Downsize Your Life

50 Things to Know to Downsize Your Life 

I was a college graduate that went straight into the workforce.  My husband and I lived in a small apartment until we decided we wanted a house to have children in.  All my life I dreamed of a large “model” home.  The kind you see in Home Alone.  Big spacious rooms.  Maybe even a wrapping paper room.  I then moved into an newer 1100 square foot house where I wanted to start my family.  I tried to organize on the weekend but until I was a stay-at-home Mom, I realized that all my priorities were wrong. 

I created this plan to clean a different part of the house every day.  I created a spreadsheet, I put everything on there, then did it for about two weekend.  Why would I want to spend almost every day of my waking life thinking about how I have to clean or cleaning? 

I love the tiny house trend. I think this house is a perfect size for us.  I will need to do some creative thinking, and get away from commercialization but I think I can do it and I know you can too. 

My goal is to get my house where I want it so I can spend time on the things most important to me.  Relationships and experiences.  That is where I hope to spend my time and money in the future.  Stop buying stuff, stop cleaning stuff, stop organizing stuff, and live your life!

Bedroom

1. Guest Room

While relationships are a priority, living your life with an extra room you don’t use, or things that may be used by a guest for three out of 365 days of the year is a waste.  I am not saying you should not have people over.  They can stay at a hotel if they want a hotel quality room, or borrow your things.  Cost to stay at a hotel for 3 days a year.  $300.  Cost to have a room that you will need to heat and cool,  furnish, and clean for 365… probably more. 

2. One Nice Set of Sheets

You only need one pair of quality sheets.   When they get dirty wash them.  Just buy what is most comfortable to you.  You can spend a little more on good quality because you only need one.  When you are done with them donate them and buy yourself once nice set of sheets. 

3. Once Nice Comforter

Do people still really change their comforter for the seasons?  Then you would have to store this comforter.  Get one that you can use all year. 

4. Queen Size Bed

Who needs a king?  I like to feel the warmth of my husband under the blankets. 

5. Two Towels Per Person

I had a stack of towels that were falling over in the closet.  Every time I would do wash I would have to stuff them in to where the pile would fall over.  A person needs a clean towel and a dirty one.  When the towel gets dirty, clean it. 

Kitchen

6. Cook Books

You don’t need them.  Find the recipes online and bookmark them.  They are taking up space. 

7. Organize Plasticware

Don’t have a cabinet of take-out containers with the containers and lids thrown about.  For about $15 you can buy a Handy Gourmet Swirl Around Food Storage Containers.  This will take up 1 foot by 1 foot of your home.  I know you want to save those other containers, but even though they were free, storing them is expensive.  Recycle them.

Ever since I got pregnant I have worried more about my families health.  I was not "eating for two" but I was providing nutrition for someone who could not make a choice on their own. Since then I have been trying to prepare healthy meals ahead.  Before I use to bake to relax and distress.  Now I am trying to chop instead.  

Here are some of my prepare ahead food ideas.  Using this food storage container organizer to store the containers has been great!  No more searching for the lid.  This is very easy to organize as I take them out of the dishwasher.  

These plastic containers are amazing.  We do not need to have an entire cabinet of plasticware. Just a place on the shelf.  These food storage container organizers will take up 1 foot by 1 foot of your home.  I know you want to save those other containers, but even though they were free, storing them is expensive.  Recycle them. Please leave more tips for others to store their food.  

8. Start a Compost

Get a plastic container for outside.  Poke some holes in it.  Add dirt until about 1/8 or more full.   Get a plastic container inside that seals so your kitchen does not smell.  Put that one under your sink.  Add contents to the container in the kitchen.  If you are unsure what to add check online.  This has helped me be more aware of what I eat. 

9. Start a Recycle System

Once you start to have a system to put your paper, plastic, and cardboard, you won’t even think about doing it.

10. Call Trash Company

Now that you are composting and recycling, you probably have less trash.  Call the company to see if your billed can be lowered.  Many companies charge by the bag per week. 

11. Clean Out Your Cabinets

Since I had a little extra time on my hands, I decided to make my future life a little easier and  organize a little.  I am pretty happy with the results.

