We’re kicking off a new blog series here at the Debtress called “The Best Frugal Day Ever.” The goal is to share and show how you can have without spending loads of cash.

Anyone can live it up when you’re spending money like Trump, but it takes a special kind of person to live large while spending meagerly.

We’ll put up our inaugural post soon, but I wanted to give you a rundown first because I’m hoping some of you will put in your two cents and participate.

The Best Frugal Day Ever isn’t really a Blog Carnival, but it will be a series of post by myself and many of you out there that highlighting the best day you ever had while spending little cash.

For example, this post is called the Best $1.15 Day Ever because I’m excited to get this series started, it’s almost Friday and I’m eating chocolate chip cookies I baked from some pre-made dough that was on sale for $1.15.

That’s a pretty good day, right? But I think we can top it. To contribute, email your best day ever to thedebtress@totalattorneys.com and I’ll post it here on my blog. Or, tell me about your day on your blog and send me a link.

Here are the criteria:

• Your day must be really, really awesome.
• Outline your frugal expenditures, and put the title in the post. Tell us how you scrimped and saved your way to fun.
• There is no limit on how much you can spend or how much fun you can have. Hey, if you get the whole family into a water park for $30, that’s a good deal!

There’s no deadline for submissions. We’ll keep this going as long as we keep getting good stories.

In my magical fairyland of adventure, there is a pill you can take that will transfer unwanted body girth to your wallet or purse – just swallow the dose and voila! You look like Christie Brinkley and no Mercedes is good enough for your garage.

But hallucinations aside, there are some ways that debt management and health management (I don’t like the term weight loss) are linked.

Good Advice for All Goals

Turns out, the age-old advice you’ve heard spouted from magazines and the health segments on news shows could just as well be about eliminating debt. Watch this:

• Focus on permanent changes. Crash diets don’t work, and neither do crash savings plans. Sure, you can stop buying toilet paper, but only for so long. So rather than trying to find quick fixes, focus on long-term goals (e.g. buying store brands at the grocery store).
• Take it slowly. Significant, lasting change doesn’t happen overnight (unless you live the aforementioned fairy land). Don’t expect it to. Take time to assess your debt (or health), then make the necessary changes over time (e.g. save small amounts of money rather than buying lottery tickets).
• Retrain your gimme gene. Learn to resist the urge to buy extra stuff. When you’re at the checkout counter, the merchandise looks tempting because it’s designed to. If you must, shop with a buddy who you can count on to ask if you really need something.
• Tell some people. Okay, I know debt can be embarrassing. But telling a few close friends that you’re trying to improve your finances can be inspiring – your motivation to maintain becomes a (more immediate) matter of saving face as well as a (vaguer) matter of saving your finances.
• Reward yourself. As with building health, your finance rewards shouldn’t be splurges that cancel your progress. But remember to celebrate the small steps along the road to progress with little treats.

Other Money-Health Links

And here are some steps you can take today to whittle your waist and fatten your savings account:

• Walk more. Drive less. Easy.
• Eat at home. Restaurant portions are big and expensive.
• Quit the gym. Do you ever even go? Besides, now that you’re walking all the time, who needs it?
• Buy whole foods. Pre-cut veggies and fruits may look yummy, but they’re much more expensive than the real thing. You’ll get more good food for your dollars.
• Turn down the heat. Dance for a while to warm up. Think you’ll look silly? I just confessed to believing in fairies!

Remember: Debt management is not easy, but it is doable if you’re committed, determined and willing to make some sacrifices!

Budgeting can be tough at the best of times, and during the holidays I often feel like I’m in some sort of financial obstacle course—every time I turn a corner, there’s another (usually pretty good) reason to drop some cash.

So, to help us all, I’ve compiled some successful techniques I’ve seen for maintaining the holiday spirit and your bank account.

Choosing Names

If you get together with a lot of family members for holidays, finding the time and money to get gifts for everyone can be a major source of stress – and, ultimately, unwanted “stuff” for everyone. Consider one of these options:

• Draw names “Secret Santa” style: Have every family member pick one person to give to. You can even set a price limit. That way, individual gifts are more meaningful.
• Make it a game: Have every family member bring a gift of a set price limit. Then draw numbers and let each number picked a wrapped present. Encourage exchanges or make up your own rules. That way, you’re focusing on the family interactions rather than the things.

