Live Debt Free

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Thoughts On Spending and Saving Money

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Just a couple interesting things I’m investing in or saving money on lately.

Investing in the right shoes

I have weak ankles from years of playing full-court basketball.

Rather than isolate and weaken them further by wearing ankle braces, I’ve been looking for ways to strengthen them.

Enter barefoot trail running.

I hate blowing money on anything, but since I’m a proponent of investing in yourself (health, skills, etc.) I have no problem investing in a great pair of utility shoes that get me back to more natural movement while building ankle strength. That’s why I’m going out to buy these shoes as soon as I publish this article (did the research and love what I see).

I’m excited to see how these handle all the hiking and trail running I’ve been doing lately.

I’ll keep you posted.

MovNat.com – explore your true nature

MovNat.com is a website dedicated to something I have known to be right all along: natural exercise in lieu of gyms and a bunch of expensive equipment.

Much of it is done simply in shorts and bare feet (I’ll be doing it in my new shoes).

The MovNat website describes it as “an effective fitness system based entirely on using the full range of our natural human movement abilities such as walking, running, balancing, jumping, crawling, climbing, swimming, lifting, carrying, throwing, catching, and self-defense.  MovNat is for everyone, it is progressive and safe, and supports physical competency and conditioning for any area of life.”

They teach 13 basic movements that exist within 3 basic movement categories.

Simple, basic, natural, and inexpensive. I love it.

Owning vehicles

A few days back I made the announcement that we’re going down to one vehicle.

Originally we were going to sell both the 2000 Jeep Cherokee and the 2002 Grand Prix to purchase a used Pontiac Vibe.

We changed our minds.

Now we’re just going to sell the Grand Prix, keep the Jeep, and rent cars for long trips.

Keeping the Jeep instead of buying the Vibe will save us around $4,000.

Renting a high MPG car for trips will save us tons of money on gas, and save us from having the expense of owning 2 vehicles. We’re going back to Michigan in early April and plan to rent a Ford Focus or similar vehicle with great gas mileage, then just turn it in when we return.

Owning just one vehicle will save us hundreds every month on insurance, repairs and maintenance, fuel, and plates/registration costs (taxes).

What changes are you making?

What things are you doing to change your life for the better?

What purchases investments are you making in yourself?

What are you doing to earn more and spend less?

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We’re Going Down to One Vehicle

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Back in 2008 I wrecked my Jeep and we were forced to become a one car family. My buddy “knew a guy” who could fix it for cheap – you know how those deals go. What was supposed to take “about a month” quickly deteriorated into 8 months, several yelling matches, and a big headache. Finally, I got my Jeep back in working order.

It was a trying time but it taught us a lot and showed us we could get by with only one car, even when we both worked full-time jobs.

Cost of owning a car

Even if they’re paid off, cars cost more than you think.

Using the [cost of owning a car] equation, the true cost to own and drive our paid off vehicles is around $720/month.

This means owning both cars, even though they’re paid off, costs us roughly $8,650/year.

How many cars are needed

We only need one car.

Nowadays we both work from home, have no children, and spend most of our time together. Since moving to North Carolina a month ago, there has not been a single instance where both vehicles were needed so it’s time to say goodbye to one of them.

How many do you really need? Not want, need.

We thought we needed both back when I crashed my Jeep, but turns out we only needed one; and that was when we both had full-time jobs outside the home.

Our plan for one vehicle

Right now we have a 2000 Jeep Cherokee and a 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix. The Jeep is our utility vehicle; we use it to haul things and drive back roads and bad weather. The Grand Prix is our every day car because it’s a bit more comfortable and gets better gas mileage.

We would like to sell both and purchase a better all-purpose vehicle; kind of like a Subaru but something less expensive with better gas mileage, like a Pontiac Vibe. We priced them out and have test driven a few. We made an offer on one tonight but the owners turned us down (we offered $1,000 less than their asking price).

The plan for now is to sell the Grand Prix, drive the Jeep as our every day vehicle, and continue looking for a Vibe (or something similar, like a used Volvo wagon). If we need to drive a long distance – like our upcoming trip to Michigan – we’ll rent a car with really good gas mileage (like a Ford Focus).

For us it’s way cheaper to own one car and rent a high MPG car for long trips.

God is in the details

It’s easy to think God has better things to do than help us with our car situation; but He does have time for it.

We have to remember that God is in the details! He wants us to come to Him with all our concerns, and buying/selling our cars is a big deal.

