Category: Money

My Summer 2019 Thrift Store Haul

6/14/2019

By now you guys all know what a fashion-cheap-sta I am (did I just make up a new word right now, or is this already a thing?!). I love clothes, shoes, accessories, and hair and makeup, but I also am all about saving (and making and investing) money!
I am not the most comfortable person in front of a video camera, but I really wanted to make a haul video for you guys, my own kind of haul video-a thrift store haul video!
So check out my Summer 2019 Thrift Store Haul video below, with pictures following.

I hope you guys liked it! I wasn't tooo awkward in front of the camera was I? If you enjoyed it please give it a like and subscribe to my Youtube channel thaaanks!
And a very special thank you to Rocco for his adorable appearance!

The $54.90 Akira skirt that I nabbed for only $3.00.

My $1.00 clip on earrings that I am obsessed with!

My $.50 cardigan that matches perfectly the Bob Dylan pillow that is for sale on my Etsy Shop hint hint.

Who doesn't love espadrilles? And for only $2.00, I'm obsessed!

I got this whole thrift store haul in one fell swoop at my favorite thrift store while visiting my family in Ohio last month. My Mom flew me back to attend our family reunion, but I made almost a week long event of it. I had a marvelous time seeing all my relatives, and my parents and I had the most wonderful time eating at little local diners, and shopping at antique stores, flea markets, and thrift stores. My wonderful Father footed the bill for this thrift store excursion (as well as all my food), he's just the greatest!
You can see me in my black and white $3.00 dress above, with most of my crazy cousins (there's a few missing, there's I believe 31 of us)!

And all that for about $12.50! Aren't thrift store finds just the greatest?!
So what are you waiting for? Grab a twenty dollar bill and some friends, and head out to your local thrift store to stock up on your new (used) summer wardrobe!

Peace Love and Thrift Stores
Jess <3

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Money Management Mondays Part 18; Redefine your Birthday List

5/17/2019

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Money Management Mondays Part 18; Redefine your Birthday List

Greetings dear and wonderful readers! Thank you so much for stopping in and reading the blog today! It is true that I have not been posting as much as I used to (oh the days where I posted once a week! And now it's down to only once a month!), but this is as much as I am able to post for now with all that is going on in my life, so I am ok with that! But if you simply can not get enough of me, and you must have more of My Peace Love Life, why not check out some of My Favorite Posts? These start all the way back at the beginning (including my first post!), and you have 15 pages of posts to read, if that doesn't keep you busy I don't know what will! Or how about re-reading all of my previous 17 Money Management Mondays (posted below)?!
As for me, here are some of the things that have been keeping me busy;

-Tatty Zaps
Tatty Zaps, otherwise known as our tattoo shop that we opened last year! Nick has been doing a fabulous job of running the business, but I get to help with the social media aspect of it, and the finances, which has kept me pretty busy.
-Work
I have a lot of finance based goals for myself this year (including pay off my credit cards, which I did in March[!], and have $3,000 in an emergency fund [which I now am over halfway to!]), so it was important to me to keep working outside the shop, no matter if it is doing good or bad. So I have been working my normal waitress job, as well as working as a cater waiter, and doing focus groups whenever I can!
-Instagram
I have been doing a great job of keeping up with my Instagram page lately, and am loving doing it! I am very excited to keep growing my Instagram.
-My book
Yes I am writing a book! This has been taking up a lot of my time and energy lately, but I am just so excited about it, I am loving writing it! I am not exactly sure when it will be ready, but I do know that it will be released this year, so keep your eye on here and my Instagram page to be kept in the loop!
-Nick LaPinta
My husband turned 30 on Wednesday, so we of course celebrated his Birthday then and had a wonderful time, but I have been planning something else for him as well! With our business and our finances as they are, we knew that we couldn't do anything big on his actual Birthday, so I have been planning for some time now a big 30th Birthday surprise for the end of the year. I can't tell you what it is, because duh it's a surprise! But stay tuned for later this year to find out!
-Etsy
I have been making my wonderful t-shirt pillows and selling them on my Etsy Shop the last couple months. I have also just recently begun selling my pinup pictures on there too.

1. Don't own a smart phone.
2. Don't have a car payment.
3. Don't smoke cigarettes.
4. Don't play the lottery.
5. Purchase my Financial E-Course.
6. Live Cheaply
7. Be Positive about Your Money.
8. Financial Course.
9. Decide what is important to you.
10. Simplify Your Christmas Shopping.
11. Save (and Roll) Your Change.
12. Don't Drink a lot.
13. Keep Track of Everything you Buy for an Entire Month.
14. The No Spend Month.
15. My #1 Secret to Saving Money for Travel.
16. Don't Make Excuses.
17. Don't play the bank's games.

And now for #18 in my Money Management Monday Series; Redefine Your Birthday List.

