EXCITING NEWS: I was selected to deliver a national training in San Francisco this November entitled: Personal Finance Solutions for Busy Mental Health Professionals. This 3 hour workshop includes material from my upcoming eBook. Stay tuned to get first crack at the NEW EBOOK. And it’s FREE to my readers.

“Fun is good.” Theodore Geisel

If anyone knows fun it is the author of The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and countless other classics. Just thinking about his books makes me smile. Think about it, don’t you just FEEL BETTER smiling and thinking about something fun?

FUN

MAIN TOPIC: SPEND MINDFULLY

I was asked to guest post at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff (BFS). Before agreeing on a topic, I decided to write about her blog name. So away I went writing about how to pay for fun stuff in addition to the necessities.  After a couple of emails, Crystal at BFS requested an article about investing, so lucky for me (and you); I get to publish this “FUN” article at BarbaraFriedbergPersonalFinance.

In the mental health/psychology field there is movement towards mindful living. Mindfulness is simply living in the NOW and focusing on whatever you are doing presently. This premise works great with money; spend on activities and expenses that you deliberately choose.

Spend mindfully and enjoy completely.

Much of your spending was decided a long time ago; your mortgage/rent, insurance, car payment, savings (if you’re smart) etc. Next you pay a certain amount for food, utilities, charity etc. Yet life is more than just the necessities.

A lot is written about saving and cutting expenses (especially by me). Check out Saving without Sacrifice for some helpful tips in this area. Unfortunately, much less focus is placed on paying for fun and pleasure activities. These rejuvenating activities have very real importance in life. Without time for fun and relaxation you have less energy and focus for work activities. Furthermore, if all you do is work, then what is the point?

 Life is about balance and on the flip side of work is leisure and fun!

 PRACTICAL APPLICATION; BUDGET IN THE FUN STUFF

Step 1: Brainstorm-What activities do you do for fun and recreation?  After all, you don’t want to spend your hard earned cash on “fun” activities that don’t really give you A LOT of pleasure!

For example, El Carino (my hubby) and I LOVE TO TRAVEL. When we were just married with no cash (and lived in California) we satisfied our lust for travel with a CHEAP VACATION to Las Vegas. Back in the olden days, you could have a terrific week-end for 2, complete with buffets, souvenirs, a couple of blackjack hands at the $1.00 table, and souvenirs for under $250.00. We milked the coupon books, sat through timeshare presentations for free show tickets, & visited the incredible lobbies of the exclusive hotels. The memories are still with us! And we will never forget cooling ourselves with ice cubes as we drove through the desert without air-conditioning in the summer.

Here are some ideas to get you started, most are low cost, but don’t hesitate to include passions that cost a bit more:

• Lots of folks love hiking, picnics, and outdoor activities; low cost & beautiful.
• Museums frequently have FREE days.
• Discount movies are a fun evening.
• I love television and we budget in the complete cable package (it’s worth the cost for us).
• Don’t skip eating out, if you enjoy it. Try lunch on the week-end instead of dinner! (2 for 1 coupons are everywhere)
• Board games are hours of fun. Or what about a family videogame night. Make it a competition with prizes (from the dollar store) and popcorn!
• Like to entertain-host a pot luck with a theme. Guests love it because they have ownership in the evening.
• Wiffle ball, frisbee, soccer, tennis, mini putt are all great family fun and LOW COST. Why not get the neighborhood involved?
• Like to ski? Skip the downhill and try cross country.
• For you crafters out there, forget the expensive supplies, use your creativity to pick up remnants in the fabric store, supplies in the bargain bin at the craft store, or make something from stuff you already have.
• Rent a canoe and go boating one week end.
• Take the kids to laser tag or paint ball; everyone gets out their hostility!
• Visit a local small town and enjoy a new experience.
• Enjoy the thrill of the hunt while shopping at garage sales (see what you can snare for $5–$10)
• Help-I can’t stop myself…. There are so many fun activities!!!

Step 2: Look over the “fun list” and put a DOLLAR AMOUNT next to each activity.

Step 3: Next to the cost of the activity, give it a FUN RANKING from 1 (not much) to 10 (most fun ever).

Step 4: Mindfully choose your FUN activities. Next month make sure your “SPENDING PLAN” includes activities with the best value for the FUN. That way, you deliberately spend your cash on the HIGHEST VALUE leisure FUN!

Give it a try and let me know how it works out for you! Mix it up, include some low cost fun along with a bit higher priced fun-just make sure that you choose activities with a high FUN RANKING.

ACTION STEP:

Get a notebook and label it: “(your name) Personal Finance” and keep it by the computer. Use it to keep all of your personal finance goals, thoughts, activities, and plans.  

Gather the family around and list ALL THE FUN ACTIVITIES YOU CAN THINK OF. Go wild, don’t hold back. Then go through and price and label each one with a FUN RANKING.

image credit: Cuba Gallery

YAKEZIE PERSONAL FINANCE BLOGS 

After every article for the next several weeks, you will be introduced to several Personal Finance web sites in the Yakezie network. Each one has their own unique voice and style. The consistency in all is their desire to help others. Consider visiting a few each day! 

Saving Money Today
Single Guy Money
Single Mom, Rich Mom
Smart On Money
Smarter Spend
Squirrelers

Categories: leisure, life, personal finance

“It is requisite for the relaxation of the mind that we make use, from time to time, of playful deeds and jokes.” St. Thomas Aquinas

Sometimes relaxing is the best use of your time. I like to read, and surf the net for FUN and relaxation. My husband and I LOVE TO HAVE FUN; playing sports, games, going to movies, and just hanging out.

