Tag Archives: lessons learned

Should you join a gym? My thoughts after a full year of gym membership

One year ago today, I vowed to get back in shape for the New Year by committing to a one-year gym membership for $20 a month.

At the time, I was hesitant. It’s so common for people to join a gym, give up within a couple months, and end up stuck with a monthly bill for a membership they’re not using. Since it’s been a year, I thought it might be helpful for me to revisit my decision to join the gym in case some of you are considering the same decision now.

When I joined the gym, I had three goals: I wanted to get in better shape, work out more, and lose 10-15 pounds.

Weight loss

Unfortunately, after losing and gaining back about 10 pounds or so, I am pretty much back where I started last January. This could be due to the medication that I’m taking or my yo-yo eating habits. But the bottom line is, joining a gym did not help me lose weight.

Regular exercise

For the first time in my life, I have consistently adhered to a workout routine for almost all of 2009. There were a couple weeks here and there where I didn’t make it to the gym due to illness or travel, but for the most part, I exercised at least 2-3 times a week every week (usually more often than that).

Better health

Despite the fact that I haven’t lost weight, I’m in the best physical shape of my life. For the first time in a long time I can maintain a jog for about 30 minutes without stopping. I feel great physically. I’m sleeping better, eating better, and feeling better than I did before I started exercising regularly.

Natural treatment for anxiety & depression

Working out consistently has also done wonders to treat my anxiety and depression issues. I really noticed this during the month of December when my busy schedule and holiday laziness kept me out of the gym for almost 2 weeks (my longest time without working out since last January). I started to feel a relapse in my anxiety that has subsided since I started working out again.

No excuses

Is it possible to get these results without paying $20 a month to a gym? Absolutely. If you have the will power to get outside and run every day through rain, cold, and darkness, then you could certainly save the money by working out without a gym membership. You won’t have access to the same array of equipment and weights, but it’s absolutely possible to stay fit for free.

But what I’ve learned in the past 12 months is that my gym membership made exercise convenient. It’s hard enough to get out and get to the gym when it’s cold or rainy; there’s no way I would exercise if it meant running outside. With a gym membership, there are no excuses. It doesn’t matter if it’s dark before and after work, cold outside, or raining — I can work out when I want.

Invest in your health

I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: paying $20 a month for the membership was a definite incentive for me. Because I’m a cheapskate who wants to be sure I get my money’s worth, I started feeling guilty every time I went a few days without using my membership.

Here’s the bottom line: if you’re considering a gym membership and you can work it into your budget, I say go for it. I can think of very few things more important or more worthy of investment than good health. This year I spent $240 to develop what I hope will be a lifelong commitment to fitness, and it’s the best investment I ever made.

Photo by yuan2003

My New Year’s resolution for 2010 — focus on the positive

Every New Year, I’ve thought long and hard about how to improve myself, and I come up with resolutions that will make me a better person. I tell myself, “You didn’t work out enough this year,” or “You need to lose weight,” or “You need to do this and that to be better.” But you know what? This type of thinking doesn’t motivate me. It just leaves me feeling like I’ve failed in the past, and sets me up for failure and more negative thinking in the future.

This year, I’m spending the New Year looking ahead with excitement and reminding myself of my accomplishments. Instead of dwelling on what I could do better in the coming year, I’m reveling in the joy of all the great things I accomplished in 2009 and the rewards that will follow in 2010.

My New Year’s resolutions are positive reinforcements of my strengths instead of reminders of how I’ve failed. I’m training to run a half marathon to remind myself that I’m capable of anything I set my mind to, and I’m making a promise to myself to focus on my strengths instead of my weaknesses this year.

I want the coming year to be one of happiness and positivity. Here are some other reasons that I’m proud of us, and why I’m so excited for 2010.

  • We’re starting the year credit card debt free, and our emergency fund is complete.
  • We’re finally moving back home to the Midwest.
  • We’re going on our dream vacation to Europe in May.
  • I’m writing a book! (That’s all I can say about that, but I’ll have more details to come, I promise!)
  • My best friend and sister-in-law are both getting married in October.
  • I’m training to run a half marathon in November.

What’s your New Year’s resolution? Are you focusing on your strengths or dwelling on your weaknesses?

Photo by maxblogbits

Frugal year in review – 2009

It’s been an amazing year for us, and I’m so glad I’ve been able to document it all here in this blog.

I’ve picked up quite a few new readers in the past 12 months, so I thought it would be fun to recap the year with my favorite post from each  month (an idea I picked up from Being Frugal). These weren’t necessarily your favorite posts, but they’re the ones that have been particularly meaningful to me.