Group Gifts & Donations

If your family or group of friends has a charity or cause that’s close to your hearts (e.g. the research organization for a particular disease or a child’s school), consider donating money as a group.

Like everyone else, charities are hurting this year, and if you’ve considered cutting back on your usual donations, you’re not alone. But if you can get a group together to give to a good cause, you’ll have a sense of satisfaction (and no new junk to lug home).

Experience Gifts

If you’d like to do something special for your loved ones but can’t think of any stuff they’d like, consider offering them a chance to have rewarding experiences. For example:

• Knowledge: Classes in cooking, a foreign language, ceramics or anything else that a loved one has expressed interest in could say more than a(nother) new tie.
• Time: We all know busy people. Consider offering to help ease someone’s load by giving a coupon for babysitting, a spa day, a “sisters night,” or even a few batches of laundry. Gifts like this are often great for kids to give, too, because they can be free!
• Memories: Putting together a scrapbook of a specific time (like a vacation) or of someone’s life can be a fun experience for everyone. And older recipients, especially, may appreciate a chance to have their favorite photos arranged in an easy-to-show-off format.

Remember: Focus on Them!

No matter how you celebrate the holidays, remember to focus on what will make your loved ones happy – not what you think should make them happy!

A fascinating article from Details magazine profiles Daniel Suelo, a Utah man who lives without money – literally.

He resides in a cave, bathes in a lake without soap, picks food from the mountainside and gleans the nearby town’s leftovers from garbage and recycling bins. While this lifestyle takes frugality to an extreme even I find excessive, his habits offer some important reminders about how much we waste – and could be saving.

• Heating & Cooling: Living outdoors is only pleasant a small fraction of the year – most of the time, the temperature will be either too hot or too cold for most of us. But Suelo serves as a reminder that we won’t die if we lower the heat or shut off the AC for a while (even in the desert).
  • Save Money: Layer blankets and clothes in the winter; sip icy drinks when it’s hot. Being a little tougher can save you serious money in electric and gas bills.
• Tossing Food: Be realistic with yourself. Don’t buy more than you can eat and learn to love leftovers (and Tupperware). While it may feel good to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies (look how healthy I am!), remember that these foods spoil fast, which can translate to wasted dollars.
  • Save Money: Learn recipes to salvage produce that’s near spoiling (banana bread, soups, stir-fry dishes, etc.) and, when buying, get stuff that still has a little shelf life left.
• Working too Much: In the article, Suelo mentions that, when working in healthcare, he felt guilty for getting paid when all he wanted to do was help people. This may sound a bit radical, but he makes a significant point: if your job is rewarding, you’ll want less money to do it.
  • Save Money: This is a tough idea to act on, but at least think about it: would you still do your job if you didn’t get paid? Few of us can answer “yes” to that, but remember that if you can, you likely won’t feel compelled to buy much “stuff.”

Easy Concepts, Tough Decisions

Suelo’s lifestyle is – as he admits – hard. It made my own life seem much easier in perspective – after all, I have a mouse-free bed to sleep in every night and I know I’ll have breakfast every morning.

And, while I don’t plan on renouncing cash or credit any time soon, I do appreciate his reminder that committing to frugal (or at least financially responsible) living has many rewards.

If you’re like me, you usually don’t officially start holiday shopping until… well, until after you should, let’s say. I’ve been making a list in my head for about two months now, but I’m only just starting the legwork of figuring out my holiday budget. Here’s how I manage to keep the last few months of the year as stress-free as possible.

Make a List; Check It Three Times

Begin your holiday shopping by listing all your expenses. The list should include:

• Gifts: People’s names and the amount of money you can realistically spend on them.
• Travel: Visiting friends, family and outlet malls all cost money. So does parking at some shopping destinations.
• Food & drink: You’ll probably be expected to attend a few holiday parties, so determine how much you can afford in this category so you know when to say no.
• Postage: If you send holiday cards or plan to ship gifts to faraway loved ones, remember to factor in the cost of stamps.
• Decorations and wrapping: My grandmother notoriously recycled wrapping paper, which I thought was incredibly strange until the first time I had to buy something that would only be thrown away.
• Charitable donations: This is the time of year that you’ll be asked to fork over cash to good causes, so it may be smart to decide early who gets your money and how much they’ll receive.

