Claiming Simplicity | Simple Life, Natural Living, Cooking from Scratch, Intentional Living, Save Money, Simple Systems

Simplify Your Life, Live With Less Stress and Enjoy Moments With Your Family and Friends Because You Never Get Your Time Back. Some of the Best Quality Time Nobody Talks About Because of Slow Living.

Hey Friend

We had another incredible 3 day weekend with grandkids and kids last weekend and even though the weekend ended up being very cold, we still had plenty of quality time spent together.   It just amazes me how fast all the kids grow and I am so glad they all have a good time playing together! I am so so grateful for all the time we are all able to spend together.

This got me thinking about winter here.  I don’t know where you live, but in MN, we have 4 very different seasons and there is something I love about each one of them!  I sometimes wish winter was shorter, but it wasn’t too bad here this year with the really freezing temps, so that was nice.  I enjoy the snow, but I like to be able to go out and enjoy snow shoeing, ice skating,  ice fishing and all the winter activities we can do, so the -50 below with windchill really doesn’t appeal to me!

Some of the things people in colder climates don’t talk about when they have more time indoors are cozy time by the fire watching movies, game nights with friends, being able to do more puzzles, quality time together baking and warming up the house, more time for reading, crafting and indoor hobbies as well as all the outdoor hobbies when it is nice that I talked about earlier.  None of these things take much money, but will give you a lifetime of memories.

Are you someone that looks at the positive things around you?  When you start living a simpler life with less, you really do find more joy.  You will end up really appreciating the little things in life, and notice how wonderful it is to be living a slower life with more time. What are you waiting for?  Are you tired of the crazy busy life that sucks the life out of you?  There is so much more for you friend!  I want you to know there is so much freedom when you let go of having to keep up with other people and when you let go of possessions, you will feel so much lighter and alot happier!  

I know people that are always scrambling to get the next best thing and then once they have that, they need more and more because they think that is going to make them feel better.  That may only make you feel better temporarily, but when you simplify, you have more time which you can never get back, you can focus on other people, and not just yourself, and you will be so satisfied!  

I challenge you to look at how you are feeling and what your focus is and see if there are things you can simplify or downsize so you can live your life happier with less stress.  

Website:

Claimingsimplicity.com

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

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xoxo,

Monica

 

Why Would You Even Want to Homestead When You Didn’t Grow Up With it? Do You Want to Learn How to Preserve Food, Become More Self-Sufficient, Save Money and Reduce Expenses?

Hey Friend!

Never grew up homesteading, but you want to start?  I grew up on a dairy farm, so that is where I get my work ethic, but I didn’t grow up with a garden, canning or making too many things from scratch!  It wasn’t until after I was married and had a few young kids in my early 20’s when I even had any interest! Much of it came out of necessity at that time.  I wanted to raise my own kids, so I had to find creative ways to save money and that is just what I did!  

 

When my 3 oldest kids were young, I started working for a company doing food taste testing parties and it grew into a full time income in just a few parties a week, so I that was my first experience with growing a business with less hours and it was perfect for me at the time because I was with the kids all day and then I would get my adult time in the evening with a bunch of women!  It was perfect!  Once they got a little older and got into sports, it was alot harder to do parties in the evenings, so I had to go a different route.  

 

Working from home became a passion of mine and I started making things to sell and they just sold word of mouth.  At that time, I didn’t have alot of technical ability……that was over 20 years ago….well, tech is still a struggle for me, but at least now there are so many more resources available online to figure things out, so that has been helpful.  Now you can reach so many more people online that are in your niche which is fantastic!

 

I started in my early 20’s making spaghetti sauce with the help of a neighbor I used to babysit for and I was hooked on canning!  My first few things I canned were green beans and spaghetti sauce and I didn’t grow the vegetables at first.  I would just try new recipes over the years to add to my knowledge.  There were a few years that I didn’t have a garden and I didn’t can and then my father in law borrowed my canner and lost the knob for the top, so I was just water bath canning and didn’t do any pressure cooked items for a while.  At that time, I didn’t consider myself a homesteader, but I was really really good at saving money!  I honestly hadn’t heard the homesteading word even used up until the last few years.  