Clean out kitchen pots and pans.  Only keep the materials you use monthly in the main cabinets.  But other pans and appliances on higher shelves or donate them. This cutting board was too large for us.  We decided to buy a smaller one that was easier to store and clean in the dishwasher.  Homework:  Clean out cabinets and donate the materials you are now using.  Think about the food you prepare and what appliances you still need. 

Read more in the book "50 Things to Know to Downsize Your Life"

50 Things to Know to Downsize Your Life

This book will help you downsize your life. Relationships and experiences are a place to spend time and money. Stop buying stuff, stop cleaning stuff, stop organizing stuff, and live your life!

I wrote "50 Things to Know to Downsize Your Life" because I wanted to create a concise guide for people to follow to learn to live a better life with less. 

This is a collection of 50 simple tips that any person who would like to know while learning to downsize their life. 

The book offers practical tips for your bathroom, kitchen, closet, bedroom, downstairs, children’s rooms, and even what to do with your extra time.  The book also includes 10 things to know to save money on your electric bill.

Save Money 

   10 Tips to Save Money on a Cruise

   10 Things to Know to Save Money on Your Electric Bill

   10 Thing to Know to Ready Your Home for Winter

   How to Get a Dish Washer Deal

   8 Things to Know for Moms to Save Money

Relax

    10 Tips for Mom to Destress

Blogger Treats

   How Pinteresting!: 10 Thing to Know to Have a Blog Post Go Viral  Self-Publishing and Blogs and Ads OH MY!- 5 Steps to Self Publishing a Book and Actually Making Money

   Tagxedo  Figuring Out What is Your Blog All About? 

Easy Food
    Quick and Healthy Vegetable Crock Pot Soup
    Salsa Scrambled Eggs
    Egg White and Oatmeal "Pancakes" 
    No Bake Granola Balls
    Spaghetti with Mushrooms, Red, Green, and Yellow Peppers, and Onions
    Beans, Broccoli, and Potatoes Meatless Monday
    2 Ingredient Oatmeal Cookies

50 Things to Know to Travel on a Budget

When I began travelling, I was not prepared for the little costs that greeted me around every corner. I wish I had done my research before going abroad so I could have saved myself a few of the unexpected surprises and expensive setbacks I wasn’t prepared for. While I certainly know the ins-and-outs of budget travel now, it has been a long and pricey road. Hopefully this list of ‘50 things to know to travel on a budget’ will help other fellow travelers as they make their way around the world on their own budgets.

1. Use Local Transport

Look around to see the modes of transportation the locals are using.  Although this plan of action may not work in a posh neighborhood of Beverly Hills, it is a good rule to follow in most destinations. In China it may be cheaper to hire the back of a motorbike instead of taking a taxi, while in London The Tube is the surest way to go.

2. Haggle

In many countries it is not only customary to haggle the prices, it is expected. Rarely will you visit a street market where a vendor will give you a fair price to start with. Haggle the price to a place you feel comfortable with.

3. Eat Where The Locals Eat

Avoid tourist areas when it comes to dining options. Walk around and explore to see where and what the locals are eating. You will be surprised at how much cheaper food is just by walking a few streets away from major attractions. Street food is your best friend, and amazingly delicious.

4.  Buy Multi-Destination Airfare

Rather than buying an airplane ticket for every leg of your trip, arrange a multi-destination ticket and save big. Companies such as STA Travel specialize in helping you plan your ultimate trip as cheap as possible. Sometimes they are able to suggest alternative routes, or even add-in stopovers at new destinations for close to nothing.

5. Carry an International Student Identity Card

If you are a student, carry an ISIC card.  Major attractions and museums all over the world offer discounted admission prices for students. Your college ID may not be enough in countries that are unfamiliar with your school. The ISIC, International Student Identity Card, is the only internationally recognized proof of full-time student status in the world. The card will cost you around $10, but will pay for itself very quickly.

6. Try RVing

RV- a hotel and transport in one.  If you have always dreamed of taking a road trip across Canada (or The United States or Australia), you know that hotel costs can be very expensive. By renting an RV you can save on expensive accommodation and just park when it is time to sleep along the way. If your RV has a modest kitchen you will be able to prepare your own food as well which will keep costs down even more.

