5 Money Quotes to Motivate You!

If you are new here you may not know that we are just as passionate about finance as we are about fitness (maybe even more!). Definitely check out some of our money/budgeting challenges and also our shopping tips! You can read more of our "finance story" here.

We're not perfect, but we strive to be as disciplined and responsible as possible by living within our means; it's simple - we focus on the things we need in our pursuit of happiness, not the things we want in the relentless chase for status.  

Just like with fitness, everyone will have their own journey but use these quotes to motivate you to live your own life and take control of your financial future.

Beginner 6 Month Money Challenge

We have beginner and advanced workout challenges so why not have the same for our finance challenges?! If you are having a hard time completing any of our other money challenges, try this Beginner 6 Month Money Challenge! This one is a little bit shorter time commitment (but I think you'll want to continue it!) and a little less each month as well.

You will probably be surprised at how easy it is and how proud of yourself you will be for saving $500! Small things like skipping drinks ($2 for soda or tea and $8-$12 for alcohol) really adds up! Also skipping appetizers and desserts will help your waistline and wallet!

This money doesn't have to all come from saving though. You could also find things to sell around your house that you aren't using anymore. Do you have workout equipment (come on, we all do it!) collecting dust? When was the last time you wore the 12 pairs of designers jeans you have? Remember, just like with fitness small changes really add up! You CAN do it!

>>>>> The Ultimate List of Ways to Save: 18 Ways to Save $15,000 in 2018!

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Interested in more money saving challenges? Try one of these:

• Save $1,000 in 3 Months
• 3 Month Money Saving Challenge
• Beginner 6 Month Money Saving Challenge
• 52-Week Money Saving Challenge
• 12 Month Money Challenge
• $300 12-Week Christmas Money Saving Challenge

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Looking for a printable version of this challenge? We've got you covered! Join our newsletter and you will be taken to a black and white printable version right away! Grab the printable challenge here.

After 6 months you can start this one over or move on to one of our other challenges! View all of our money challenges here.

6 Easy Ways to Make Money with Things You Don't Need

I have a saving problem. Yes, sometimes it can be as bad as a spending problem. I've actually loosened up lately - but only for travel. My heart still sinks when money is taken from our bank account. I completely believe in spending money on quality food, supplements, and travel. Those are the things I believe are worth spending money on but each person has to determine that for themselves.

Ever since I left my corporate job I have been organizing our life and simplifying even more! We wanted to get rid of as much as possible so that we could do some updates around the house without using money in our savings account.

6 Easy Ways to Make Money with Things You Don't Need

1. Sell old DVDs to a movie trade store. We took almost 300 DVDs and received a little over $150. We could have received a store credit for $300 but we do not really buy movies anymore so we took the cash instead. Selling 300 DVDs for $150 doesn't sound like much but we didn't pay much for them either. We usually bought movies when they were less than $5. I even had to dust them off before we took them in so it's just an extra $150 in our bank account!

2. Trade in old video games. Another thing that we have always done is when Scott wants to buy a new video game (he only buys 3 per year: Tiger Woods, NFL, and MLB) he trades in an old game so we don't ever pay full price for the new video game. I remember one of my sister's boyfriends would laugh at me for having Scott do this - but I don't care! What's worse than paying full price for a video game is having old ones sit around and collect dust! I HATE "stuff"!

3. Sell clothes to a local consignment shop. I have always done this but I have just now been able to get Scott to go through his clothes. The hardest part of this is finding a good consignment shop in your area. I take mine to the same place every time, which is also where I buy a lot of my clothes. If you haven't worn the clothes, shoes, or accessories in over a year you probably won't wear them again - get rid of them! At the consignment store I use, you can either get cash or store credit. I usually leave it as credit that way I can go shopping without actually spending money. At any given moment I will have $100-$300 credit and this is coming from someone who doesn't even like to shop in the first place! If you have a lot of designer clothing or accessories you can make a decent amount of money. I just went by and picked up a check for over $200 before we went on our last vacation! Talk about easy money!

4. List items you no longer use on Craigslist or eBay. Really think about what you need in your house. Do you need a TV in every room? We listed a TV, DVD player, and TV stand which resulted in an extra $400 in our pocket and we haven't missed it once!

5. Get rid of your cable or lower your package. This might sound crazy to some people but you CAN live without TV. When we first got married we didn't have cable but then we had to get it so Scott could watch the Cubs games (very important, right?). I called to cancel it again at the beginning of the year. They tried to talk me out of it, of course. They ended up offering us the lowest package for under $5 per month. We did take that offer so we do have local channels in case we need them (I'm not sure what for!). We don't really watch a lot of TV or movies at all anymore but if you are a fan try Amazon Prime (you get a lot of free rentals there) or Netflix.

6. Have a yard sale. I'm not a fan of these actually. Too much work to organize, haggle, and actually work at the garage sale. I've had a few but I guess I just don't have enough stuff to begin with to have a good return. Some people have great success though - if you have a lot of stuff to get rid of...go for it! Advertise it in your local newspaper, put up easy-to-read signs, and post about it in your local Facebook yard sale group. What doesn't sale - DONATE!

We choose to skip the expensive restaurants and designer handbags or shoes but we do travel and buy the best hiking gear. We all have random things we are willing to spend money on...you just need to find a balance (just like with fitness) that works for you and your BUDGET! Unfortunately in life we can't eat everything we want and we can't buy everything we want! ;-)

- Whitney