You remember how when you were younger, adults would ask you what you wanted for your Birthday (or Christmas, or Hannukah, or Easter, or whatever), and you would immediately answer enthusiastically about the latest toy or hot wheel or doll you wanted? Now as an adult when someone asks what you want for your birthday you probably think something like, "How about you pay my rent, buy me a new alternator for my car, or help me out with some of my student loans?!" You of course don't say these things, and instead mumble an unenthusiastic, "I dunno." Sound like you?
Well today on our Money Management Monday, I want you to redefine your Birthday list (and Christmas list, and Hannukah list, and Easter list), to not only save you some money, but to actually have an answer when someone asks what you want!
My husband and I, along our Money Management quest have discovered a way to redefine our Birthday lists, to save us a ton of money over the years, as well as answer that pesky and ever-present "What do you want for your Birthday?" question. Today is a very simple Money Management Monday. Here it is!

I keep a special notebook in my desk, and whenever I realize that Nick or I need anything, I immediately write it down in the book. Whenever I catch myself thinking, "I would really like to have this or that", I write it down in the book! Once you start doing this, I think it will surprise you the amount of items you have written down, it did me! Then whenever I get asked by someone what Nick or I want for our Birthday, I just pull out this list, and I have a very specific, good amount of present ideas to give them!

Making these lists has drastically cut down on the amount of things Nick and I purchase for ourselves, thus cutting down drastically the amount of money we spend!
Here are some examples of things we have received for gifts, and didn't have to spend any money on;

-I no longer spend money on cds (yes I still listen to cds) or records (yes I collect records), or dvds (yes we still watch dvds).
Whatever cd just came out that I want, I ask for it for Christmas! I love love love opening cds!
-An umbrella.
I lost my cheap little umbrella before moving to Atlanta, and soon found out that when you live in a city and walk a lot, you need an umbrella! So I added it to my list, and for Christmas my Mom bought me one of those super awesome reversible umbrellas, and whenever I use it people are always jealous of it!
-Most of our kitchen appliances.
I don't know about you, but spending my hard earned money on any kitchen appliance does not make me happy! We fortunately got most of our kitchen appliances as gifts when we got married (which was awesome!), but anytime we've needed any other appliance we just ask for it! And our families are really good about buying us fun new appliances that we haven't even had to chance to ask for!
-Socks.
I can not even remember the last time Nick or I bought socks. We always get them as gifts, and as an adult, I love getting socks! I'm not the only one am I?
-My sewing machine.
-Clothing, accessories, and shoes.
I don't usually even ask for clothing, accessories, or shoes, but my family always gets them for me (and I always love what they buy [they know me so good!]), cutting out the need for me to go out and buy lots of clothes, shoes, or accessories throughout the year.
-A French press coffee pot.
After I dropped and broke mine, my Mom swooped in and saved the day by buying me another one for Christmas!
-Home decor items I want, office supplies, plants (real and fake!), car parts, bedding, and lots more! Though you can take it too far-my family still makes fun of me for when I asked for toilet paper and canned goods as gifts right before we moved to Atlanta! Hahaha live and learn!

So what do you think, are you ready to whip out your own notebook (or a new notes in your phone) and start redefining your Birthday list? And Christmas is really just around the corner, so why not be prepared for that too?

Peace Love and Money Management
Jess <3

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How to Save Money for Your Next Tattoo

1/3/2019

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Greetings all! I hope the New Year finds you well!
Today I am kicking off 2019 with a fun blog post that I hope you will enjoy!

If you have been reading this blog or following me on Instagram lately, I'm sure by now you have figured out that my husband and I have just recently opened up our own tattoo shop, Tatty Zaps! Today's post is one part shameless promotion (if you live in the Atlanta, Georgia area come get a tattoo or piercing!), mixed with my love for managing money!
I decided to write this post because A. I love managing money, talking about money, and telling other people how to better manage their money, and B. My husband and I are constantly having people tell us, "I would love to get a tattoo, I just don't have the money for it." Well no more! Today's post is based a bit off a blog post I wrote three years ago, "My #1 Secret to Saving Money for Travel." If you want to travel and just don't have the money, go read that article after you read this one!
Let's dive right in!

Step 1. Make some decisions
What tattoo do you want to get? Do you want it in color, or black and gray? Where on your body do you want to get it, and what approximate size?
If you aren't exactly sure on all of these things that's not a problem at all-some people rely on the artist's judgment on some things since they're the professional. And Nick says that is perfectly fine with him! We are just trying to figure an approximate price for your tattoo. So once you have most of your ideas together, the next step is...

Step 2. Contact Nick at Tatty Zaps (or your artist and shop of choice)
Tell him all the decisions you made above, and ask an approximate price. He will give you a ballpark. No lower than this price, but no higher than this one.

