It’s that time!
Time to start a new year
Time to make changes
Time to be challenged
Time to be encouraged
Time to better our lives through baby steps
And with that new time, there is the new Thrifty Couple. We are going to be implementing many of the changes that we have talked about to be that whole life frugal and thrifty site.
With that, it’s time to start off this New Year 2013 the right way. We aren’t really a resolution type of couple as we seem to make resolutions and then dive in both feet first and then seem to set ourselves up for failure and break our resolutions just a few weeks later. We tried the “jump all in feet first” approach with our debt and we kept crashing and failing. It wasn’t until we finally planned to take baby steps that BIG changes happened!
So we have adopted that same idea in all areas of life: finances, routines, organization, healthy life living, etc.
With that….. January is Be Intentional Month – Taking Baby Steps for Whole Life Change
We are going to start with those baby steps to increase your energy, efficiency and organization which will propel you into a life that is able to develop an overall financially smart, happy and frugal home. And by frugal, we’re not meaning cheap! You can be frugal with no matter how little or how much money you have. It is just being good with the money you have.
In our many years of attempted thriftiness, one thing that we have determined is that you can save a buck here and there and grab deals left and right, but for a truly frugal lifestyle, it requires time and organization. If you do not have those things, then frugality is very frustrating.
So this month’s 30-days of challenges are very simple and very easy to implement so that you can do one each day. Most of the challenges build on themselves, which means it is best to start at the beginning for the results to take full effect.
Some of the challenges you may already be doing – that’s great, keep doing it and watch for the next days’ challenges to add to it.
And, if you get off track, don’t worry…. pick yourself up where you left off, or start all over. It doesn’t matter, just do it 
Finally, we are starting on Wednesday, January 2nd, BUT, these challenges are designed to start any day, any time of year – you just start on whatever day you are ready!
Finally, one fun and new thing we will be doing this year is having Facebook groups for each month’s challenges. This first month we have our Be Intentional with The Thrifty Couple Facebook Group HERE. We highly encourage you to ask to join so that we can communicate and encourage everyone. It is intended to be a small and intimate group as we develop relationships with our readers! We are excited about this new avenue and hope you will find it encouraging too!
Head to the Be Intentional with The Thrifty Couple Facebook Page HERE and ask to join us there!
List of Challenges (keep watching for more):
We encourage couples and families to do these challenges together so the whole house can function well!
As the 30 days go along, we will be focusing on 5 areas for the Be Intentional Month:
- Self
- Home
- Budget
- Schedule
- Frugality
Here’s the current growing list of challenges in case you missed them and want to get your life on the right track:
- Set and Be Strict About Bedtime
- Work Towards Waking Up At The Same Time Everyday
- Making Your Bed Everyday
- Get Dressed To Shoes Everyday
- Hydrate Yourself
- 5 Minute Stretching and Breathing Exercise
- Implement a 20 Minute Quick Clean with You and Your Family
- Menu Planning
- Dinner by 10
- Take Your Vitamins
- Have A Family Meeting To Review, Discuss and Figure Out How To Solve Obstacles Preventing You From Doing Challenges #1-#10. Plus read about the results of our family meeting and our solutions so far HERE.
- Develop a Nighttime Routine
- Write Out Daily Schedule
- Complete the Financial Summary Questionnaire (free Download)
- Clean Off and Scrub the Bathroom Counters and Then Do A Daily Wipe Down
- Complete the Home Map for Complete Clean-out and Organization (free Download)
- Find and Fix The Second Thing Sabotaging Your Day
- Create your weekly, monthly and annual budget (with free download)
- Create Your Regular Shopping List with Price Comparisons (free Download)
- Re-evaluate Daily Schedule and Make Realistic and Necessary Changes
- Create Your Debt Overview and Calculate Annual Interest and More (free Download)
- Complete the Debt Payoff and Goal Planner (free Download)
- Find Your First 2% Cut From Your Budget
- Set Your Extra Income Monthly Goals (Using 2% Rule) (free Download)
- Brainstorm Extra Money Making Ideas This Year (free Download)
- Download and Use the THRIFTY Weekly Planner (free Download) – This one is one of my favorites!!
- Put Together Your Home/Finance Binder (free Download)
- Have A Family Meeting To Review, Discuss and Figure Out How To Solve The Third Biggest Obstacle Preventing You From Doing These 30 Challenges
- Develop a Fun Chore System – Feel Free To Use Our Bag Chores Game For Your Kids and Family (free Download) – Another favorite of mine!
- Keep Going and Keep In Touch With Us
So come join us as we make 3013 the year of positive changes!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I am excited to learn these baby steps! I have learned a lot about the fine art of couponing this year, and I often reflect how it requires ready access to the luxuries of time, money for printer ink/paper, and a car in order in order to make it a lifestyle. So it’s definitely not for everyone, even those who might need it the very most. So it resonates when you say frugality requires time and organization.
BTW, I also wanted to thank you for posting the cheapest deals…for example the items you posted from Meritline were awesome Christmas/birthday gifts! These kinds of posts for cheap gift ideas are truly valuable and not on my other deal sites, and i hope you keep them up! Thank you!
About 15 minutes ago I became a member of this site. Can you tell me how long it took you to get out of the $l00K debt? Also, can you help with some advice for me who will be retiring in the near future but will have a part time job? I’d like to pay off my mortgage as soon as possible.
Thanks so much,
Carol
Wow, I ran across your blog while searching for planners but this is even better! I look forward to going through these challenges one by one and seeing how awesome our happy little clan can make 2013! Thanks fo the post(s).
Welcome Krissy and we hope that 2013 is the best year yet
Let us know if you have questions or anything else we can help with!
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