 

For me, living this lifestyle was about the enjoyment of preserving food, but mostly it was about saving money and having less expenses so I could stay at home with my kids.  If I could stretch my dollar as far as I could, that would feel like success to me.  Not to mention how much better everything tasted when you cook from scratch and make simple homemade meals.  Even if you don’t consider yourself a homesteader you can still learn how to preserve food, grow a garden, and raise animals. (and if you want more info on what homesteading means, you can listen to podcast episode #70)

 

It wasn’t until 2020 that I decided that I wanted to live more self-sufficient and produce as much food as I could on our own so that I wouldn’t have to worry about not finding grocery items at the store and then I realized that so many people have no idea even where to start, so that is why I have been working on creating a course to teach you some very simple skills.

Remember that I keep everything very very simple.  Slow living is the best living.  It has been good for my body and my adrenal glands that get depleted very easy and it has been good for my family to not live the super fast paced life where they don’t even have time to enjoy the simple things in life.  We make time for so many more things now and homesteading has been really fun to teach friends and family so that they can live this lifestyle for years to come.  The bonus is that when the grocery prices started rising so fast, we needed very few items from the store since we had prepared and preserved whatever we could. 

 

I know that you may be thinking that learning to grow and preserve your own food and homesteading is complicated, but let me tell you friend, I don’t have time or patience for anything complicated, so if I can do this, so can you.  You can be a homesteader no matter where you live or what your background is.  Come and join my email list so you can be the first to see when I roll out these simple classes to get you started to saving money!!!!

Website:

Claimingsimplicity.com

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

 

As always, have a great week!

Monica

Do You Want to Learn How to Start a Garden and Buy Less Groceries? Simple Tips for Beginner Gardeners by Starting Seeds to Grow Your Own Food to Save Money and Reduce Food Expenses this year.

Welcome Friend

I get so many questions about growing seeds and I am not an expert at all, but I will give you the information I know!  Remember, if you don’t have time to grow your own seeds, you can buy them before you plant your garden from greenhouses that has done that part for you and that is what I did for many many years, but it is a little more expensive.  

I just planted seeds and I know I had so many questions when I first started doing a garden.  Depending on where you live, this may not even apply to you because you may have already planted yours, but if not-this info is for you and if you have, you can always use this info for next year!!!  I don’t start all of my seeds, but tomatoes, peppers, and a few others is what I like to get started before we can bring outside to plant because our season in so short in MN..  It probably wont be ready to plant outside until late may, early June here!

 

First I want to talk about the different seed types.  There are Heirloom seeds which means they have been around at least 50 years.  If you save the heirloom seeds - they are going to be the exact same vegetable you had originally planted.  Next is the hybrid and that just means that the plants have been cross pollinated to have qualities of 2 different plants that have created a better plant.  It is a natural process and they are safe to use, but if you save the seeds from a hybrid, you are not going to get the same plant-you might get qualities from one of the parent plants the following year. 

 

All the seeds are organic, so you don’t have to worry about if it says organic on the package and don’t want to pay more money for that.

 

Also, another myth is you have to look for GMO on package-you do not have to worry about that either.

 

This is only my second year starting seeds, so I am going to teach you what I have done! Look on the seed packet to see when you should plant-it will depend on your zone.  

 

I use seed starting cells and a tray underneath & dome.  It comes all together.

 

Never bring in outdoor soil to start seeds.  If you bring that inside, you will bring in fungus, disease and insects.  As soon as you bring it in, mold and disease will grow and kill your seedlings, so buy seed starting mix.