Step 3. Figure out your timing
Once you've talked to Nick (or your artist of your choice) and gotten your ballpark price, now you need to decide when you want this tattoo. Do you want it right before a big holiday to shock your family? Do you want it right before a vacation to show off in all your pictures? Figuring in healing times, decide on what month you want your tattoo. How many months is that from now?

Step 4. Get your magic number
Take the highest number from your ballpark amount, add in a tip if you will want to leave one, and divide this number by the number of months you have from now until you want to get your tattoo. Divide that number by two if you get paid every other week, or four if you get paid every week.

And that number my friend, that little tiny number you see before you, is all the money you need to put aside every paycheck, to get your next dream tattoo.

Unless you want an exceptionally large piece, and only give yourself one or two months to save, that number is going to be smaller than the price of going out drinking every weekend, smaller than a $5 Starbucks a day coffee!

Want a nice $500 piece in four months and get paid every other week?
500 divided by four divided by two= 62.50

So the grand total you would need to set aside every paycheck, is only $62.50!
Only $62.50! That is only $125 a month for four months, and you can have a brand new tattoo that will last you forever!

And you don't need to spend $500 to get a beautiful tattoo at Tatty Zaps! Want a $150 tattoo in three months and get paid every other week? You only need to set aside $25 a paycheck!!!

Step 5. Start saving
Every paycheck, set aside in a separate savings account (bonus, you will be making interest on your money!), a piggy bank, or in an envelope hidden in your underwear drawer, the amount of money that you need. And that's it!

Ok so, what if you've read this, figured out your magic number, and are saying, "I can't save that amount of money every paycheck!"

Here is what I have to say to that;
-You're lying. Ok, maybe not. But! I do find it very difficult to believe that an adult person, with a job, can not save an extra hundred odd dollars a month!
-Read my complete Money Management Series. You should be able to save at least $100 a month with most of my money saving tips.
-Give yourself longer to save. If you need $500, but can't save $125 for four months, instead, save only $100 for five months! Still doable!
-If after all of this, you still can't manage to scrounge up an extra $100 or so a month, then you don't want it bad enough. You would rather spend your money on other things And that's fine! If a tattoo isn't your priority, then you will not be able to save up money for it, and you don't have to! If you can't give up your daily Starbucks or cigarettes for a couple months to save for your tattoo, then continue buying your Starbucks and cigarettes. But, if getting tattooed is a priority, then I know that you will be able to find a way to save that money!

Tatty Zaps
Instagram
(678)539-7932
2531 Piedmont Rd. NE Suite 100 Salon 502 Atlanta, Ga

Peace Love and Tattoos
Jess <3

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Book Review; Manifest $10,000 by Cassie Parks

6/25/2017

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I was so excited when I received my copy of "Manifest $10,000", complete with Cassie's John Hancock scribbled on the inside!
If the name of the book didn't sell me, the rest of the front cover certainly did; "Learn how to manifest $10,000 by using the law of attraction and improving your money mindset." Yes please!
I looved that the book was not super long; it is only 94 pages, of step by step, and how to's.

In the last couple of years I started to learn about, and read manifestation books. They were all awesome for starting out manifesting, getting my head in the right place, and teaching me the general techniques and ideas behind it. "Manifest $10,000" by Cassie Parks however, takes manifesting money to a whole new level!
This book makes manifesting money seem not only within your grasp, but totally do-able, and fun!

I am about two months into the book, and am having a blast going through all the steps so far. Two of the items that I wrote down that I would spend part of the $10,000 on, were a good blush, and eyebrow makeup. After less than a month of doing the steps, I received a blush, and eyebrow makeup for free from Influenster! I was blown away! I can not wait to keep going, and see what else happens!

If you have been waiting for a sign to start manifesting, or to try something different in your life, this is it! Pick up this book and see what magic you can start manifesting into your life right now!
You can find "Manifest $10,000" on Amazon, in paperback or kindle edition.
And also check out Cassie's website.

*Disclosure*
I was given this book, and these are my thoughts on it.

Peace Love and Manifest $10,000
Jess <3

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Money Management Mondays Part 17

12/5/2016

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Welcome back to Money Management Mondays my lovely readers! Today I have the 17th installment of this money saving series, to help each of you in your own money saving paths!

To refresh your memory, here are the previous 16 Money Management Monday posts, you can go back and re-read them if you need to;

Money Saving Secret #17 . Don't play the bank's games.