“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” Psalm 55:22

We have no way of knowing how long our current vehicles will last and cannot tell exactly which used cars are the best to buy. We can make educated guesses and get a CARFAX, which we do, but only God knows what is best for us… so we invite Him to help.

We want to encourage you to remember God in all your decisions – He cares so deeply for us and wants to be involved with all parts of our lives.

Save money and simplify

Less vehicle ownership means more money in your pocket. You may have to buy a bus pass or give a friend a few bucks for gas but chances are you will save quite a bit by downsizing to one vehicle.

Going down to one vehicle means less money spent toward car payments (if you finance), gas, repairs/maintenance, insurance, and plates/registration.

For us it will save an extra $360 every month. Use this equation to see how much it will save you. Chances are you will save quite a bit even if you have to pay for alternate transportation and rental cars once in awhile.

Another benefit to fewer vehicles is less maintenance and headaches. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Save, save, save.

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Low Cost Ways To Stay Active and Fit

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“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it.”  – Plato

Fitness can be had free

Stop thinking you need a gym membership to get and stay fit, that’s a copout.

  • if you have a pair of shoes, go for a walk
  • if you have running shoes, go for a run.
  • hiking shoes/boots, go for a hike
  • a bicycle, go for a ride.
  • a jump rope, get off the couch and start using it.

More fitness ideas that can be had for free are push-ups, sit-ups (crunches), pull-ups, calisthenics, running stairs, working in the yard, playing with your kids, jumping, dancing, swimming, and even making love.

Be creative and have fun

One of my biggest pet peeves is the approach that you need to pay membership fees and run a treadmill to stay fit. Phooey. Be creative and have fun with your exercise . . . I promise you’ll be more likely to stick to it.

Go to the park with your kids and throw a frisbee or a boomerang. Take your dog out for a run or a walk. Call your local high school and ask them if they have open gym or open swimming. Contact your library and other local resources to see if there are hiking/walking/swimming/running/whatever groups that get together every week to get fit.

Catch up on the outdoor honey-do-list, get your kids to help, and make it fun. Have competitions with friends and family to see who can do more jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups (or whatever activity you’re doing). A crowd pleaser is the hula hoop; grab one and see who in the family can keep it going the longest.

Long story short . . . think outside the box, be creative, and have fun with your fitness. You’ll save money and be more likely to persist.

Invest in your fitness

While fitness can be had for free, there are a few low cost, all-purpose purchases that can take you to the next level; think of them as investments in your health and well-being.

Here are a few inexpensive, high function items to invest in:

  • a good pair of cross-training shoes – they’re an economical choice that allow you to buy a single pair of athletic shoes for a variety of uses.
  • A kettlebell – will tone the entire body by building both strength and stability at the same time. Kettlebell workouts engage multiple muscle groups at once and are a great option for getting a whole body workout in a short time.
  • A jump rope – will help you loose weight, tone muscle, and increase cardiovascular fitness . . . all for a really low price – I bet you can’t go for 5 minutes.
  • A medicine ball – whether you throw it, catch it, run with it, or do sit-ups with it a medicine ball is a great all-purpose fitness investment that works your core and entire body.
  • A heavy bag – is a great way to work your entire body while relieving stress and having fun.
  • A rebounder – a good rebounder is a great investment; they tone and shape your entire body from the inside out and are great for indoor fitness during cold winters. I bought Betsy one of these a few years back and she still loves it.

Investing in these, and/or similar all-purpose fitness items will help you get in good shape and stay there so you can save money on things like health care.

Remember, your fitness is an investment.

Fitness promotes healthy eating

When you sit on the couch all day watching TV you’ll crave pizza and chips – trust me, I’ve been there.

But . . . if you get outside and do something active everyday you will crave healthier foods. Fitness and activity help your cravings bend toward healthier options. Your body will desire foods that give it the proper type of energy to keep doing more of what you’re doing. If you treat your body properly it will yearn for healthier food.

I dare you to try this and prove me wrong.

Save on healthcare

I mentioned this earlier but it deserves more attention.

As you work fun fitness activities into your everyday life you will begin eating better, feeling better, and looking better because you will be healthier. When you’re healthier you go to the doctor less. When you go to the doctor less you take less prescription drugs. When you take less drugs you avoid their side effects and save money.

I encourage you to budget more money toward healthy groceries and fitness, and less toward the doctor.

In closing

Start treating your physical fitness with creativity by doing what you enjoy and having fun with it. Include loved ones and don’t be afraid to invest in a couple all-purpose tools that break your waistline but not your budget.

Never forget that when it comes to fitness the gym is optional but the good health of you and your family are not!

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