51 Frugal Goals for a Birthday Weekend

It's the birthday weekend, and I'm celebrating the 51st candle on my slice of lifetime cake.

With a gin and tonic and a lime-scented spirit of frugality, I am making these 51 wishes (goals) for the next 12-month period.

1. To save an extra $5,000 in my retirement account.




2. To spend less money on junk food.




3. To write 51 letters (snail mail) -- roughly one letter per week.




4. To write or revise 51 poems.




5. Read 51 books on finance or business development.




6. Read 51 books on spirituality and personal development.




7. To fine tune my strategy for the next 51 years.




8. To have 51 sugar-free days a year. (One day each week without sweets.)




9. Cook or bake 51 new recipes.




10. To giveaway 51 bits of clothing, books or merchandise that I don't need.




11. To compete 51 acts of random kindness.




12. To make 51 new friends on Twitter.




13. To finally open a Facebook account.




14. To have a 51 clutter-busting days: one per week.




15. Create and update photo books and scrapbooks for my kids.




16. Commit to 51 special one-on-one moments with each of my three kids: Special notes or activities.




17. To do 51 extra sit-ups each week.




18. 51 minutes of meditation each week.




19. To let others speak 51 words for every word I speak.




20. 51 manicures...fresh polish each week with either DIY or periodic salon splurge.




21. 51 facials and deep conditions.




22. 51 pedicures.




23. 51 new pairs of shoes ---just joking! How about: 51 sunrise yoga sessions.




24. Regular conversations with family members.




25. Create 51 new play lists featuring Anita Baker, Steely Dan and my other favorite artists.




26. To take 51 new photos of my family and dog.




27. To get all of my annual checkups.




28. Encourage family and friends to get all of their checkups.




29. To make amends to everyone I have offended.




30. To get up 51 minutes earlier.




31. To go to sleep 51 minutes earlier.




32. To learn 51 new words in English, Spanish, French and Hebrew.




33. To exercise 51 minutes per day.




34. To say "thank you," "bless you" and "love you" 51 times daily.




35. 51 acts of charity.




36. 51 minutes of laughing each day.




37. 51 minutes of forgiveness each week.




38. To let go of old grievances.




39. To forgive myself.




40. To forgive others.




41. To floss daily.




42. To drink at least 51 cups of water a week.




43. To increase my emergency fund by 51 percent.




44. Improve deadline performance by 51 percent.




45. To increase my income by 51 percent.




46. To write 51 percent more each day.




47. To pray more and to complain less.




48. To look at the moon through a telescope.




49. To climb 51 stairs a day.




50. To think of 51 reasons to be at peace with myself.




51. To think of 51 reasons to be grateful for friends, family and loved ones.

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Sharon is the author of the Frugal Duchess: How to Live Well and Save Money -- a coming of age memoir about money -- and a contributing writer in Wise Bread's 10,0001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget.

Kiplinger's List of Great Summer Reads: Pages & Pages of Money

"Kiplinger’s editors have compiled a list of their favorite books — imparting financial wisdom as well as entertaining tales — in 14 Great Summer Reads. Whether you’re looking for plot, thought, or want to be taught, it’s all here. Titles include:

· Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis (Dover, $3.50)
Yes, it's a novel from the 1920s, and no, it's not about picking stocks or mutual funds. But it's one of the original business novels in American letters and still one of the best.

· Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis (Penguin, $16.00)
The author's first big hit, this 1989 book chronicles Lewis's time working as a bond salesman for Salomon Brothers. If Solly hadn't been acquired by Travelers Group (later to become Citigroup) in 1991 and had survived to reach this century, there's a good chance it would have met the same fate as Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers.

· Enough by John C. Bogle (Wiley, John & Sons, $24.95)
There's nothing new about Bogle's financial advice. Vanguard's founder still touts simple, low-cost investments such as the index funds he created. But his observations hit home at a time when investors are trying to squeeze every penny out of their investments.