This one is very simple, but very effective!
Overdraft fees, and atm charges (or as I like to call them, the bank's games) can add up so quickly, costing you your hard earned money!
This great article from The Huffington Post tells us just how serious these games are when it reported that "... the average overdraft fee was $34, yet most overdraft charges occurred on transactions of $24 or less." Wow! It also opens the article by saying, "America’s three biggest banks continued their ongoing joke on poor people last year by collecting $6 billion from overdraft and ATM fees, and 2016 is looking even more bleak."
Holy canoly! This is just so hard to believe, that Americans willingly handed over $6 billion of their hard earned money last year, with nothing to show for it!
So what should you do about this? Stop playing the bank's games!
If you always keep track of how much you have in your account (either by balancing your checkbook faithfully, or just checking your online bank account a couple times a month), then the bank will not be able to take money from you! Simple as that! I personally, have a book, that in it I keep track of how much money I have in my checking, and it is a lifesaver! I keep track of every penny that comes out of it, and every penny that goes in.
As far as atm fees go, why pay them?!
The best way to steer clear of atm fees is to simply be prepared. You know that you are going to need cash next week, so get it out of the bank ahead of time. Or, simply use a checkbook or a debit card for when you need to pay for things, instead of getting cash out of an atm. And lastly, use an atm with no fees (like your bank's atm)!
Just be aware of the bank's expensive games that are taking your money, and don't play them anymore! This is your money, and you have important things to do with it!

Well I hope you enjoyed this latest Money Management Mondays post! See you guys next week!

I want to challenge you this week, to love others, and love yourself. Do one thing this week that makes this world a better place. You will not regret it. Peace and love to you!

*P.S Want more of these great tips all in one place? Purchase my "Create Your Dream Life" Ebook for only $2.99, with an instant download!*

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Peace Love and Money Management Mondays
Jess <3

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How to Make Money on Fiverr

10/17/2016

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If you've been following this blog for a while, you know that I despise working normal, soul-sucking, 9-5 jobs. I instead, prefer to use my god-given talents and interests to make a living. I write all about this in my first blog post ever, posted May 11th 2012.
And while I am not making 100% of my income from my passions yet, I am getting much closer to being able to sit on a beach all day! So if you want to become free, keep reading!

There are a lot of ways that I am making money right now; this blog, and my Etsy being two of them. But today I wanted to talk about a different means of earning money, that I have had people ask me about, because I am doing pretty well at it.
Fiverr can be one of the easiest, fun-nest, and most lucrative ways to make money on the internet. It doesn't require you to have your own website, you don't need to be a computer whiz, and you can get started in a day!
The basic gist of Fiverr is simple; "People will do anything for $5". And I mean anything! Need a fake girlfriend for your social media? Done! Want Christopher Walken to call your friend? Yes please! Needing a fairy to hold your sign? Sure thing! Having trouble finding Marilyn Monroe to sing happy birthday to someone? Well you've come to the right place!
All fun and crazy-ness aside, there is also a ton of gigs for graphics and design, digital marketing, translating services, singers and songwriters, advertising, and programming.

Ready to get started on Fiverr? Here's how!

First things first, you need to get your profile set up!
Your profile is where all of your gigs will be, and where people can read about you.
To do this, just go to fiverr.com and find the sign up button. You pick your name (mine is Chinagirl since I do some Mandarin Chinese gigs), put in an email address, and answer questions about yourself, and about your gigs. Take a look at my Fiverr profile to get an idea of what it will look like.

The next thing you must do, is to make your gigs!
This is the fun part! Your gigs are what you are willing to do for $5. Your gigs will be making you your money, and no matter how cool your profile looks, if you don't have any gigs, you will not make any money. So start thinking. It can be silly, or it can be serious, or it can be anything in-between. It does not cost you anything to create or post a gig, so make as many as you'd like! I still have a couple gigs that I've posted that haven't made me any money, but it's ok, because all it took was a little bit of time to make the gig.

Think of things you're good at doing, that other people want or need.
Are you a computer genius? Perfect! Tons of people need help with computer programming, website building. Do you speak multiple languages? Offer translating services. Are you a writer or a musician? There are plenty of things to do with those gifts! Are you artistic? Try drawing pictures of people or their pets!
I speak Mandarin Chinese, so I sing happy birthday in Mandarin for one gig. I also like to make and sell crafts, so I have a couple of my products on there. I also offer ads on this blog through Fiverr, and my most popular gigs are my modeling gigs.

Be unique!
There are literally thousands of people on Fiverr selling the same exact gigs. So offer something unique instead! It's fine to have a couple gigs that aren't unique, but try to come up with at least one that is unique to you. For example, one of my gigs is "I will sing Happy Birthday in Mandarin Chinese." In all of Fiverr, there is only one other gig that is the same, and it was just posted not too long ago. I also sell my record bowls on there, and again, there is only one other gig that does that.

Post the rest of your gigs.
Once you have a couple of unique gigs posted, you can add the rest of your gigs. Don't worry if there are a lot of people selling the same thing, just be sure to put your own unique spin on it! For example, if you type in "male model" in the search bar, over thirty different gigs will pop up. So how have I had over thirty separate orders for my dad and my husband's male modeling gigs? Because I made each of them unique from the other gigs. The other male model gigs simply said, "I will be your male model." So I made my Dad's gig say, "I will be your bearded male model." And Nick's says, "I will be your tattooed male model." So use normal gigs, but get specific, and get unique.