January: Frugal European vacation — first we need a budget

February: Personal finance is romantic

March: I’ve got a new attitude

April: Comfort & complacency — frugality’s worst enemies

May: Frugality is about quality of life, not money

June: Unexpected benefits of a cash only budget

July: Stop making excuses and start making progress

August: Searching for a place called home

September: Lessons learned from our no spend summer

October: Unexpected benefits of life without cable

November: It’s not failure; it’s an opportunity to learn

December: If at first you don’t succeed, try a new approach

I hope you’re spending today focusing on your accomplishments from this year instead of your setbacks. I hope all of you have a safe and happy new year celebration.

Photo by stewf

Good things come to those who wait

For the past several months, there have been a handful of things that Tony and I wanted, but didn’t need. I’m sure you have your own list of fun things that you can’t justify spending the money on, but you want anyway.

For us it was a new TV, a Playstation 3, and the Beatles Rock Band game. There have been a few times when we’ve gotten our hands on some extra money and considered splurging for one of them. But I could never do it. All together, the three of them would have cost us almost $1,000. Something so frivolous just wasn’t worth that kind of money to us.

This week we learned the importance of waiting for things like this. Thanks to the incredible generosity of the people in our lives, we received all three of them for $200. Here’s what happened.

My future brother-in-law who is currently serving in Iraq found out that we wanted a Playstation 3. He’s a big video gamer, but ever since he got an XBox, he wasn’t using his Playstation. Because he’s incredibly generous, he sent us the Playstation 3 and told us to consider it a Christmas gift. I told him we’d pay him for it, but he refused. Thanks, Joey!

When I told my parents that we received the Playstation 3, they knew how much we wanted Beatles Rock Band. They also knew we’d never spend the money on it. So they sent it to us as a Christmas gift. We were thrilled.

Finally, a good friend of mine back home in Indiana  offered us his used 42-inch plasma TV for $200. We’ve been in the market for a new TV, but the lowest price we could find on a 32-inch was $400. We just couldn’t justify spending that as long as our old TV was still working. But I couldn’t pass up this deal, so I used some of my holiday bonus to buy it from him. (Thanks Chris!)

The moral of the story? Well, first of all, we have the most fantastic friends and family. But secondly, when there’s something you want but you don’t need, just wait. Eventually you’ll find the deal you’ve been waiting for.

And don’t worry: we’ll be sure to pay this incredible generosity forward. :)

Photo by grandeabobora

The importance of slowing down

canon-xsI have always been pretty decisive. Usually it works in my favor. I trust my instincts, and when I have to make a decision, I can usually pretty quickly make up my mind. This week, this decisiveness led to a pretty crummy mistake.

When I bought my digital camera, I wasn’t sure how into photography I would get. But it turns out I love it. I’ve had a lot of fun with my camera, and I love that we have photographic memoirs or our lives now.

We recently made the decision to add a camcorder to our tools. We really want to be able to shoot videos when we’re in Europe, and we definitely will want one when we have a baby. I’ve been looking at pocket HD camcorders in the $200 range (like this one that I really like and have been considering purchasing).

This morning, I started looking at the newer model of my camera, which shoots HD video. I realized that if I could sell my camera body without the lenses for $400, I would be able to upgrade to the newer model with HD video capabilities and higher quality still shots for only about $200. I was so excited, that I acted impulsively (which is pretty out of character for me).

I listed my camera in the Amazon marketplace, and I was surprised that it sold within minutes. But by the time I got to the post office on my lunch hour to ship it out, I was starting to have doubts. Was I really ready to drop $200 on another camera? How would I take pictures of Christmas in the meantime? Was this the right decision?

It turns out, my hesitation was an indication that I should slow down. After I’d already shipped it, I received an email from my buyer. He realized that the description said I was selling the camera body only without the lens. He didn’t want to buy it anymore. But it was too late.

He’ll be able to send it back, but I’m out the $20 I paid to ship it to him and I probably won’t have my camera back by Christmas. And now I’m having second thoughts about whether I want to sell it and upgrade yet at all. This is something that could have waited until the spring since I don’t even need the HD camcorder until May.

And now my beloved camera is somewhere between here and Minnesota instead of being safe in my camera bag.

Sigh.

I learned a valuable lesson about slowing down. When I get an idea, I tend to get tunnel vision. Sometimes I act too quickly. I need to learn to take a step back, think through the situation, and make sure I have all my bases covered. Luckily this time it only cost me $20 (hopefully). But I really hate when I lose money because of a stupid decision, don’t you?

Sometimes you just need a cookie

cookiesI stuck to my new healthy eating plan faithfully last week. I diligently completed my 5K training schedule every day. I even lost 2 pounds.

But yesterday was just one of those days. Work was a struggle. I was grouchy. And as much as I wish I could be one of those people who sweats out my stress at the gym (most of the time I am), the last thing I wanted was to work out. All I wanted was my slippers and a chocolate chip cookie.

So I came home, put on my slippers, and sent my wonderful husband out in search of ready-to-bake chocolate chip cookies. And they were absolutely worth the calories.