·Nudge by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein (Penguin, $16)
Cleverly written and refreshingly readable, Nudge is an insider's guide to how our own psychological quirks and predispositions affect our decisions about health, wealth, and happiness


· Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties by Beth Kobliner (Simon & Schuster, $16) In this book, you'll find a collection of life's basic lessons on buying insurance, paying off debt, purchasing a home, saving money on taxes, managing your daily finances and investing for the long term. "

Cheap Icing Tricks & Other Baking Tips From a Pro Baker

Baking can be both frugal and entertaining, an activity for kids as well as adults, says Sharmila Melwani, owner of Cookies by Shar, a wholesale bakery in Davie. Here's how she stretches the dollar while baking.

• Bulk up and store: Melwani buys all-purpose flour in 10-pound quantities and freezes it in sealed plastic bags. Those steps preserve the flour and save work later. ''It makes the dough firm enough to cut cookies out right away as opposed to refrigerating the dough before you cut them out,'' Melwani says.

• Mix in cream: Adding a tablespoon of sour cream or cream cheese to a recipe extends the shelf life of the dough and cookies by making them less vulnerable to humidity, she said.

• Use paper: ''I use parchment paper a lot. You can actually reuse parchment paper a few times to bake cookies before you throw it out,'' she says. Parchment is also useful for storing dough. Roll cookie dough between two pieces of paper. ''You can store it like this in an airtight bag or container,'' Melwani said.

• Consider craft shop tools: ''Inexpensive craft sticks make a great tool for spreading a thin glaze or icing,'' she said. ''You get enough control to create the effect you want and at the same time, have a disposable and inexpensive tool.'' Melwani also buys inexpensive cookie cutters at arts and crafts shops and cookware stores for under a dollar.

• Cheap icing trick: Place icing in a small plastic sandwich bag. Zip closed or fasten the top with a rubber band and cut a small hole into the bottom. By gently squeezing the bag, you can create piping, letters, numbers and designs on a cookie. For added effect, sprinkle on decorative sugar in different colors.

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Sharon is the author of the Frugal Duchess: How to Live Well and Save Money -- a coming of age memoir about money -- and a contributing writer in Wise Bread's 10,0001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget.

How I Use Calendars & Notebooks to Reach Savings Goals

Yesterday, I mentioned that a new 18-month calendar is helping me to save money. One reader asked how. Here's the agenda:

The Composition Notebook

In late April, I attended a very private goal-setting conference. I was alone with a pen and a clean notebook. I spent large blocks of time thinking about where I wanted to be in April 2014.

The five-year financial plan included:

• fully funded college savings plans for my kids.


• a retirement savings target.


• an emergency fund with 3-6 months of savings.


• a debt-free goal.

The Countdown

For each category, I created a plan that included:

a goal for May of 2014.

an annual goal, with a May 2010 deadline.

monthly objectives running from May 2009 through May 2010

weekly goals with regular reminders.

The 18-Month Calendar

Every month and every week, I review the notebook and study the goals. Like a teacher at a student conference, I give myself progress reports in each category. Goals and savings targets are transferred to the calendar, with reminders. Here's an example: "Transfer $100 into savings." I make revisions if the goals are too easy or too difficult.

In June, for example, the goal was to run a half-mile twice a week at a 10-minute mile pace. By mid-month, I had exceeded those goals in terms of time and distance.

Work in Progress

The system is still pretty new for me, but I'm confident that it will work. Organization is my biggest challenge, and the notebook/calendar system keeps me on track. I have calendars for every major area of my life: kids, college planning for my oldest child, creative goals, fitness goals, etc. I need a system because I'm either super-organized or completely discombobulated.

Every day I review my calendars. I wish that I weren't so time-bound, but that's just how I'm hard-wired.

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Sharon is the author of the Frugal Duchess: How to Live Well and Save Money -- a coming of age memoir about money -- and a contributing writer in Wise Bread's 10,0001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget.