7. Free City Tours

Most major cities have free walking tours, and only ask that you pay what you think the tour was worth at the end. You are under no obligation to tip, so can give as little or as much as your budget allows. SANDEMANs offers free walking tours all over Europe and the Middle-East.

8. Museum Open Days

Some of the world’s most renown museums hold open days where you can view their collections absolutely free. The MOMA in New York City offers free entry every Friday evening and the Louvre in Paris has free admission every first Sunday of the month. Be sure to check if the museums you plan on visiting while you travel have any open days that coincide with your visit. Just a tip, most of London’s major museums are always free to visit.

9.  Work Abroad

If you dream of living in New Zealand but don’t have the funds to make it happen, why not work abroad? There are hundreds of companies that will pair you with a work program in the country of your choice. You can work at a horse farm outside of Queensland and travel the country on your days off. Some travellers work country to country as they travel entire continents. 

10.  Become a Travel Writer

Travel writing can be a great source of supplementing your trip abroad. You can get paid for sharing your travel stories and pictures on blogs and travel websites. Although it most likely won’t cover all of your expenses, the extra money may make enough difference to add an additional leg to your trip.  The things that you write will be a great journal for your trip.

“Everywhere is within walking distance if you have the time.”
-

Steven Wright, American comic

11. Camp

Camping has long been a favorite of the budget traveller. Armed with a pop-up one person tent, you can sleep just about anywhere. Many people who backpack through Europe stay at campgrounds instead of hostels that can easily cut your accommodation budget in half.

12.  Choose your Destinations Wisely

Choosing to travel to Asia instead of Europe could save you money in big ways. Travelling in countries where your money is worth more and the cost of living is low will allow you to get much more for your budget. You could easily spend the same amount of money on lunch in Paris that you would for an entire week of meals in Cambodia.

13.  Purchase Travel Insurance

It may seem strange to advise you to buy something when you are looking to save money. But if you leave home with only one thing, let it be travel insurance. You can’t predict the future, or how you will land after that Paragliding jump. Travel insurance allows you to be prepared for every scenario, and avoid costly medical bills if something happens along the way. If you go for annual travel insurance rather than single policies you will be covered for trips throughout the entire year and will pay substantially less. Even if you aren’t accident prone, you can’t control the weather, other people, or unforeseen circumstances such as flight cancellations.

14.  Avoid ATM Fees

Taking money out of the ATM when we need it is just a way of life for most of us. While travelling you need to be aware that your bank may charge huge fees for a withdrawal made abroad. Before you travel check with your bank and see what they charge. You may be better off getting a new card that doesn’t charge you for international transactions. This simple tip could save you hundreds of dollars in unnecessary fees.

15. Walk

While it may not work in every situation most major cities are ideal for walking. If you have time on your side you can easily walk to where you need to go while avoiding the high cost of public transportation.

Amsterdam is a terrific example and if you have at least two days to explore the city it is much more cost-effective to explore on your feet. You will have a better experience seeing the sites on your own rather than a stuffed tour bus.

To read all 50 tips view 50 Things to Know To Travel on a Budget eBook.  A great gift for a friend who loves to travel!  Also a great book for people who would like to save extra money while they travel. I ENCOURAGE YOU to borrow the book for free from the Kindle Lending Library for Amazon Prime Members.  If you would like to share these tips please email me at lbrennec@gmail.com.  

About Lisa Rusczyk
Lisa Rusczyk is the founder of Charlie The Cavalier (a blog about Charlie her dog, and her friends, family and home) and founder of 50ThingsToKnow.com. Lisa is a Doctoral student in Educational Leadership who happened to start writing her first book 50 Things to Know Before Having a Baby after her little girl was born. Her book sold over 1,000 copies in the first year. Today, she has over 10 books and helps others self-publish. Further, she shares this information with the public via this blog, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, and recently on a local television station. Lisa knows that like her, there are a lot of people who would like concise information on a topic in a digital location. She's known for her simple and effective tips.

                                    

8 Things to Know for Moms to Save Money

This is a guest post from a woman from England.  Did you know I (Lisa) studied abroad in England while going to college at Lock Haven University?  I studied at Liverpool Hope University.  I hope you enjoy the 8 Tips for Moms to save money.  Here is our first guest post from Gemma Dawson.  Hopefully you will be seeing more of her great tips in the future!

