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

5 Reasons Why You Need A Fitness Plan

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I've seen it over and over again in the gym, people (mainly females but some males) will walk in the door and either hop on the cardio machine for an extended period of time and maybe throw in some ab moves at the end or they will go up and down the rows of machines without a clear purpose.

Yes, I think it is magnificent that they made it to the gym and applaud them for taking the first step but failing to have a plan when entering the gym can result in burnout from lack of results. As a certified personal trainer, I do think it is a good idea to have a few sessions so that you can learn where everything is and build a working base of exercises. However, I do not think that every person needs a personal trainer. If you are training for something specific or you need that accountability to get to the gym, by all means, hire a trainer! Make sure you do your homework and find one that aligns with your vision.

RELATED: 5 Things We Have Done to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle for 5+ Years

This isn't just limited to the gym though, I receive emails from people all the time that say they do workout videos at home or grab a random workout off the internet. Again, this is great but if you really want to see results you do need a workout plan to follow. Ever since I started living this lifestyle I've followed a plan, even as a trainer! I always follow one of our plans, switching it up along the way as I see fit. I had a trainer for about three months while I was preparing for a photo shoot but ever since then I've had my own set plans - which is ultimately why we released our first plan, the She Sweats 12-Week Transformation.

You may have even noticed that on our monthly challenges I state that you should also be following a workout plan, doing 5 push-ups per day or a 30 second plank isn't going to produce the results you are looking for without more substance.

So, below are my reasons why you need a plan to follow and I'm not even the "planning" personality.

5 Reasons Why You Need A Workout Plan

1. Helps Prevent Under or Over Training - This is one of the most important reasons for having a workout plan. If you are just trying piece together different workouts or wandering around the gym, you could be training the same body part too close together or not enough. You may also be working out too long and/or doing too much cardio for your goals, etc. There's so many factors that can go into under or over training.
2. Provides Structure - There's nothing worse than feeling like you are wasting time. Having a workout plan provides you with structure so that you aren't wondering what to do next or just reverting back to the ol' cardio equipment. Our workout plans tell you which exercise to do, how many reps, how many sets, etc. Everything is laid out for you.
3. Provides Goals - A workout plan with a set number of weeks (such as a 4, 6, or 12 week workout plan like we have) provides you with an automatic goal - to complete the workout plan! You can even break it down further and look at it as a daily or weekly goal to complete all of the workouts.
4. Provides a Checklist - If you are a person that loves to be able to "check" something off, you will LOVE a structured workout plan! It's like giving yourself a pat on the back each day you complete your workout.
5. Prevents Burnout - As I mentioned before, not having a plan can and will lead to burnout. Sure, you might be tired of working out or might not be feeling the gym for a few days but if you keep moving forward you will see results. A well-structured workout plan will help prevent burnout because it should be changing every few weeks.

I can't speak for all the workout plans out there but I know that ours produces results and is structured so it takes the planning out of it for you. You are optimally training each body part in the most efficient way possible. We don't live in the gym and don't think that you should either!

Guess which workout plan works? The one you complete! You can't just do a workout plan for a few days or even for a few weeks and expect immediate results. You have to actually do the work to see the results - there is no magic pill!