 

So once you are ready, you will put the dirt in the cells or cups with holes in the bottom, plant the seeds-you can use popsicle sticks to mark plants, and then you will put a small amount of water in the bottom tray (about ¼ full)so the water goes up into the plant-dump what is left of water after about 30 minutes. Once you see the plants are a lighter brown and dry water them, let them be dry for a day or so and then water from the bottom again.  After 10-14 days of plant growing, you will want to fertilize with any water soluble fertilizer (but only use about ¼ of what it calls for)  Do that about once a month (but be careful because you can do more harm if you use too much)  I didn’t even use fertilizer last year and we had a very abundant garden, so im thinking it was because of our chicken and turkey poop fertilizer we had outside.  It probably depends how long you have seeds indoors too.

Honestly, it is a trial every year.  Last year our peppers didn’t grow as well and many people in our area said they had the same problem, so each year ends up a little different, so it you are just starting out growing your own food, don’t give up!  Enjoy this replay and I will be back next week!

 

Website:

Claimingsimplicity.com

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

 

Happy Planting!

Monica

 

What is Financial Success as a Christian? Take a Look at an Eternal Point of View of Money

Hey Friend!

What is financial success to you?  So many people define financial success as retiring early, a million dollars in the bank, material Items and how much they accumulate, but I believe it should look different as a Christian.  I challenge you to look at this differently.  As Christians, we are eternal beings and I believe that our life should not be measured  by what we accumulate on earth, but by what we give.  

 

Instead of fancy vehicles and focusing on material items, choose to give more to those in need and give all the glory to God.  There are so many opportunities to give- missionaries, and so many many Christian based ministries. Your money is God’s money-keep your hands wide open for what He wants you to do with it.  Once you change away from the world’s view of materialism, you may think about giving in a different way.  When you value your priorities differently, you can change the world with God’s help.  He can do big things through you, so don’t ever doubt that once you change your life, you will see a difference. We are proof that once you change the focus from yourself to others, everything changes.  We have seen God’s hand in so many things more than ever these last 10 years.

 

Don’t ever place your worth in a dollar value.  Look at financial success as God does.  Eternity is forever, but our time on this earth is short.  Make sure you are making the best of it and giving wherever you can.  God sees you and it will not go unnoticed.  Sometimes this means giving of your time if you don’t have the funds because serving is also considered giving.

 

I just wanted to bring this up because I had this conversation with a friend recently and we both thought most people don’t think like this, so this is just something for you to ponder on this lovely day!

 

Website:

Claimingsimplicity.com

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

You Tube -> https://www.youtube.com/@claimingsimplicity/ 

 

God Bless!

Monica

Are You Taking Time to Rest Each Day? In Order to Know God’s Will, You May Want to Slow Down and Have Simple Quiet Time So You Can Hear From God!

Welcome to another episode

I can't even tell you how awesome it is not using social media!  I didn't realize how much it zapped my energy even using it so sparingly!

I realize when I get too busy that I have less time for God which is the most important thing in my life.  My life suffers when this happens and since I love to always be doing things and can get caught up in the hustle, I have to sit back, slow down and figure out what is going on and it almost always comes back to not having quiet time and listening to what God is trying to tell me.  It doesn’t take alot of effort to take even 10 minutes every day to just sit in the quietness of the Lord.  Praise Him for who He is and Thank God for what He is doing in your Life no matter how small it may seem and then just sit in His presence.  He wants time with you.  Start doing this daily- put an alarm on your phone during the day to take the time or get up 10 minutes earlier to take this time.  It is incredibly simple to do and SO SO important!

 

I was at a Women’s Christian Leadership Retreat last weekend and during the worship time, God really spoke to me and even though I heard this message over a year ago, I know now that I can’t wonder if it is my thought or if it is God and I need to be Obedient.  I will go into this story as things unfold and God reveals more to me, but as for now, I will take each step as it comes and I am more eager than ever to see what God has planned.  We are in a season of change which isn’t always easy, but following God is not easy in the world we live in today where evil is good and good is evil.  Keep doing good friend-you may be persecuted for it, but remember that eternity with Jesus forever is worth it!  Continue to let Biblical scripture lead you and don’t be led astray.  Be diligent in teaching your children and Grandchildren truth from the Word of God.