I agree with her first tip of meal planning.  I just meal planned this week for the next 4 weeks make sure not to plan a meal if we have something on the calendar.  I hope you can learn a tip to two also! 


As mums we are always trying to save money, it has been said bringing up a child costs £250,000 over the lifetime of your child. This is a staggering amount so there is no wonder parents are trying to cut back on the costs of having children. Here are some tips on saving money or even in some cases making money with your kids:

1. Food

Meal planning is an essential way to save money in the household. Find meals your child or children will love to eat for their breakfast, lunch and tea time. These meals could be things like spaghetti on toast for dinner or soup and bread or even a sandwich. Most kids after dinner will also have a yoghurt and a piece of fruit so factor these costs in. After tea kids can also eat a pudding or yoghurt so this needs to be considered. Parents can save money shopping in stores like sainsburys and collecting nectar points in which they can redeem against other items or they can do comparisons (stores like asda do their own) and then once compared if the shop didn't save you money you get money off your next shop. Online coupons are also a great way to save money on your weekly shop, another great idea is to plan meals so you don't buy items that aren't essentials.

2. Days Out 

Trips out do not have to cost a fortune when you have kids. You can try looking at the book 1001 days out with kids. The book has a full list of trips all over the UK that you can book to go to with your kids. A lot of the visits in the book are reasonable priced. You can also look online for vouchers for popular attractions and take along a picnic to save money on food while you are out.

3. Sell the Kids

Well not physically selling your children, but get them some photographs done and send them to local modelling and casting agencies in order for your child to start earning you and them some money. Obviously if you live in a major city like London there will be more agencies however if you live in other areas and are happy to travel you should still be able to get signed.

4. Vouchers Special Offers

Collect special offers, vouchers, freebies when online, in newspapers and magazines. Many companies offer freebies for nappies, nappy rash cream and other baby items when your baby is first born. Special offers are available on many freebie websites online, you just register and then sign up to the special offers.

5. Holidays 

Companies like The Sun and The Mirror offer holidays throughout the year, whether the P&O cruise holidays where you can sail for £1 or the sun holidays for £9 per person which could save your family a fortune on summer holidays. You could also shop for summer items for your summer holiday at the end of the summer when shops sell their summer ends of cheap to get ready for winter.

6. Toys, books and games 

Most online websites like E bay and Facebook now have buying and selling groups where you can buy cheap second hand toys, games and books for your children. You can also sell your items on these sites to raise money for the new toys, especially when your child has finished playing with them and the toy is just sat their idle.

7. Make money while the kids are at school 

Mums can now make money by doing things like mystery shopping this means you shop for items and review the shop and purchase on a website and get paid for it. Other jobs for stay at home mums include Avon and better-ware where they would be delivering catalogues to the local neighbourhood. Other avenues can include signing up to media requests on sites like net-mums and getting paid to appear in the local or national media.

8. Lifestyle Budgets

In order to save money for the essentials budgeting and changing your lifestyle is important so cut back on the take aways, days and nights out and ask yourself if you really need the items before buying them. Put money you save each month into a high interest savings account so that your money builds up – This could also include Christmas when costs of presents are very expensive.


Gemma Dawson is a budgeter, mum of 3 and business woman offering items like octonauts party supplies.

                                    

10 Things to Know to Ready Your Home For Winter

Is your home ready for the winter.  Our house is in Pennsylvania.  Today we have a forecast to get over a foot of snow!  How excited.  We just god a new sled for Christmas too!  Help protect your house and family for winter.  Get the boring stuff over so you can enjoy the fun stuff.  Hot chocolate, being snowed in, sledding, and snowmen! 

1. Have Furnace Inspected- Make sure ducts are clean. 

2. Buy Furnace Filters- Buy a couple extra filters do you do not need to run out to the store every time. 

3. Program Thermostat Properly- The temperature at your house should be at a minimum of 55 degrees while you are away. 

4. Examine House for Cracks- Check for open seals on windows and doors.  Go to home improvement store to properly seal.

5. Trim Trees- Trees to keep them from falling during winter winds. 

6. Assemble an Emergency Kit- Flash lights, first-aid kit, extra bottled water, non-perishable food, and blankets. 

7. Snow Removal Equipment is Ready- Shovels, bags of ice-melt, ect. Have them ready before you need them. 

8. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Monitors- Have them installed and ready with full batteries. keep extra batteries on hand.  