Sometimes you just have to say eff it and give in to temptation. For me, it was a chocolate chip cookie (or two). For you it may be a restaurant meal or a night at the movies. It’s not possible to be on your best behavior all the time. But it’s important to set limits even for the times you fall off the wagon.

Sure, what I wanted was to drown my sorrows in a whole box of cookies, and I knew I was in danger of doing just that. That’s why I went with the ready-to-bake instead of a whole box of cookies. I knew I could bake the two that I wanted, refrigerate the rest, and limit myself to a reasonable amount.

The same is true for your budget. When you feel like your head might explode if you don’t indulge, find a way to do it without causing too much damage to your goals — and your accomplishments.

Take a night off, do something fun for yourself. Just know that there are consequences. I’ll pay for my cookies and my missed work out today. I’ll have to be extra careful with my diet and put in some extra time at the gym this evening. If you take a night off from your budget, be prepared to make up for it for the rest of the month by being extra frugal.

It’s also important to make sure your occasional indulgences don’t become the norm. After all, being good most of the time makes giving into temptation every once in a while that much sweeter.

Photo by ghirson

Instant car air freshener for pennies

car freshenerWe’re one of those crazy couples that brings the dog with us everywhere. Consequently, our backseat is covered in dog hair and our car permanently smells like, well, a dog. Every time I have a reason to look in my backseat, I’m horrified by the dog hair, and I vow to vacuum it out soon. Of course, I never actually get around to doing it.

This weekend we picked up some dryer sheets for the first time in months. We left them in the car while we finished our grocery shopping. When we came back, the dog smell was gone and replaced with the fabulous scent of fresh laundry. So I threw a single sheet under the driver’s seat and voila! It’s a car air freshener that costs pennies.

I know, I know. This is one of the oldest tricks in the books. People have been using dryer sheets to freshen musty closets and drawers for decades. It just never occurred to me to throw one in the car. It’s so much cheaper than one of those hideous pine-scented things that hang from the rearview mirror, and in my opinion it smells nicer, too! It works for me! :)

Photo by breehoffman

Reasons to be thankful this year

Family photo 2007

Because it’s good to remind yourself, right?

  • The continued well being of my family and friends.
  • My commitment to a healthier life and body.
  • A steady job that allows us to live comfortably and save for the future.
  • Health insurance.
  • The will power and know-how to live frugally, save for our goals, and live the life we want.
  • The best dog in the world.
  • And last but most definitely not least, my husband, Tony, who is committed to me, frugality, and our goals for the rest of our lives, and I’m all the better for it.

I hope you’re reminding yourself of all the things you have to be thankful for in your life this holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!

Simplify your holiday season

pumpkin pieWith Thanksgiving only one week away, I can’t deny it anymore: the holiday season is upon us. And like every other year, I’m feeling a little unprepared. I know the holidays are coming. They happen every year at the same time. And yet, the holiday season always manages to sneak up on me somehow.

To help maintain my sanity, I’m pledging to keep things as simple as possible. Here are a few of the ways I plan to make that happen:

Take shortcuts.

Next Thursday, Tony and I are hosting Thanksgiving for the first time. His parents and sister will be coming to stay with us for the long weekend, and we’re preparing the Thanksgiving meal.

At first, I was gearing up to go all out with homemade everything. Then I realized, we’re cooking and entertaining. I’m sure they’d rather we have time to visit than hide in the kitchen all day slaving over homemade pie crust. So we’re taking a few shortcuts here and there to make meal prep easier, and give us more time to visit.

Ship gifts directly.

We live 800 miles from family, and we won’t be making the trip home this year. To save time and money, we ordered most of our family’s gifts online. We’ll have them shipped directly to them with free shipping. My mom has agreed to wrap all the gifts for my nieces and nephews to save us money on gift wrapping (thanks Mom!). We may spring for the gift wrapping on my parents’ gifts, but either way, it’s much easier to shop online. Just click, ship, and you’re done. No long lines at the post office, expensive shipping, or packing up.

Plan ahead.

With so much going on, it’s tempting to procrastinate holiday shopping and preparation. But it’s so much easier to plan a little at a time to get things done. We made our Thanksgiving menu and shopping list last week and bought a few things at the grocery store last weekend. Now we’ve just got to get the rest of our ingredients, clean the house this weekend, and prepare for our guests.

I also split Christmas shopping over several months. I finished shopping for Tony’s family in October, this month I’ll buy gifts for my family, and in December Tony and I will shop for each other.

Slow down.

Instead of rushing around to get things done, remind yourself that things don’t have to be perfect. This Thanksgiving and Christmas, I’m taking the time to enjoy our last winter in the South. I hope to be pregnant by this time next year (!!), which means this could also be our last holiday season as a family of two.

In 10 years, you’re unlikely to remember the little annoyances and mini catastrophes in your planning. What you’re remember is the time spent with family. So make sure you enjoy it.

How are you preparing for the holidays?

Photo by deiru