Summer of Saving is Over. A Recap & Next Steps

Last updated: November 27, 2019 4 Comments

The Summer of Saving has come to an end.




47 posts in 3 months – the most breakneck pace I’ve written at in the 6 years of this blog.

The series of  was a lot of fun and kept me focused, but it was definitely taxing. I’ve never wrote a book, but I would imagine it would be a similar process and time commitment.

What’s next for me? Back to randomly scheduled programming. A mix of whatever interests me in the financial world that I think will also interest you.

Enough about me – what about you? Where do you go from here with your commitment to saving money?

Here’s the thing: long-term, sustainable money saving cannot be achieved from a series of tactics, i.e. “just do this, this, this, and this, and you’ll be on the path to financial freedom…”.

In order for savings to be sustainable, they must become woven into the fabric of who you are as a person.




Getting rid of a car because it is a tactic that will save you $400 per month is short-lived. Learning to love a bike ride to work and realize that driving a car instead is a downgrade to your health and life fulfillment (with the additional benefit of cost savings)? That’s sustainable.

Personal finance really comes down to two things: income and spending. Income is often times subject to the influence of others (stock market crashes, employer lays you off, customer stops buying from you). But expenses are largely in your control, outside of tiny inflationary pressures. That’s why saving money is so important to personal finance.

Where to go from here?

Set some goals for yourself. Review the Summer of Savings posts, listed below, and use this spreadsheet to track the actions you want to take and how much you predict it will end up saving you.




Then take action. Saving money is addicting. One savings will lead to another and another. Before you know it, it’ll be in your blood and become a passion of yours, if it hasn’t already.

A Recap of the Summer of Saving post series:

summer of saving recapIn the first two weeks, we covered food and groceries savings (the third largest spending category for Americans):

Then we jumped over to ways to save money with utilities/telecom/entertainment, with an overview post, and then covered each utility expense separately:

Month two started with a series of health care posts (the fastest growing expense category):

Then the BIG one – the number one personal expense category in the U.S. – housing expenses:

Our third and final month started with what I deem to be the “most ridiculous” expense category, which non-coincidentally turns out to be the category that presents the biggest, easiest wins – transportation.

And then we wrapped it all up with a personal fun favorite – DIY:

Summer of Saving Discussion:

  • Which Summer of Saving posts have you or will you take action on? How much have you or do you predict you will save?
  • What is your personal favorite money saving tip?
  • At what moment in life did you realize that saving money had become a passion?

4 Comments

  1. Tom

    I first found your blog a little over a year ago. I had taken a Dave Ramsey course and wanted to learn more about the specifics, when I stumbled across your article on Dave Ramsey’s baby steps. I noticed you had some differing opinions, which made sense to me and I appreciated.

    My wife and I are still in the “Emergency Fund Building” aspect of our finances, and are thinking about doing 2-3 months in a MMA and another 6 or so months in a Bond ETF.

    It would be awesome if you could give some kind of “recommended timeline” or your own baby steps. Obviously these things vary based on what your values are, including how much risk you are comfortable with.

    Still, I read your blog because I like how you handle your own finances and value your take on personal finance and I’m sure many feel the same. Maybe you could talk about your past and future financial goals with an emphasis on “order of operations”?

    Thanks for an informative and interesting summer!
    Tom

    Reply
  2. James

    Man, thanks a million for a great summer full of awesome and helpful posts. I really appreciate what you do! Keep up the good work!

    Reply
  3. Syed

    This is freakin awesome. I can’t wait to delve into these articles, apply them and share them with others. Awesome job you have a reader for life.

    Reply
  4. Trent Shelton

    Thanks for all of the great posts, especially about buying a house. I have a very similar way of thinking, and it’s awesome to read your posts about biking to work, views on renting, etc. Keep up the good work!

    Trent

    Reply

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