 

I just want to thank so many of you who have been reaching out-I truely appreciate you!!  I would love to reach more people across the world to learn about Jesus, so if you could take a few seconds to give a rating and review, I would really appreciate it because then this podcast can continue to reach even more people! If you are someone who wants to learn more about Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please reach out to me at monica@claimingsimplicity.com~I would love to hear from you!!!!

 

Make sure you take time to rest in the Lord’s presence each day friend!  He loves you!!!!

Go to the website and join our email group for some good nuggets!

Website:

Claimingsimplicity.com

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

 

xoxo,

Monica

Why Do You Want to Live a Simpler Life in 2023? Do You Want to Enjoy More of Your Passions or Is It Simply Because You Want to Enjoy Making More Memories with Your Loved Ones?

Hello

This last week with all of our grandkids here, it really reminded me of the reason I do what I do!  On Friday after having a fish fry the night before with my parents, kids, and all the grandkids,I had to think……what day is it? Our closest Grandkids are 30 minutes away with the others about 1.5 hours away, so because we don’t live really close, it doesn’t always happen that we have everyone here for most of the week or for dinner on the weekdays, but it sure was fun! I have always loved being able to be flexible, but when my husband and I worked full time, there was little flexibility and we wouldn’t be able to take all the kids and get to all their events during the week if we hadn’t chosen this different path. This week the kids had fun ice skating and our 6 year old was so excited she was able to skate and do twirls instead of shuffling behind a chair, they went snowmobiling, sledding, ziplining, helped with the goats and chickens, went to a homeschool valentine’s party, baked with us and it was another week of memories. We sure cherish all the time we get with our Grandkids and family.  You can’t ever take back these days and we have never regretted raising our own kids and I am so so forever grateful to be able to help out whenever we are needed with Grandkids too!

 

This got me thinking about you.  Do you have joy in your everyday life or are you rushing through every day just wishing for more peace and time to enjoy life? Are you wishing you could slow down and live a simpler life?  Do you want to be able to be at home and raise your own kids or be available for grandkids?  What is holding you back?  Is it finances?  Do you just have too much debt to ever think about living on one income?  If this is your reason, I want you to take a good look at your situation and where you can make some changes.  When you think about possessions, remember Proverbs 22:7 - The rich rule over the poor and the borrower is slave to the lender. With debt - you are a slave-what does that mean to you?  I realize each and every one of you are in a different situation, but if God has put this calling in your heart to live a simpler life, He will help you.  You do have to do the work, but don’t forget that anything is possible with God. 

 

Sometimes you have to make a different career choice-there has never been a better time to work from home or start a side hustle to replace your full time income.  With the internet, you can reach people with your gifts all around the world!  You have to think out of the box!  You may  feel stuck in your job because you spent alot of money and time in college doing what you do, but you don’t love it or it is stressful.  I want you to remember, you have choices! 

 

 You may be doing what you do because you feel the need to keep up with friends but you are exhausted and you are not loving what you do.  Start looking inside yourself and take the time to think about what really matters to you.  Is it making memories or is it having the top of the line material items.  You can’t take any of that to heaven with you, so why are you burning the candle at both ends just trying to keep up?  You can only do that so long!

I would love for you to email me at monica@claimingsimplicity.com and tell me where you are struggling and what I can help you with - I also have a few 15 minute discovery calls left this month to help you get started on your simple living path because it is so rewarding and I don’t think it is something you will ever regret.  Whether you want to start saving money, learn about raising your own food or just learn how to make simple food from scratch or your own non toxic household products, I can help you.  Shoot me a message-I would be happy to help you if I can!

 

There really is nothing so special as being able to make memories.  If I die tomorrow, I sure hope that my Grandkids learn enough from me to grow deep in their faith as they grow up because I believe that in the times we are living now, that they need to be equipped and strong in their faith with all that is thrown at them. Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.  Think about your own walk….are you growing in your faith so that your cup can overflow into others while you are making memories?  I think this is so important!  