Today, as we honor our troops, and enjoy a vacation from work; take some time for yourself too.

These links were selected solely because I enjoyed reading them! I hope you get some pleasure out of  them as well.

MAIN TOPIC: Relax Today

Although I’m a long way from clutter-free, it’s fun to get motivation for “cleaning up the superfluous.” Do you like money and simplicity? If so, check out Nicole’s article, Make Money from Selling your Clutter @ Rainy Day Saver.

Read about the Essentials for Personal Finance Success @ Financially Poor. Who doesn’t want a tip or 2 for more wealth?

Do you notice a theme here? OK, I love the “idea” of cleaning up and simplifying life. Get another take on the same topic  @ Frugalzeitgeist in Cut the Fat; Losing the Things you don’t Need.

Now guys, do not get put off by the title: More inexpensive Ideas to Give your Life Luxury @ More Style Than Cash. These feel good tips-on the cheap have ideas for ALL! Read on and make your life more luxurious.

Take a minute  to think about all members of our population.  Read about important basics for the gay 10% of our population. Visit My Journey to Millions to check out important Financial Planning for Same Sex couples.

No one is immune to “mental mistakes.” Review these common psychological money errors and see how we inadvertently hurt our wallets @ The Amateur Financier in More Mental Mistakes; Avoid Them. 

Finally, let me end with a couple of reader favorites from BarbaraFriedbergPersonalFinance. These are easy reading and informative. Relax and enjoy: Are the Wealthy really Happier  and 50 Habits to Increase Wealth.

ACTION STEP:

Get a notebook and label it: “(your name) Personal Finance” and keep it by the computer. Use it to keep all of your personal finance goals, thoughts, activities, and plans.

Take today for yourself, and fit in some “ME TIME.”

Categories: values, personal finance, saving, leisure

“A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.”
Henry David Thoreau

Only you can decide what you want to focus on in life, it is up to you to choose whether to live to “keep up with the Jone’s” or to determine your own priorities. Thoreau was a master at living life according to his own rules. If you set the rules for your life, including what you want, how to spend your time, how you spend your money; then you define your own happiness.

MAIN TOPIC

Have you ever asked someone about their favorite TV shows and met with the haughty response; “Oh…..I don’t watch television, I read?” Or maybe you are that person who believes that TV is evil and rots the brain. Well…. I’ll let you in on a little secret; I used to be that person!

In my family, TV was looked at as a “time waster” and that “reading” was of a higher order. But, I’m here to tell you, that I have been converted into a loyal and vocal TV watcher; HGTV, sports, CNN, CNBC, Law and Order, The Today Show, Medium, The Good Wife, Two and a Half Men, you name it, I watch it! First, I’ll tell you how and why. Next, you’ll learn what this has to do with personal finance!

When my husband came to pick me up for our 1st date, he immediately looked around my apartment for the television. He was dumbstruck when, after turning on the big hand-me-down console TV, that it only got 1 or 2 channels, and not too clearly at that! You see, he was from the complete opposite camp of TV watching. While he was growing up, the television was ALWAYS ON. In the evenings after dinner, the only activity ever, was TV. So you see, upon realizing I embraced the opposing television viewpoint, he was shocked and dismayed! In fact, from what I know about him today, I’m surprised he remained in our relationship!

So began my conversion, first with the sitcoms and dramas of the day. In the evenings, after dinner, if we stayed in, we watched TV! And, lo and behold, I kind of liked it. But let me digress, my husband is not a slacker, in fact, when we met, he had a Master’s degree in psychology and had a high paying job in a hospital setting. Little by little, over time, I changed and became a big fan of TV. And along with my conversion, my life satisfaction and productivity increased.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that TV caused my happiness and productivity to increase, but it is an interesting correlation!        

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

So, how can television save you money? Let’s list the benefits and rewards of watching TV:

ü  Relaxation-TV Helps you relax and everyone needs relaxation to recharge their resources.

ü  Entertainment-Distracts the mind and relieves the pressures of the day. Think Law and Order, CSI, Medium, The Good Wife, Two and a Half Men, Wheel of Fortune, NCIS, Bones, Movies galore and more.

ü  Educational-Learn Spanish, history, business, sports, decorating, crafts, fishing, current events, science, reading, and the alphabet (for kids).

ü  Health and fitness-Exercise and wellness channels offer everything from Pilates and yoga to hip hop dancing, healthy cooking, and nutrition.

ü  Sports and Recreation-Baseball, basketball, tennis, soccer, golf, fishing, sports tips and more.

ü  Total Trash-Reality shows and other trashy shows can make you feel lots better about yourself by watching people crazier and worse off than you are.

Consider the price and the value of a satellite, FIOS, or cable subscription. How much is a basic cable or satellite subscription/month today? Next, do what you can to lower that price. Be sure to look for a deal, i.e. bundling with internet and/or phone; or look for special promotions. Don’t forget to call your current cable provider to ask for a lower rate.

If you use television to meet some of your fitness, educational, entertainment, and relaxation expenses, TELEVISION IS A HUGE BARGAIN. When you are trying to get more pleasure and life satisfaction from your money, don’t overlook television!

ACTION STEPS:

Get a notebook and label it: “(your name) Personal Finance” and keep it by the computer. Use it to keep all of your personal finance thoughts, activities, and plans.

Jot down:

1. The benefits you can get from television in a month

2. An approximate amount of time per month you watch TV

3. What you pay per month for cable

4. Now, Divide $ cost per month/hours watched=Cost per hour of TV watching

5. Look at the cost per hour for all of the enjoyment you get from television!

Write and tell me your thoughts on television. Do you belong to the TV rots your brain camp, the opposite end, or somewhere in between?