedom from your job, and freedom to do whatever the hell you want with your life.” Amen!
How I’m Saving as Much as 13% on Everyday Purchases
What do you do if you win/get given a gift card but you’d rather have the cash? If you’re like many people you’ll try to sell it on eBay, accepting less than the face value of the card. Find out how you can benefit from the process here by buying gift cards at discounted prices, using to pay for your everyday purchases and saving a ton of money as a result.
The Costs of Being Disorganized
Stephanie hits the nail on the head with a powerful post about how being disorganized can cost you money. She gives plenty of examples and tips for getting yourself organized and, as a result, saving money.
We’re Done Christmas Shopping in July
One of the personal finance lessons I’ve learned time and again is about time. Pay your bills late and you’ll likely pay a surcharge. Put something expensive on your credit card because you don’t have the cash right now and you’ll likely end up paying interest on it.
But the reverse is also true; get organized and shop at the right time and you can save a ton. Here’s how Vanessa has saved loads of money this year by getting her Christmas shopping done (very) early 🙂
Appreciate the mention. Congrats on the new job!
Thanks Aaron – love your blog 🙂
Hey Richard
It sounds like your life is going to take a huge turn but for the better. Those early mornings hurt (I know I work them sometimes) but being less demanding physically might work out great for you. As we age those physical jobs can take their toll. Good luck with all of that. Thanks for sharing CBB. MR.CBB
The funny thing is that my body still hasn’t got used to the “new” workday; after 4+ years getting up so early I’m still finding myself waking up naturally between 5 and 6 – no alarm needed. As mornings are always my most productive time of day I’m quite excited by the possibilities of what I might be able to achieve in a few hours before work every day. More writing. Hitting the gym. More reading. The possibilities for positive action are mind blowing 🙂
Thx brotha! And congrats on the new gig – that’s exciting!!
You’re very welcome J. And I agree – it’s pretty darned exciting 🙂
Thanks for the mention Richard! I do give some tough love once in a while, but I think that quite a few people need to hear it! If we could all just spend wisely and save some money, many of us could retire wealthy and do whatever we want! With my plan, I figure I can retire by the time I’m 34 years old and my wealth will keep on growing!
Retiring by 34? That would be an incredible achievement! Wishing you every success Derek 🙂
Congrats on the new job! That’s wonderful that you can have a job you don’t hate, but still make the same amount! Your camping trip looks lovely! I have to admit my first thought was camping in New Jersey. Your trip looks much more beautiful.
Thanks Stephanie. It was indeed very picturesque. Loving sharing your content on Pinterest right now by the way! You’d be surprised how many repins you’re getting…
Richard, I discovered your blog last week and I’m enjoying it.
We have some things in common. I start my new job tomorrow and they managed to match my salary. I need new clothes as well and my clothing budget is basically $0/year.
However, this year I started using the cash envelope system, so I’ve set aside a few dollars weekly for clothes (and next weekend is a tax free holiday in my state – no tax on clothing). It will feel so good to shop and not feel guilty because the dough is earmarked.
Best of luck with your new job. What will you be doing?
Well done on getting this new job Richard! I’m so happy for you, because I know how much you detested the last one but you were sticking it out for the money. Hats off to you for that because I don’t think I could have stuck a job I hated for so long after leaving my last corporate role.
It’s funny how when you really can’t take any more, a silver lining appears. I hope this one works out for you, it sounds much better all round!
Thank you for mentioning my post by the way and sorry I hadn’t seen your post before now – August was a crazy month and I’m so behind on reading my favourite blogs!
Thanks for stopping by Hayley! I’m starting to get behind a little myself on my reading so I know how that feels! So far I’m loving the job – and managing to apply some of the things I’ve learned since starting this blog!
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