 

Are you ready to make a change this year or are you going to continue to live as you are right now?  I want you to live this abundant life God has for us.

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

You Tube -> https://www.youtube.com/@claimingsimplicity/ 

 

Until next time-Be Blessed!

Monica

 

Eating Traditional Nutrient Dense Foods Like Our Ancestors Did to Help You Heal Your Body and Improve Metabolic Health

Hey Friend

It is starting to warm up here at the time of this recording, but even though it has been cold, I have had so much incredible time with friends crafting for 4 days and then another weekend time with friends that I don’t see very often and another weekend at a Womens leadership retreat, we have been ice fishing and my family has caught a bunch of fish, so even when it is cold, we still gather and have quality time with people we love-even though it may not be outside!

 

Today I want to talk about the simple foods we eat.  I no longer eat for what my body looks like, but for my metabolic health and to heal my body from the inside out.  I have talked on here about how over the years up until 3 years ago,  I have tried every diet there was including keto, paleo, vegan, and the list goes on and on, but when I had an abnormal EKG after doing Keto and then getting my body age, I realized that I needed to quit worrying about weight and worry more about health, so after doing alot of research,i realized that  auto-immune disorders and our health problems come down to mostly what we eat.  I knew that even though our soil is so depleted that we won’t benefit from all the nutrients our ancestors did, if we get closer to a nourishing ancestral diet with nutrient dense foods, we will be much healthier.

 

I had some testing done and I found out I had food allergies to milk, wheat, tomatoes, tuna, kidney beans, kale, and 10 other items, so when I started cooking from scratch with whole food ingredients, I noticed a huge difference in my gut health. I can’t wait to retest and see how many of these food allergies are gone.  Since switching so much of what we eat, my family has become even healthier and it has saved thousands of dollars making it ourselves and growing the food.  We buy organic whenever possible if we aren’t growing it as we are more aware of pesticides and also our gut health has improved immensly. 

 

My list of nutrient-dense foods that we typically eat daily does not include a bunch of random super-foods that are expensive and hard to find. My diet has shifted to eating more Traditional Foods….or as I like to call it, following an Ancestral or Primal diet. Eating the way my ancestors have eaten for thousands of years. 

Traditional foods are the types of nutrient dense foods I now focus on for our whole family.

 

These foods are for anyone, at any stage in life. They’re rich in nutrients that your body needs to thrive.

 

Nutrient Dense foods we eat every day

 

Eggs from our chickens

Raw Cheese

Fermented Veggies

Fruit

Raw Milk

Butter

Animal Protein

 

It sure makes a difference in how we feel.  We still eat our fruit and veggie tablets daily, but that is because we couldn’t possibly get 30 different kinds of fruits and vegetables every day and those have kept our whole family free from sickness for over 3 years now.  I will put the link below if you are interested!

When you nourish your body with the right foods, you will feel  AND LOOK  your best!!!

If you want to be part of our community of like minded women that want to learn more about making simple traditional nutrient dense foods, join our group-the link is below in the description!!

 

And if you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with a friend and as always, feel free to send me an emaili with any questions or things you would like to simplify~I seriously LOVE hearing from you!

 

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

You Tube -> https://www.youtube.com/@claimingsimplicity/ 

Fruits & Veggies -> https://www.monicabaker.juiceplus.com/

God Bless!

Monica

 

3 Simple Ways You Can Save Money on Groceries in 2023 with Rising Prices of Food. Reduce Expenses All While Keeping Your Meals Simple, Thrifty and Healthy

Hello Friend

It was really amazing how little I spent on food last month with our no spend challenge and I thought there is no reason we can’t eat like this all year because we wasted so much less.  I honestly don’t like cooking anything that is putsy or takes alot of time, so my goal is to have simple, thrifty, and healthy meals!

