June is Frugal Hobby Month

No, it’s not a formal thing, just a challenge from me to you!  Summer is
kicking off and there’s so much to be done. But there’s also a tendency to
run out to the stores for a new swimsuit! lawn chairs! flowers! camping
gear! fruit snacks! pool toys! new books! lemonade!Slow down.

The first thing is to take a few sheets of paper and go for a walk. Walk
from the front door to the back door. Through your garage. In the backyard.
Into bedrooms and bathrooms.

What bugs you? Notice I’m not asking what’s wrong according to MY standards. Ask yourself what YOU want to change.

Some things that bother me in my house:
-book series I haven’t read in years but enjoy
-duplicate DVDs I want to sell
-the purple paint in my bathroom
-bald spots on my lawn
-a puzzle I want to complete

Take that list of things you want to change and make June the month to get started. Don’t try to tackle everything! Have you ever encountered a friend who writes novels in her “spare time”, bakes incredible creations, volunteers all over town or maintains a clean and efficient household? Changes are she learned habits and created this lifestyle over time.  Instead of complaining that this friend is obviously a transplant from Stepford, Connecticut start with one thing you want to change, set a modest goal and go for it.

Here are 27 ideas for practical and fun ideas:

1. make a neighborhood walk with your spouse, kids, pet or friend a habit
2. take 12 photographs a day
3. reorganize a closet (just ONE!)
4. practice a new language
5. improve your vocabulary using my favorite site for high schoolers: free rice
6. organize your DVDs
7. re-read a favorite book or series
8. paint a room
9. touch up paint on baseboards, a scuffed wall or trim
10. train your dog a new trick
11. weed the lawn and garden
12. do 1 minute sit up drills and try to improve your numbers
13. collect and sort all the writing utensils in your house (last time I did this, no lie, over 20 black Sharpies)
14. catalog all the food in your pantry
15. scan 25 family photos every day – bonus points for throwing away overexposed, blurry and unrecognizable prints
16. research and comparison shop for car insurance
17. set up a laundry line and hang all your clothes to dry
18. finish a puzzle
19. play every game in your game closet
20. sort through all your jewelry for forgotten pieces
21. do all those small repair projects (caulk the tub, replace a fence board, repair a torn screen)
22. sharpen your kitchen knives
23. learn to change the oil in your car
24. cancel 5 paper statements and sign up for email reminders (add reminders to your calendar)
25. backup your computer data whether or not it’s organized the way you like it
26. write down all the birthdays coming up in 2010 and 2-3 gift ideas for each
27. turn in recycling and reduce your trash contributions

What else can you think of? I’ll add more to the list with your comments and let me know what you’re going to tackle in June!