Now start making sales!
Here are some tips that I use, to sell a lot of gigs.

-Respond quickly. This is one thing I am working on! I have lost a couple sales because time was of the essence, and unfortunately I did not read, or respond to the person's message inquiring about a gig in time. So be sure to check your messages every couple of days, and respond to people who are asking questions about your gigs.

-Maximize your earnings. So just in case you lost interest because you're thinking that $5 isn't enough, this part is for you! In every gig you can make up to $1,000! You just need to find ways to upgrade the things you're selling! For example; In all of my modeling gigs for me, my dad, and my husband, the gig starts out at $5 (like every gig needs to). The $5 gig includes four pictures with one background. For $10, the gig includes 10 pictures, in multiple backgrounds. In every gig I also include an extra fast delivery time for $5 extra. None of my gigs total anywhere close to $1,000, but I'm in the process of revamping my Fiverr account, and I'm trying to think of different ways to upgrade even more!

-Sell your physical items. Yes, you can sell physical items, because you have the option to charge for shipping. So figure out some small (or large!) items that you can make multiples of, and sell. Especially around Christmas time!

-Scope out the competition. Search for gigs that are the same as yours. Study them and figure out the following; 1. What are they lacking that you could make sure to add to your gig? 2. What are some of their gig extras. Can you do them for cheaper? Or can you add on more gig extras? 3. What about these gigs are better than your gig? Adjust accordingly.

-Whatever you do, do it great. Like most businesses nowadays, you will be getting reviewed by your customers! Aim to make your customer as satisfied as possible. Always go the extra mile. Because I always go the extra mile, if you look at my Fiverr gigs, you will see some very satisfied customer reviews.

-Take great photos. For my modeling gigs, I obviously need to take great pictures for the customer. But even if your gig doesn't involve taking pictures, get a nice picture for your gig picture so it will grab your potential customers' attention.

Fiverr can be super fun. It's a great way to earn money doing what you love to do, and most of the time without even leaving your house! We have had a blast doing our various different gigs. We have received a lot of free products (the watch that Nick wore on our wedding day was a free product from a Fiverr gig!), and have been featured on a lot of cool websites and social media accounts (see them all on my modeling page).
Good luck on your Fiverr journey!

Peace Love and Fiverr
Jess <3

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A Financial Checklist for Traveling Abroad

7/24/2016

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A Financial Checklist for Traveling Abroad

Hello wonderful readers and fellow travelers out there!
Today I have for you a guest post from Frank Lee!
I like to talk a lot about traveling; all the fun places to go, and cool things to do, so on the opposite (but crucial) side of that, Frank is going to help you navigate through the very important, and sometimes tricky topic of handling your finances when you're traveling abroad! Be sure and take notes kiddos!

"Traveling involves a lot of planning and forethought and while we take care of many things, we often forget to take care of the most important thing we need – our finances. There are some basic steps which you may not need to be reminded to follow such as making copies of your bank account information and credit card, but there are a number of other steps which can make you trip more enjoyable by keeping your money secure and accessible on a foreign trip. Having access to cash at hand along with other modes of payment in a foreign land can make all the difference between an enjoyable trip and a trip you regret taking. A lack of cash can make the journey much harder as instead of enjoying, your energies will be more focused on making ends meet and just going by.

Talk to Your Bank
One of the first things you need to do before you embark on a foreign travel is to make sure that your bank knows you’re going out of the country and your credit card is going to be used at multiple locations all around the world. Usually banks have red flags which are actually designed to keep your money safe but they can be counter-intuitive in this case as breaking your usual patterns can get your account frozen or it could result in your credit card being declined when you’re buying some essential items in a faraway place and have run out of your cash. This could lead to some very embarrassing situations so save yourself the trouble and talk to the bank about your travel and how long you’re going to spend in which country.

Set Up Online Account
An online account gives you the freedom to manage your funds from a remote location which is a very convenient option when you’re traveling overseas. The control of your account will allow you to stay on top of your transactions. It also gives you the ability to set up automatic payments and pay your utilities and other bills when you’re on the go.

Multiple Payment Methods
Although your method of payment depends on your destination but it’s always a good idea to stay prepared for the worst-case situation. Keep all your options open by carrying a credit card, a debit card and cash in both your currency and the destination country. You only need to keep small amounts of your currency and more of the local currency since that is what’s going to be the most widely accessible method of payment.

Check Exchange Rates
One must familiarize himself with the exchange rates before embarking on a journey to a foreign land to understand the value of the local currency against the foreign which will help in understanding the amount of cash one needs to take with him or her. Search for the conversion fees which you may have to pay to the money exchangers for the conversion of money and weigh it against getting the money converted in your own country.