1.  Make a meal plan for the week using what you have in your refrigerator, pantry and freezer.  Only buy what you need for those meals. Look at your schedule and see what is going on for the week.  If you are buying in bulk, make sure you are rotating the items so they get used up and you are only buying foods you really like and use alot.  The most expensive food is the food you don’t eat, so try to buy only what you are going to use that week.
2. Skip the unhealthy snacks because their cost adds up really fast.  If you want snacks, find new recipes that you can make from scratch because they will be so much healthier and most likely much better tasting as well.  Many times these items are super simple to make yourself and are quick snacks to make homemade.  This tip alone could save you hundreds of dollars each month.  Some really easy swaps are homemade yogurt and homemade granola, muffins, chips, dips, crackers and cheese-its, bars & cookies (which I think are so much tastier) and the list goes on and on-just remember to keep it to simple snack recipes so that you are likely to make them again because they are quick.
3. Swap out homemade items for staple pantry items you can make yourself quickly.  This will save you ALOT money.  When you start making your own condensed soups,dry mixes ect and see how simple it is, there won’t be a need to spend a larger amount of money on convenience items because you know how easy it is and also, you will know the ingredients you are using and it will taste so much better!!

 

Saving money and learning how to make your own foods is an important skill to have as we continue to see grocery prices rise.  It is just an extra benefit to being able to have better tasting food that is healthier for you without all the additives and preservatives in the store bought  food.

 

I am compiling a list of my favorite recipes that I like to use to swap out the expensive food/mixes  from the store, so if you want to get on the wait list, just send me an email and say wait list!

 

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

You Tube -> https://www.youtube.com/@claimingsimplicity/ 

 

Have a fantastic day! 

Monica

 

Do You Want to Slow Down and Have a Simpler Life? 3 Steps to Begin Your Simple Living Journey That You Can Start Right Now No Matter How Busy You Are

Welcome to another week of Claiming Simplicity

Are you wanting to pursue more simplicity in your life?  Many years ago, I realized  I wanted to spend my days with more meaning and not consuming and competing.

 

Pursuing a simplified life can be just as exhausting at times as pursuing the fast one because it doesn’t just happen on its own.  You still have to manage balancing family life, work life, and personal life—while trying to maintain a slower life.  You may have to learn new skills from budgeting differently to learning how to cook from scratch or preserving food and there is a learning curve if you don’t know how to do these things. It is so very rewarding though!

In my current season, serving my husband, children and grandchildren calls for most of my energy, so my business is often secondary. There’s a lot of No in my vocabulary right now because we say yes to better things, but with each new season, that will always be changing.  

I have 2 daughters still at home that homeschool and are in sports year round, so that takes much of my focus because I know that season will be over in 6 years and I want them to know they are my priority right now.  I also work my businesses early in the morning and free hours that we are not running with kids.  Kids are only young for so long and I don’t want to miss it.  I don’t want you to miss out either!

So what are you doing to make a change?  If you don’t make a plan and start, you will be exactly where you were last year!  Please please please make a plan to learn something new and begin to move forward so when you look at your goals for this year, you can look back and be proud of yourself!

I want to give you some skills because this is what my brand is all about!  

1. Decide what a slower life and simpler living looks like to you.  How many hours will you spend at a job?  Will you raise your own food or preserve your own food? Do you want to get some animals to become more self-sufficient?  Do you want to spend more quality time with your family? Do you want to live on less money and stop over consuming?  This is the most important step because living a simple life looks very different for each person and if you don’t know what it looks like to you, you will never be able to attain this lifestyle.
2. Research and application.  Like I always say….it is not a race, so you have to start slow so that you do not get overwhelmed.  This is an amazing journey and it doesn’t happen instantly~there are skills to learn, research, and testing as to what works and you need to figure out what you enjoy.  It is definitely a different lifestyle than than the fast pace the main stream is used to and there is a totally different mindset when you live this enjoyable life.  You don’t feel the need to have everything the next person has and it is so much easier to go without things and not feel bad about it.  There is so much support as simple living is becoming more popular and you will notice that more people want to save money and learn how to be more frugal.  There are so many more resources than there ever used to be!
3. Work on getting out of debt because it will be hard to live slower and enjoy the things you value if you have alot of debt.  First, stop buying unnecessary items and think about each purchase.  Do you really need it or is there a different option that is cheaper?  You also need to know why you want to get out of debt.  Start by seeing if there is anything you have that you don’t really need and that you can sell.  Can you have a cheaper vehicle so you don’t have a payment?  Do you need the camper you have if you owe money on it?  Think about all the extra snowmobiles, boats or items that you could do without or go a cheaper route.  After that, start with your smallest bill to largest debt amount and pay extra on the smallest amount until it is paid off and then go to the next debt tacking on the amount from the debt you paid off until all debt is paid.

   Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

   https://www.facebook.com/groups/claimingsimplicity/

   Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

   Instagram -> https://www.instagram.com/claimingsimplicity/

   You Tube -> https://www.youtube.com/@claimingsimplicity/ 

   Blessings! Monica

 

Learn to Save Money, Live Intentionally and Escape the Trap of Overconsumption to Find Freedom in Frugality and the No Spend Challenge Recap

Hello

I do this no spend challenge and freezer and pantry clean out every January, but it was really fun to do with other people this year!  It is such a great way to begin the new year with new habits and many of those habits stay throughout the year.  Being intentional about every single purchase is so good to be aware of.  I value time, flexibility and  freedom over consumerism and material items and  I love teaching you to live a simpler,  more natural and meaningful life so you can enjoy this incredible life God gave us.  I think excessive consumption keeps people from financial security and builds kingdoms of clutter in our houses, schedules, bank statements and environment.  I want you to buy less of what doesn’t matter so you can afford more of what does!  I love helping people escape the trap of overconsumption to find freedom in frugality!

 

What I hope you find is your own full life and it probably won’t look like mine, but you can start designing your own version of financial freedom and you may find you enjoy the pursuit of it! 

 

We had some great things happen in the group!  My favorite are more family time with homecooked meals and teaching kids the importance of spending less, trips to the library for the first time, fishing with family, family hiking, decluttering and just being aware of every single purchase and only buying essentials.  When we live more intentionally, our lives become more significant in so many ways!  When you live for treasure in heaven instead of treasures on earth, you have more time to enjoy the life you have and that is why I encourage people to simplify their lives to live better.

 

Money spent on groceries was very minimal and most members had to get a little creative when trying to use up pantry items and cleaning out the freezer.

 

When you do a shopping ban or challenge like this you need to figure out what you value. Vision what a values- aligned life looks like.  I talk about this in episode 2 of the Claiming Simplicity Podcast.  Value vs. Time Assessment.  What motivates you?  Does spending more time with family motivate you to spend less money?  Do you want to stop trading hours for dollars?  Do you want to be able to give insane amounts of money to people in need?  Do you want to travel whenever you want to and have time freedom and flexability to do it whenever you want to?  You have to have a reason that gets you excited to do this!

 

You also need to  know what your challenges and excuses are.  Most times these are just limiting mindsets.  Change your mindset and you will change your outlook.  You might think you are broke, but once you make a budget, you might find that you just overspend.  Whatever you think is keeping you from paying off your debt, there is someone else in a situation like yours that has accomplished the same goal because of their mindset.  There is alot of scientific studies to prove that mindset significantly implacts the way you make short and long term decisions, so here are some things you can do to improve your limiting mindset.  Surround yourself with abundance thinkers and practice gratitude.  You are capable of saving more than you can even imagine. Make a goal for yourself and plan to reach it!

 

You can do a challenge like this any month of the year and I encourage you to try it if you haven’t already. I am super proud of the members of our No spend challenge because most have never tried it before and for the ones that were active, they had success! 

Join our Community of Christian Moms ->

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Email -> monica@claimingsimplicity.com

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Enjoy your week and God Bless!

Monica