And remember that the holiday season generally includes a few unforeseen expenses, like a group gift for your boss or replacement Christmas lights. The important thing to remember is to set a limit and stick to it. This may mean you have to skip a few events, but you’ll thank yourself when you get your credit card bills in January.

Plan to Save (And Haggle!)

Once you know your budget, look for places you can trim costs.

• Bake & shop sales: Many grocery stores have sales on holiday-type baking items around this time of year. If you’re kitchen-savvy, fudge, cookies and cupcakes can make great (and economical) gifts.
• Plan ahead: This can save you mega money on postal costs, especially if you plan to shop online or ship gifts. Don’t pay for overnight rates when you don’t have to!
• Recycle: My parents often wrapped gifts for us in color comics. We loved it, and so will any environmentalist on your list.
• Negotiate: Now is a great time to try to get independent retailers to lower prices. Shop when the store’s not too busy and ask for a discount for buying multiple items, paying in cash, buying slightly damaged goods, or based on a competitor’s coupon.
• Research: Before you head out the door (or to the online checkout), make sure you’ve done some digging to find out what prices you can expect to pay.

Additional Resources

Tips for Negotiation (adorable PDF)
Center for the New American Dream’s “Simplify the Holidays”

Will I really save money in the winter?

The calendar says mid-October, but it feels more like the middle of winter. Here in Chicago it’s cold, windy and rainy. I’d love to do nothing more tonight than go home, grab a blanket and cruise Netflix.

My budget thinks this is a great idea. And the thought of saving money because I’ll be staying in more is almost enough to warm me up.

But then I realize that, like previous years, my spending won’t so much decline this winter as it will shift. I’ll save in some areas and splurge in others – well, OK, heat isn’t necessarily a splurge.

I took a closer look at some of my personal seasonal spending habits and saw a few clear trends:

Summer

• I spend more on entertainment in the summer. Hey, summer up here is short and you’ve got to take advantage: Baseball, block parties, music festivals, patios.
• I spend less on transportation. The nice weather makes it easy to walk or bike. Even entertainment can be cheap, as a day in the park doesn’t cost anything.
• Energy bills are low. A fan and an open window is usually enough to keep me cool.

Winter

• I spend less on entertainment. As I said above, on many winter nights I’m perfectly content to stay warm with a movie, book or board game.
• I spend more on transportation. When it’s 0 degrees, a Cab ride is heaven.
• I spend way more on heat. Naturally, I’m pretty conscious when it comes to turning up the gas. I wear sweaters inside and use blankets and even an old fashioned hot water bottle. But you can still burn through a lot of gas just getting your house above 70 degrees. Also, since I’m home more, I’m using more lights, keeping the TV and computer on longer and even cooking more – and all of this means higher energy bills.

By changing a few of my habits I’m able to adjust for annual increases in basic costs. But just because I get by doesn’t mean I’m saving as much as I could.

So as the weather decides to skip fall and head straight into winter, now is a good time to reevaluate my seasonal spending habits.

Old habits die hard, and they can also lead us into debt. But by taking advantage of the changing weather and our natural changes in behavior we might have more success in dropping bad habits and starting new ones.

For example, some of my fixed costs aren’t up for discussion at any time of year. I want a good Internet connection at home. However, because it’s just now getting cold, I’ve yet to take my first cold weather cab of the year. I could make a resolution to wear another layer, stand closer to the heat lamps and stay away from extra cab rides.

Most of my cab rides are around $8-10. If I cut out just 5 rides a year that could be $50 in my pocket. A small sacrifice could result in a big gain.

What are some of your seasonal spending habits? As the trees are dropping leaves, maybe now is a good time to drop some of your worst spending habits.

Why No-Spend Days Work (for me)

A while back, while reading some of my favorite personal finance blogs, I came across the idea of having a “no-spend” day, the goal of which is to make it a full 24 hours without spending a cent.

At first, I was reluctant about the idea. What about bus fare, bills, or rent? Doesn’t simply heating my apartment count as “spending,” even if I pay the price later in the month? If I’m contributing to my 401(k), doesn’t that mean I’m “spending” some of my day’s earnings on my retirement?