Get an ATM Card
ATM cards are a great alternative to carrying large amounts of cash which is an unsafe thing to do in a foreign land. There is always the option of signing up for an ATM card with no fee from an online bank which gives you the freedom to take cash out without paying large sums of money in transaction fees. The important thing to remember is that you don’t necessarily have to open a new account in a different bank, you should consult with your own bank first as many banks often waive ATM fees for certain checking accounts.

Keep Cash Handy
Cash is the one thing which you can be sure about that it won’t leave you estranged in a foreign land. US citizens are lucky in the respect that a majority of the world is willing to accept US dollars at their face value and by paying in dollars you automatically save the conversion fee you may have had to pay to a financial institution. A lot of things which you may buy from the foreign destination can easily be bought from home at discounted prices from Groupon.
Although you can exchange your money at the airport but that’s usually an expensive option, the alternative is to withdraw money from an ATM. Just remember that no one rejects cold hard cash especially when you’re ready to pay. Keep a few hundred dollars with you for times when you can’t access cash any other way but keep it in small denominations to avoid becoming a target of a mugging incident."

Thanks for all the tips Frank! I will definitely be doing these things on my next trip abroad!

Peace Love and Finances
Jess <3

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Money Management Mondays Part 16

7/18/2016

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Welcome back to Money Management Mondays my lovely readers! Today I have the 16th installment of this money saving series, to help you each in your own money saving paths!

To refresh your memory, here are the previous 15 Money Management Monday posts, go back and re-read them if you need to;

1. Don't own a smart phone.
2. Don't have a car payment.
3. Don't smoke cigarettes.
4. Don't play the lottery.
5. Purchase my Financial E-Course.
6. Live Cheaply
7. Be Positive about Your Money.
8. Financial Course.
9. Decide what is important to you.
10. Simplify Your Christmas Shopping.
11. Save (and Roll) Your Change.
12. Don't Drink a lot.
13. Keep Track of Everything you Buy for an Entire Month.
14. The No Spend Month.
15. My #1 Secret to Saving Money for Travel.

Money Saving Secret #16. Don't Make Excuses.

When I first started doing my money management series, and started selling my financial coaching packages, I had a very rude person e-mail me and tell me that I shouldn't be giving people advice on money, because I have no adult responsibilities, and that if she didn't have $700 in rent every month, then she too would be able to save as much money as me. Well, I went on to tell her that she doesn't know me at all, so therefore, has no right saying that I have no responsibilities, when in fact, I do. The second thing that struck me about this bitter angry person, was that she was making excuses as to why she's not able to save money. Who forced her to get a $700 apartment? Who said she couldn't get roommates? I obviously don't know her situation (as she doesn't know mine), but I do know that she is making excuses to me, as well to herself. She is telling herself that it's not her fault that she is living unhappily, and without money! She is not willing to question HOW she can change her situation, by downgrading to a cheaper apartment, getting roommates, picking up a second job, or any other money saving secret I have shared here!
When it comes to money, I have found that people are very good at making excuses. Whether it's to themselves, or other people.

So, what I want you to do today, is make a list of all your excuses and reasoning for why you can't be saving money like a mad-person and living a happy, financially free life. For example; 1. My rent is too expensive 2. I smoke a pack of cigarettes a day 3. I just like shoes too much etc. Write the list. Then study that list carefully. Are any of the reasons good enough reasons? Is there any way to get rid of any of those excuses, or to at least diminish them? Think carefully, and figure out for yourself if these excuses are just that; excuses.

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Peace Love and Finances
Jess <3

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My #1 Secret to Saving Money for Travel

5/9/2016

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My #1 Secret to Saving Money for Travel!

I have been to 15 countries and counting.
I am no expert by any means, but I think, that I have figured out the magic formula to saving money for any vacation, to anywhere in the world! Without going broke, without having to make $100,000 a year, and without having to save for your entire life just for one vacation!
This one magnificent secret of mine will prove to you, once and for all, that in order to travel the world, you do not need to have a great paying job, be famous, or inherit a butt load of money. It will show you that even if you are working for minimum wage, have never traveled before, and have no rich uncles dying any time soon, you can still go on your dream vacation!!! How exciting is that?!! I'm excited! And you should be too!
Read below to find out my #1 secret to saving money to travel, and start planning your dream trip today!

In Australia. 2006

My #1 Secret to saving money for travel is.....

Figure out the exact amount of money you need.

In Vanuatu. 2006

Ok stay with me! Let me explain!
The reason most people don't go on fabulous vacations and adventurous trips, is because they get it in their heads that travel is a luxury they just simply can't afford. This is however, not the case, and when you figure out the exact amount of money you will need for your vacation, you will be able to visit anywhere in the world!
Just do as I say below, and it will all become clear!