My Summer Fitness Plan: Lifting Weights & Pumping Fiscal Goals

Summer is a great time for physical fitness, and I am lifting weights twice a week. But beyond the beach-ready body, we should also think about boosting our fiscal fitness.

To beef up my finances, I purchased a July 2009 - December 2010 calendar last week. The calendar -- 20 percent off -- is designated for tracking my financial goals, which include saving money for my kids college education, retirement and the all-important emergency fund. The new calendar, even has a built-in pocket for receipts and other papers.

Goal-setting is just one of several fiscal fitness tips recommended by the folks at Women & Co. Here is one fitness plan:

"Assess Your Health: Gather all important financial statements and review what you own, your assets, and what you owe, your liabilities. Look carefully at how you’re putting your hard-earned cash to work – what you’re earning, spending and saving. Then set aside some time every few months to file important papers and keep them organized.

Know Your Numbers: Your credit score is a key indicator of your financial health. It’s a primary criteria used by lenders to determine your likelihood of defaulting on a loan and that may impact your ability to get many types of loans, including a mortgage. Request your free annual credit report from each of the 3 major credit bureaus at www.annualcreditreport.com.


Set Your Goals: Once you know where you stand today, set goals. Short-term goals are those you’d like to accomplish within one year (e.g., pay off credit cards); mid-term goals, within 5 years (e.g., make down payment on a new home); and long-term goals, 5 years or more (e.g., save for retirement). Write these down, using the worksheet from Women & Co. to help you clarify and prioritize your financial goals.


Protect Yourself: Maintain appropriate insurance coverage; keep your beneficiary forms for your 401(k), IRA and insurance up-to-date; and put your wishes in writing by executing a will, living will, power of attorney and health care proxy.



Conduct Annual Check-ups: Review your finances at least once a year with your financial advisor. Keep in mind that life transitions such as having a child, getting married or divorced, or moving to another state, often bring with them financial, tax and legal implications."
--quoted material from Source: Women & Co.

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Sharon is the author of the Frugal Duchess: How to Live Well and Save Money -- a coming of age memoir about money -- and a contributing writer in Wise Bread's 10,0001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget.

Finding Money & Spotting Financial Errors in the Mail

It's possible to make or save money by just opening the mail. Bills, pay stub statements and even junk mail can be a source of savings. Within the last two weeks, a careful review of bills and statements has led to a savings of more than $200 in my home.

• Phone and utility bills: My husband Avi recently spotted two mistakes totaling $110 on our monthly phone bill. We were billed $80 for a home repair of our wireless network. The repair did not happen. We challenged both charges and were given credit for the errors.

• Magazine renewal fees: Through a special promotion, we had ordered several magazines for $2 per annual subscription. Last week, we received a postcard with details about an automatic subscription renewal. After reading the fine print, we discovered that the renewal rates were substantially higher than the initial promotions. We were billed $120 to renew four magazines. We canceled the subscriptions.

• Phantom monthly charges: After examining her Internet and cable television bills, my mother discovered recurring charges for features she had not ordered. She protested and had the charges removed.

• Pay stub mistakes: Review pay stubs. You may be responsible for tax or income errors. If you've been overpaid, your company could request immediate repayment. A friend once faced a substantial tax penalty for a recurring tax error that was ultimately her responsibility.

• Promotions: From free facials to complimentary cups of coffee, we have found useful discounts by reading promotional mail, including e-mail. Coupons for food, entertainment, merchandise and services have yielded valuable savings and services.

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Sharon is the author of the Frugal Duchess: How to Live Well and Save Money -- a coming of age memoir about money -- and a contributing writer in Wise Bread's 10,0001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget.

Michael Jackson: RIP & Currency for Peace

Monetary hits have limits and a language of loss. But there are few words to express bankruptcies and losses of the heart. Therefore, cliches become the currency of pain and, we just say:"Rest in Peace" Michael Jackson.

May your wealth, poverty, moon-walking leaps, talent and fame in this world pay real dividends of peace in the World to Come. Shalom!