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Hey there!

Happy Thanksgiving week! (How is that possible already?!)

It’s been a whirlwind over here as we moved last week into our new house and IT IS AMAZING. All the anxiety I was having about moving melted away after a few days. The neighbors are friendly, the trails are awesome, we are close to everything and it’s SO NICE having more space for our family!

Unfortunately the offer on our old house fell through, which was a total bummer. It’s back on the market but we actually may have a short-term renter lined up for 4 months starting at the beginning of the year, which would be great. Then we could decide from there if a) we want to continue to keep it as a rental or b) we can throw it back on the market. In my last post I wrote about how we decided we didn’t want to be landlords, but I’m rewarming up to the idea (especially as I think we would hire a property manager to handle it!)

So anyway, that’s what’s new on the home front. We’ve been spending money like whoa between getting the old house ready to sell and moving into/furnishing this new home and I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been neglecting looking at our bank accounts. I did log in the other day and paid off all our credit cards, so at least I’m on top of that! I also recently setup a trial for YNAB (You Need a Budget) and am trying it out. Seems there is a bit of a learning curve so I’m just getting used to it. Mint was giving me some connection troubles and thus, I decided to check out my options. I’ll report back with how I like it soon!

OK on to today’s post. So obviously Black Friday is huge here in the U.S. (and I know it’s worldwide now too!) and most of us get sucked into the buying trap that starts tomorrow and goes through next week (I’ve been seeing all these early Black Friday deals too - what is the world coming to?! hah)

I’m not here to encourage you not to shop but I WILL encourage you to make a plan and stick to it. No buying crap just because it’s on sale and a “good deal” Doesn’t matter if it’s a good deal if it's something you don’t really want/need or takes away from your other financial priorities (like saving money for something you really want or paying down debt!) And if you want to have something to distract you other than spending money (or unplanned money on purchases!) check out these alternatives to Black Friday shopping:

6 Fun Alternatives to Black Friday Shopping:

1) Have your family or friends over for brunch

A lot of people have off work Black Friday so why not have a little celebration? You can turn those leftovers into a brunch (turkey and stuffing egg bake anyone?) and enjoy the extra vacation day together.

2) Opt outside

Obviously this was made popular by the retailer REI here in the U.S., but it’s a great idea and one I think everyone should consider. Spending time outdoors is not only FREE, it’s also good for the mind, body and soul. I encourage you to check out a State park (a lot of them are free on Friday!), bundle up the family and take a walk to a park, get a group together to play some outdoor touch football, or go hiking (or skiing if you have snow!)

3) Go to a movie

So obviously this is not a free activity, but it’s MUCH cheaper than browsing the internet or heading out to the stores and impulse buying a bunch of crap you don’t need. And if you have the day off, what a great excuse to see the matinee and save money!

4) Plan a staycation day

If you’re feeling lazy after eating all that turkey, plan a day to stay home with your family. You can play some good old fashioned games, watch movies, or even have a dance party in your living room. All of these things are free and sure to create memories that will last longer than whatever material possession that can be found in stores.

5) Head out to a tree farm

If you’re feeling in the holiday spirit, take your family to a tree farm to pick out your tree for the holidays. Yes of course this will cost money, but it will be a fun way to get outside, spend time with your family and create memories along the way. Then you can head home to trim the tree while playing some holiday music!

6) Volunteer

Before I had kids I would deliver hot chocolates and care packages (Costco is a great place to buy things in bulk for something like this!) to the homeless. I’d literally pack up my car and offer the hot beverage and Ziploc bag of toiletries and warm socks/mittens to those on the street corners or waiting in line outside the homeless shelter. It was by far the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done, ever. There are lots of opportunities to use the money you would have spent shopping brightening someone else’s day or serving those who are in actual need.

Alright, so these are just a few things you can do instead of Black Friday shopping. There are obviously tons of other alternatives to consider but the point is to do SOMETHING other than go Black Friday shopping. Most of us really do not need to buy anything, and oftentimes what starts as innocent scrolling online or browsing in stores turns into full blown budget blowup.

I’d love to hear - what do you do on Black Friday other than go shopping? Let us know in the comments below!

And until next time…

Cheers to your abundance!

Katie

Can you believe it? Thanksgiving is already three days away. If you're like me, the holiday season snuck up on you. Here in Minnesota, we've had exceptionally warm weather (up until last Friday!), so it didn't quite feel like November. But alas, here we are. Days away from the kick-off of the holiday season. And the stress/spending/overconsumption that comes along with it.