The answer to those questions, obviously, is no. These types of “passive” spending are a matter of life. The key to a no-spend day is to cut “active” spending—to not open your wallet for anything that you may feel you need that day.

Many skeptics say that no-spend days simply put off spending for a day, and any items  that you would have spent on will simply be purchased the next day. However, I’ve found it to be just the opposite.

Like Fasting, For Your Wallet

Think of it like fasting for a day: After skipping breakfast, lunch and dinner, you’ll probably be very hungry the next day. And you’ll likely eat more the next day that you would on a normal day.

But will you eat six full meals the next day? Probably not.

And even if you do, that’s fine, too. After the second, third, or fourth time, though, you’ll learn have the discipline to fast.

And so it is with a no spend day. Maybe you’ll put off buying a few groceries, or mailing a package—and you’ll simply spend that money the next day. But if you stay home reading a book instead of going out with friends, that’s money in your wallet!

No-Spend Day Tips

So how can you have a no-spend day? Here are a few tips I’ve collected:

• Drink office coffee: Sure, you may miss out on your morning ritual, but skip the expensive chain on the corner and get your coffee in the break room.
• Sack your lunch: Bringing a lunch from home is a great way to cut spending—and calories. Cook some pasta the night before, or put together a simple sandwich and carrots. Just be sure to make enough so you aren’t tempted to hit the vending machine.
• Change your commute: Trying biking or carpooling to avoid having to pay for gas, bus fare, or highway tolls on the way to work.
• Grab a free weekly newspaper: If you’re used to reading the daily news during the day—and paying for the paper—try the local “alternative” paper for a different perspective on the news. Most are free, and some even publish daily.
• Have a dinner party: This may take some planning (and some pre-purchasing), but having a night in will help keep you from spending on dining out at night. Invite friends over for a pot-luck to help lower the cost for everyone.

How about you? Have you tried no-spend days? Did they work? What was the hardest part about making it a full day without spending?

In scouring the Internet for new tricks for saving and making money, I came across the website Expotv.com. It’s got some pretty neat features for those of us interested in making money and/or making sure we spend it in smart ways. Here’s the deal.

How It Works

• You start an account. When you sign up with Expotv.com, you fill out a profile with information about yourself. This always creeps me out a bit online, but this site doesn’t ask for anything too personal.
• The company sends you email invitations. The invitations offer you an opportunity to try a new product or complete surveys or other activities on the site. You get invites based on the information in your profile.
• You respond to the invitation. If you respond in time, you could qualify to receive a free sample of the product in question. The product is yours to keep.
• You review the product. The catch here is that, by accepting the product, you agree to create and post a video review of it.
• You access online video reviews. The site currently has thousands of user-generated video reviews – and not all of them are positive. They’re generally honest, no-frills assessments of what real consumers think of real products.
• You earn points. If you receive an invitation to complete a survey or another activity, you can do so to earn points. As you accumulate these, you can redeem them to buy gift certificates and other products.

The site works because it allows real people to give their real opinions about real stuff. And you can benefit in two specific ways:

1. Learn from other people’s experiences. Thinking about buying a new product? Not sure if you want to drop the money? This may be a good place to start your search. The site has reviews for everything from laundry detergent to electronics, so you can glean a lot from the information they provide.
2. Get free stuff for spending some time reviewing products. If you get a real thrill from free products and have enough time on your hands to create video reviews, you can make this site work for you financially.

If you’re interested in joining, be sure to read through their FAQ section. The questions and answers are direct and fairly short, and they give a good idea of how the site could work for you.

You’ve probably noticed that summer has ended, which means earlier sunsets, more colorful leaves and colder temperatures (and, if you live near me, grumpier neighbors).

And while it may be getting chilly, the really cold weather hasn’t started quite yet, which means it’s the right time to prepare your home and family for the frigid months ahead.

The Debtress’s Must-Do Pre-Winter Checklist

Before worrying about the little things (like whether your convertible mitten-gloves match your scarf), it’s important to take care of the big ones. Now is the time to check your home’s insulation, caulk cracks in outside walls, seal your windows and weather-strip your doors.

