The Savvy Life

What makes me qualified to give advice on living the Budget Savvy life? Rather than rattle off a list of credentials, I’d like to share a brief history of what I am proud to have accomplished over the past 10 years by saving on the things that aren't so important to me so I could afford the things that are.

Living Room
In 1999 my husband, Paul, and I purchased the 690 square foot 1930’s California bungalow we had been renting for five years. This was during the height of the dot-com boom when people were paying $1,000 a month to rent out closets. Believe it or not, we managed to purchase the home for about $100,000 less than the market price.

In 2005 we remodeled our beloved home, expanding its 690 square feet into 2,200. We pretty much gutted the entire structure. I am grateful to our contractor who not only completed the remodel on time but also on budget.

Our decor is an on-going labor of love. We don't "shop" for items to furnish our home. Instead, we enjoy stumbling across various pieces that cross our path. Consequently, our home is filled with things we cherish and is a direct reflection of our personalities. One of my favorite decorations is a carved green man mask that we purchased on an overnight excursion to Napa.

Check Book
Unwilling to sacrifice happiness and contentment for the sake of a paycheck, I have always worked in fulfilling jobs. After getting laid off during the Great Dot-Com Bust in 2001, I used my severance pay to start Budget Savvy. The close of one career became the spring board for a new project and, ultimately, a new lifestyle. I remain passionate about Budget Savvy and look forward to working on it every day.

Thanks to our Budget Savvy life, Paul has been able to follow his own passion and work as a full time martial arts instructor for the past 12 years. In 2006 Paul opened Fearless Fitness Martial Arts Training and Development Center where he teaches both Mixed Martial Arts and Western Martial Arts. To achieve this milestone, we adjusted our lifestyle to just one full-time income. While we don't eat out as often as we once did and temporarily scaled back on our travel, by no means are we living on beans and rice. In fact, it’s quite the contrary. Our culinary skills have improved immensely with the added practice! Truthfully, our lightened travel schedule has as much to do with maintaining a new business and the arrival of our son, Dante, as it has to do with saving money.

Rec Room
Travel is a pleasure that Paul and I enthusiastically pursue. We have managed to see a fair share of the world and have several trips planned for 2008. Some of our recent globe trotting includes:

We traveled to China and trained in Kung Fu with the Shaolin monks.
We spent a wonderful week touring the castles and ruins of Scotland and Orkney.
Paul went to Brazil to fight in San Shou (a Chinese style of kickboxing) and spent the week. At the time, we could only justify one of us going. I opted to stay home as this was an excellent career opportunity for him.
We sailed on our famous $199 cruise from Canada to San Francisco.
We spent a fun, carefree week at Disneyworld in Florida.
We got married at the Bellagio in Las Vegas for less than $3,000 including air fare and four nights at the Monte Carlo hotel.
We have participated in martial arts tournaments across the country and Canada.
Up until we opened Fearless Fitness, we visited Disneyland or Las Vegas at least once a year as a couple and would spend an extended weekend every year in the mountains of Lake Tahoe with our friends.
We covered all this ground without ever going into debt.

Pantry
Paul and I love good food. Luckily, we love to cook.
Since most of our meals are prepared at home, we can, on occasion, indulge at our favorite high-end restaurants without guilt. Saving money by savvy grocery shopping and cooking at home is one of the biggest contributors that allows us to afford the things that are most important to us.

Fitting Room
Admittedly, I am not a clotheshorse.
I purchase clothes that are timeless, and wear 90% of the clothes in my closet on a regular basis. When I do shop, I love to scout out thrift stores not only because of the variety of clothing but also because their prices are budget friendly. For seasonal updates, I watch for sales on trendier items. Target and Old Navy are also my friends! Like cooking at home, how I spend my clothing dollar is one of the biggest contributors to our Budget Savvy lifestyle. Compared to most women in the San Francisco Bay Area, I save hundreds, if not thousands of dollars each year.

Powder Room
I consider my skin care products an investment. I've always felt that putting makeup on uncared-for skin is like decorating a dirty home.
I enjoy makeup, but am not a makeup junkie. I look to my friends who are passionate about makeup for their advice on products that are worth the price or for their suggestions on comparable drugstore cosmetics.