I started this blog as a way to document and share my ideas for living a simpler life. As I've been thinking about impending holiday season, I've started to reconsider what I deem 'necessary' during this time. I came up with these 5 ways to simplify the holidays. If you're looking to simplify your holidays, but can't/don't want to implement them all, start with one. You may find your spirits a little more jolly because of it.

1) Forget the Holiday cards.

This one is tough for me. Last year we sent out holiday cards for the first time (holiday + wedding thank you's!) and this year I was kind of looking forward to creating a card with a picture of our new puppy on it. I photographed him playing (or more like eating) a red santa hat, and even formatted the card online. But you know what I was thinking while creating it? That it didn't look as good as the professional photography cards that we will receive from a lot of our family and friends. And then you know what I thought? That. is. ridiculous. I haven't even sent/received any cards yet and I'm already comparing our non-existent card to others' non-existent cards. So, at that moment I decided to let the card idea go. Those who want to see a picture of our doggie can take a look on my Facebook or Instagram page (most everyone I would have sent to I'm connected with on those platforms) and the family who can't see him online will meet the little guy at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Also, I just saved us easily $100 by not sending cards. (That being said, I still love and welcome when other people send us cards, and proudly display all of our good looking family/friends when they do send!). Maybe in the future when we have children I'll want to send something, but for now, I'm saying no to holiday cards.

2) Go easy on the alcohol.

Now this is coming from someone who is currently pregnant (surprise!) so take it with a grain of salt. However, not being able to drink has made me realize how unnecessary a lot of my drinking was (especially during the holidays!). Now, I'm not saying you have to give up alcohol completely (what's the fun in that?!) but try putting some limits as to how much/when you drink this season (such as only having one drink at a party/out to dinner or choosing one or two parties that you will overindulge in, but that's it.) It's too easy to go on a eating/drinking/spending binge during the holiday season, so putting some restrictions around the boozing will likely leave your wallet and waistline smiling.

3) Give up the gifts.

*Gasp*. I can hear you all the way from here. This was easy for me, as my immediate family and I had given up gifts a long time ago (and even before that we bought/received pretty practical gifts - socks and shampoo anyone?). Don't get me wrong, I love receiving the unexpected gift (that I actually like!), but a lot of times the gifts I receive I don't need/use, and I'm thinking the gifts I give may be looked at the same. So what about gift cards or just asking what someone wants? Here's a novel idea. Just save your money to buy what you really want (or actually need!) and have that person do the same. Hang out with them, laugh with them, and let them know how much you value your time together. That is the greatest gift of all.

And if you're dying to give gifts or can't convince your family/friends to let it go, make a rule that gifts have to be handmade or locally made only, or do a fun white elephant exchange game instead (who doesn't like cleaning out their junk to give to the next person!?).

4) Limit the decorations.

Everywhere you turn these days, there are stands and shelves stocked with this year's decorations just waiting to be brought home. I'm guessing you have plenty of decorations from last year, but the pull of new, shiny decorations is hard to resist. My advice? Challenge yourself to not buy a single holiday decoration this year. Not one. You can make it through, I'm certain. We don't decorate much for the holidays except a little themed decoration above the cabinets in our kitchen, and a wreath on the front door. I'm not saying to not decorate if you love spicing up your home, but see if you can make do with what you have (or better yet, donate some of the decorations you don't like/use any more!).

5) Do one less thing.

Take a look at your calendar. Is there a party or get together you can say no to? I just looked at mine. Between now and the New Year, we've got three Thanksgiving celebrations, three Christmas celebrations, three birthday parties, one concert, one ugly sweater party, and a wedding. That doesn't include our respective work parties, or other random get-togethers we have planned. Today I had to decline an invite for a Friendsgiving I was looking forward to, but it fell on the same day as two birthday parties (and a play I'm attending earlier that day with a friend!). It may hurt to say no, but rushing from one party to the next on the brink of exhaustion doesn't make for a happy holiday season either. See if there is one thing you can cut out this holiday season and fully enjoy the things you do participate in.

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.”

— everyone during the Great Depression, including my grandma who recited it often

Let's not lose sight of what's really important this holiday season. It's not the parties, the gifts, the drinks, or the food. It is about spending time with the people we love, practicing gratitude for what we already have, and giving a little extra to those who need it.