How to figure out the exact amount of money you need for your dream vacation;
-Find a notebook. This is now your travel notebook! Write down where you want to go, how long you want to stay there, and what activities you would like to do while there.
-Now get online.
Search prices of airline tickets first, as this is usually the biggest expense. Write down the average price (not the most expensive, and not the cheapest, just the price you see popping up the most). Try plenty of different websites.
-Find out if you need a visa to visit the specific country. If you do, write down the price for that.
-Write down the price of hotels. If you're feeling adventurous and want to save money, use hostelworld. Write down the price of the hotels, and multiply that by the amount of nights you are staying there.
-Write down the price of food (multiplied by the number of times you will be eating), bus fares, taxis, and all of the tourist activities you want to do. This is way easier than you think. Literally type into google; Food prices in Germany, Eiffel Tower ticket price, taxi fares in Costa Rica, etc.
***Note, if you are going to an all-inclusive resort, then you won't need to write down all these things. Just the flight, any activities that cost extra, and the cost of the resort***
-Once you have all this written down (be sure to aim a little high for everything. If you have some leftover, you can simply put that towards your next trip. There is nothing worse than having to cut a trip short because you figured too low for expenses!), add it up!
This is the magic number. Most likely, it is much lower than you would have expected! See! Traveling isn't too expensive for you!
On the next clean piece of paper in your travel notebook, write this number down. Underline it. Circle it!
Next you...

In Thailand. 2008.

Figure out exactly when you would like to take this trip. 16 months from now? 10 months from now?
Take your magic number, and divide it by the number of months you have decided on.

And that number my friend, that little tiny number you see before you, is all the money you need to put aside every month, to go on your dream vacation.

Most likely (unless you choose a very expensive country, and only give yourself a couple months to save), that number is smaller than your rent! Smaller than the price of going out drinking every weekend, smaller than a $5 Starbucks a day coffee! Wow!!!

In China. 2009

Here is an example for you! I want to take a week-long trip to China. In total I need; $1,390 (an average of $800 for the flight, $120 at most [China is dirt cheap, plus I like to stay at hostels] for hotel and food, $270 for my visa, and $200 for activities).
I want to leave for my trip in ten months.
1,390 divided by 10= 139
So the grand total I need to set aside every month, is only $139!
Only $139! Less than $35 a week, less than $5 a day, set aside for less than a year, and I would be able to go on a week-long vacation to China, a vacation that most people could never dream of!
(Can you tell I'm getting excited!!!)

In Costa Rica 2001

So every month, in a separate savings account (bonus, you will be making interest on your money!), a piggy bank, or in an envelope hidden in your underwear drawer, set aside the amount of money that you need.
Now any country, any experience, any trip, is attainable.

In Fiji 2006

Ok so, what if you've read this, figured out your magic monthly number, and are saying, "I can't save that amount of money a month!"

Here is what I have to say to that;
-You're lying. Ok, maybe not. But! I do find it very difficult to believe that an adult person, with a job, can not save an extra $100 a month!
-Read my complete Money Management Series. You should be able to save at least $100 a month with most of my money saving tips.
-Give yourself longer to save. If you need $1,500, but can't save $150 for 10 months, instead, save only $100 for 15 months! Still doable!
-If after all of this, you still can't manage to scrounge up an extra $100 or so a month, then you don't want it bad enough. You would rather spend your money on cigarettes/alcohol/shoes/clothes/going out to eat/starbucks etc.etc etc. And that's ok. If travel isn't your priority, then you will not be able to save up money for it, and you don't have to. If your daily Starbucks is more important to you than travel, then continue buying your Starbucks. But, if travel is a priority, then I know that you will be able to find a way to save that money!

In The Bahamas 2005

This year me and the husband have already had a mini vacation at Kalahari Resorts, we just booked a week long vacation for our one year anniversary, to an all inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic (!!!), and we have a couple other trips in the works! We are so excited about it! And we are able to do all of this, using the secret that I just shared with you!

I am just so excited for you! I hope this post has inspired and excited you! Let me know below in the comments what your dream vacation is, and what your magic number is for it!
I would absolutely love to hear all your magic numbers, and your plans for your destination!

Peace Love and Vacationing
Jess <3

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Tips to Survive a No Spend Month

2/22/2016

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Welcome back to Money Management Mondays my lovely readers! It's been a while, and today on the 14th installment, I will be talking about why you should do a no spend month, and how to survive a no spend month!
Here are the previous 13 Money Management Monday posts;

1. Don't own a smart phone.
2. Don't have a car payment.
3. Don't smoke cigarettes.
4. Don't play the lottery.
5. Purchase my Financial E-Course.
6. Live Cheaply
7. Be Positive about Your Money.
8. Financial Course.
9. Decide what is important to you.
10. Simplify Your Christmas Shopping.
11. Save (and Roll) Your Change.
12. Don't Drink a lot.
13. Keep Track of Everything you Buy for an Entire Month.

