2016 Adieu / What’s to Come in 2017

Photo credit: t-miki via Foter.com / CC BY-ND

Dear Readers, I am grateful for your encouragement and input though out this inaugural year of Frugal, Wealthy and Wise.  Starting with the initial post in May, thirty-three articles have been published, not counting the 59 Proverbs of the Day. (Browse through postings using the ‘Categories’ and ‘Archives’ searches on the right.)

My hope is that Frugal, Wealthy and Wise makes a personal impact – that you have discovered new ways to cut costs and save money. Are becoming savvy consumers. Growing more mindful about your finances. And taking actions today that lead to a more promising financial future.

In no particular order, here are some topics planned for next year. And as always, I want to hear from you about your most pressing financial questions and quandaries, as well as ideas for upcoming articles.

  • Save money with informal co-ops – cooperative efforts among neighbors and friends can take many forms, including: babysitting, pet sitting, sharing tools, etc.
  • Do-it-yourself auto maintenance – while modern cars do not require much hands-on maintenance, there still remain a few tasks that you can do on your own and could save $50 – $100 a year in the process
  • Selecting and working with an auto mechanic
  • Why Roth IRAs are a such beautiful thing
  • The order for funding retirement accounts – 401K/403Bs, conventional IRA’s and Roth IRAs
  • Funding children’s college education
  • Seven Deadly Sins of Lawn Care – common lawn care practices that are actually harmful to your lawn, your pocketbook and the environment
  • Saving money on household water consumption
  • Save on utilities by selecting your suppliers (28 out of 22 states allow you to select electric and/or gas providers).
  • Uber experiences – the good. And not so good
  • Never, ever pay an ATM fee
  • To cash or not to cash; that is the question –pros and cons of paying with cash vs. credit/debit cards
  • Want to spend less? Shop less!
  • Beware: The Lifestyle Inflation

There’s one other up-coming article series – Trash Pick Finds. Once we wrap up the Proverb of the Day series, I’m planning a series on Trash Pick of the Day – please email me your best trash pick find, with a photo if possible. (Preview: our best trash pick find to date is a Weber gas grill!)

Have a Safe, Happy, Frugal, Wise and Prosperous New Year! I’ll be in touch …next year.

Yours, Paul

© 2016 Paul J Reimold

 

 

 

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Hello World! The Inaugural Post

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Welcome to Frugal, Wealthy and Wise!

Thanks for visiting. This inaugural post serves as an introduction as well as the story behind the blog.

During 30+ years together, my wife and I have experienced tight times as well as periods of prosperity. But we are reaping the rewards of frugal living. We have lived in the same modest house for 27 years. Since being married, we have only purchased one new car — the tale of that particular purchase will definitely be a topic for a future post.

For us, the rewards of frugal living have included: (1) attaining financial independence and freedom from financial worries (2) being able to give generously to charitable causes we believe in (3) seeing our children graduate from universities carrying zero student debt. In my mind, financial independence is the ultimate luxury.

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