A visit to a hardware store or online search should help you determine what your house may need. And, while this will require you to invest some money upfront, you’ll almost certainly save more than that cost in heating bills.

Now for the less-familiar suggestions:

• Switch to flannel: Flannel sheets make bedtime in winter a much less traumatic experience, because they don’t feel cold when you first lie down. They’re durable, too.
• Have a nightcap: In the olden days, people wore hats to bed to keep warm. If you’re afraid of looking silly while you sleep, you could wear a hooded top or just long sleeves and pants.
• Brew some tea: Tea comes in a variety of tasty flavors, from the ho-hum to the extraordinary. And, since both caffeine-loaded and caffeine-free types are available, a pot of tea is a great way to heat up at any time of day. (Hint: trick your kids into loving tea by hosting “tea parties” and serving “crumpets.” I usually use animal crackers.)
• Eat warm: Don’t just drink your heat – eat it, too. Winter is a great time for oatmeal, soup, stew, crock pot recipes – anything with the word “simmer” in the recipe, really. After baking with the oven, prop it open while it cools, to let its heat disperse into the house.
• Put on a sweater. Yes, you hated this advice when you got it as a kid. But dressing in layers is one easy way to save on heating costs.
• Keep blankets handy. Draping a fleece throw on sofa-backs and easy chairs adds a touch of coziness and keeps loungers toasty.
• Get some slippers. You can keep your feet pleasantly warm without tracking winter slush and mud inside – just get a warm pair of slippers to keep by the door.
• Work the fireplace. If your home has a fireplace, use it to cut down on gas or electricity costs. But make sure you close the flue afterward and have heat-trapping components in the chimney (some sources suggest a “lamanced damper”).
• Get moving. If you have kids, turn on tunes and start a dance party. If you don’t, shake it to your favorite hits. It may feel silly at first, but when that warm blood starts pumping, you won’t regret it.

Any other tips for beating the chilly weather? Let me know!

Cutesy title aside, let’s face it: Halloween is one of those holidays that can unexpectedly drain your wallet. Between costumes for you and your kids, parties to attend or throw and mounds of candy to buy for hungry trick-or-treaters, you could be looking at far more money than you can afford to part with.

Here are some tricks for saving money for post-October treats without cutting out the fun.

Make Your Costumes

My mother (not an arts-and-craft person, by the way) refused to buy Halloween costumes for my sisters and me. Instead, she insisted we make them. True, there are some pictures of us in bizarre-looking getups, but we always had fun and saved plenty of money. Even the least crafty person can throw together a costume:

• Hit thrift stores. Clothing you’d never wear, spare fabric, accessories and props abound at second-hand stores.
• Reuse recyclables: One year, I used an old microwave box and some yellow paint to make an enormous wedge of cheese costume. It was silly, but I had fun doing it.
• Think outside the costume box: Remind your kids they don’t have to be a Disney character or someone from TV. Encourage them to be more imaginative – or abandon a specific thing altogether and just go for “wacky” or “scary.”

Decorate Inexpensively

Homemade decorations tend to be the most cost-effective.

• Pumpkins: These are cheap, fun to carve and quintessentially Halloween-y. If you like baking, you can even save the innards for a pie or roasted seeds.
• Construction paper: You and your kids can have fun cutting out bats, pumpkins and ghosts and hang them on walls, windows or from the ceiling with string.
• Old sheets: It may sound cheesy, but never underestimate the spook factor of draping furniture with a sheet. Just be careful you don’t drape lamps – they could catch on fire.

Activities that Won’t Break the Bank

If carving pumpkins and making costumes and decorations don’t quite give you your Halloween fix, consider these low-cost activities to add a thrill or two:

• Haunted houses: Costs here vary, but many are inexpensive or accept canned food donations.
• Visiting the sick or elderly: Call a local retirement center or hospital to see if they’d be interested in holiday visitors. Then make some cards with your kids and spend an afternoon handing them out and visiting with residents (in costume).
• A walk at night: Before the main event of trick-or-treating, you can take your kids on a moonlit walk to check out neighbor’s spooky decorations and get in the Halloween spirit – and it won’t cost a cent.

Any other ideas for saving money on Halloween festivities? Feel free to post in comments!