9. Fire Extinguisher- Replace one that is older than 10 years. 

10. Contact Insurance Agency- Completing some of these things can save you money off of your home insurance. 

About Lisa Rusczyk
Lisa is the creator of the blog Charlie-The-Cavalier and His Friends, Family, and Home.  She is also the author of 50 Things to Know Before Having a Baby..  Send Lisa Rusczyk and email at lbrennec@gmail.com.  

10 Thing to Know to Save Money on Your Electric Bill

After our friend from Home for Three create a post about how they are saving money, I thought I would create a post on how our electric bill for our 1,100 square foot house last month was $26.  Just so you are aware, normally our bill is about $60, and we do have gas stove, but I will share the ways we stared off on the right foot to keep it down.  After living in an apartment with "free electricity" we knew we had to make some lifestyle changes.  I think we are both happy with the outcome. 

There are other things that I would would like to do with the house.  These include adding storm doors to the front and back doors, getting a more efficient central air conditioner,  and new washer and drier.  I think that so far we have made small steps and we can keep making them to create an efficient house.

1. New Shiny Appliances -  Before we moved in we donated our old appliances, and got a new fridge, oven, and microwave. These are more efficient than the old ones.  Luckily, my husbands Uncle took the old stove and fixed it up for this cabin.

2. New Hot Water Heater- Self explanatory.  The inspector told us we needed a new one anyway.  The seller gave us money for the purchase.

3. "Newer House" with insulation - Our house was built in 1999.  This only makes it about 12 years old.  When we moved in the neighbor told us he saw it being built, and there is way more insulation in the house than there needed to be.

4. Smart Strips - We ordered two smart strips for our house.  These will turn off the other electronics when the main one is turned off.  For example, if you turn off your tv, the dvd player, cable box, and wii will also turn all the way off.  We have one on our main tv, and one on my husbands "high power use" computer.

5. Automatic Lights and Dimmer-  I did not know my husband could do electrical until we moved into our house.   We now have lights that turn off and on automatically in the kitchen and bathrooms.  We also have a dimmer on our kitchen light.  These definitely save electricity, and are nice to have too.

6. Automatic Thermostat-  This means the temperature of our houses changes for when we wake up, when we leave for work, when we come home, and when we go to bed.  I am glad my husband figured out all that technology :). 

7. Energy Saving Outlets- Do you forget to unplug your cell phone when it is done charging?  With these outlets you don't need to worry about using electricity when your phone is done charging.  

8. Home Comfort Monitor- Monitor the temperature in different places in your house.  While the area around the thermostat may be cold, the upstairs computer room may be hot.  

9. Solar Power Shed Light- When we moved into our house we needed a shed light to illuminate the back yard. We choose a solar powered one.  For less than $30 we did not need to wire the light or use electricity.  I do admit, we did loose the solar panel in a hail storm, but our home insurance company helped pay for a new one. 

10. Solar Powered LED Path Lights- A great way to light up a front path without using electricity from your home. 

You may also be interested in: 6 Tips for Getting the Most from Your Discover Cash Back

50 Things to Know to Downsize Your Life

This book will help you downsize your life. Relationships and experiences are a place to spend time and money. Stop buying stuff, stop cleaning stuff, stop organizing stuff, and live your life!

I wrote "50 Things to Know to Downsize Your Life" because I wanted to create a concise guide for people to follow to learn to live a better life with less. 

This is a collection of 50 simple tips that any person who would like to know while learning to downsize their life. 

The book offers practical tips for your bathroom, kitchen, closet, bedroom, downstairs, children’s rooms, and even what to do with your extra time.  The book also includes 10 things to know to save money on your electric bill.

A great quick read. This book was written and published in 2013.

About Lisa Rusczyk
Lisa is the creator of the blog Charlie-The-Cavalier and His Friends, Family, and Home.  She is also the author of 50 Things to Know Before Having a Baby..  Send Lisa Rusczyk and email at lbrennec@gmail.com.