Money Management Mondays Part 14. The No Spend Month!

The no spend month is something I've seen popping up around the blogosphere a lot lately, and it sounded like a great idea, so me and the husband decided to give it a try! There are a lot of different ways you can go about doing your no spend month, but the basic gist of it, is that you don't spend any money for an entire month (duh!)! Hehe. Some people go all out, not buying gas or groceries the entire time, literally not spending a penny the entire month. But you need to conform the no spend month to fit your lifestyle, because if you don't make it work for you, then you won't stick to it, simple as that. So me and Nick decided that for our no spend month, we will still be buying gas, because we need to get to work, and we will still be buying groceries, because I'm hypoglycemic, and I need to eat a lot, and we eat pretty healthy, so we need to buy vegetables and other such perishables. But anyways! We did our No Spend Month, and it turned out really great! We saved a good deal of money! I was so stoked when I was doing my budgeting all month, and kept realizing that I had so much extra money to budget, because we weren't spending it! Wohooo!

So if you would like to try a no spend month, figure out what will work for you, choose a month, read these tips, and then prepare for some money saving!

So here are my top tips for surviving a no spend month!

Just because you can't buy anything this month, doesn't mean you can't look at nice things riiiiiiight?

Do your no spend month during the winter.
In the winter months, you'll be invited to hang out with people less, because most people like to hibernate indoors all winter long, and plus, it will be easier to stay curled up inside not spending money when it's freezing cold and snowing outside!

Use gift cards during your no spend month.
This is one reason why doing your no spend month right after Christmas is such a great idea. During our no spend month, me and the husband went to go see a movie with a gift card my brother gave us for Christmas, went shopping for new clothes for Nick at Express, with a gift card given to him by his sister's boyfriend, and I went to a coffee shop and used a gift card given to me by my brother to pay for it! We got to go out and do stuff, and not spend a dime!

Try out all those recipes you have saved to your pinterest board.
Since you can't go out to eat this month, you're going to have to do cooking at home. So now's the chance to try out all those recipes that you keep promising yourself that you'll make one day but never do. Just be sure to make a list of the ingredients that you need for each recipe, so that when you go to the grocery store, you buy only the things that you need!

Use ingredients already in your cupboards.
Some people that spend absolutely nothing all month, will only use the food they already have in their cupboards and freezers. Go through your cupboards and freezer, make a list of food you have, then plan your meals around that! You will spend very little on groceries that month, and use up food that was just sitting around collecting dust!

Play board games.
For Christmas my mom gave Nick a board game called "Crazy Categories", and we love it! We've played it with a bunch of different people, and it's a great way to have fun while staying home and not spending any money!

Return Things.
Me and Nick still had some things from our wedding (8 months ago haha!) that needed returned to the store. The store does not take returns, but they will do in-store exchanges. So during our no-spend month, we brought our items that needed returning, and exchanged them for things that we needed for our home, and a couple of birthday presents that we needed to buy for people. And we didn't spend a penny!

Invite people over to your house instead of going out.
On the 3rd day of our no spend month, our good friend from Atlanta was in town, and we wanted to hang out with him! So he came over to our house, Nick cooked some food, we ate, drank some beer (that was already in the fridge from the month before!), talked, and had a grand time!

Get crafty with your gifts.
During our no spend month we had 3 people that we needed to buy gifts for. We did end up getting a couple things for the people (see the above "return things" tip), but I got really crafty with my gifts and it turned out really well! For example, Nick's little sister had her birthday, and we gave her a cupcake candle (that we got when we exchanged things), and I made her a cupcake pillow, and a hairbow. She absolutely loved them, and everyone was passing around the pillow and marveling at its hand made-ness!

I do realize that sometimes you just need to spend money...
That's just how this world works. But if you can wait, wait! A lot of times we think we need something, then later realize that we could have done without it, or could have gotten it from someone we know, for free or very inexpensive. So just try to hold out on any and every purchase, and when the month is over, see if you still "need" it! That's one reason why the no spend month is so great, it forces us to slow down and actually think about our spending!

So! You've picked out a month, you've read the above tips, and you are ready to start saving money!
Now what? Next, you should decide what you want to do with the money you save! This is very important, because if you don't make a plan for the saved money, then most likely as soon as the no spend month is over, the money will just get spent, and the entire no spend month will be for naught!

Here are some things you can do with the money you save;
1. Put it towards paying off debt.
2. Put it towards something special you're saving for, like a vacation, a house, a car, or your wedding.
3. Use it to pay off bills that keep piling up.
and anything else you can think of! Just make sure that you have something in mind before you start the month!

How about you? Have you ever tried a no spend month? If not, would you like to? If you have, how was it? And what were your tips for surviving it?