It isn’t always easy to make sure that you have everything for a vacation, even a small weekend trip. There’s the list of everything that has to be taken along: there’s the allowing for fuel, car maintenance, food, and a small emergency fund. It can be quite hectic, and the plan can actually take a lot more than is always anticipated. Here are a few things that should (almost) always be included in any weekend trip. Make sure to budget in advance for each item that you have to pay for, so there are no problems down the road!

1. Fuel. This is the most obvious if you are taking a car trip. If you know your car’s mileage, then you are likely to be able to budget this fairly accurately. Also make sure that the car’s maintenance, such as oil change, transmission fluid, etc. is all up to date. And check your tires before you go out onto the highway! Don’t forget to check the spare.
2. Food. This can get more costly depending on where you’re going and what you’re doing. Eating in restaurants is always more expensive. A tip is to pack a cooler and put whatever you can in there, that way food expenses are minimized and the money can be better used elsewhere. Make sure to plan every meal, and include a few extra snacks; you never know. And don’t forget about drinks!
3. Changes of Clothes. These are something that men are more likely to forget than women. Is that a gender or cultural thing? Think of every event and place you want to visit, as well as the number of days. Make sure you have the right number and style of outfits. This is a great boon to already have what you need. If you’re going rafting or swimming, bring appropriate clothing. Same for dining out. And take an extra change of casual clothes, just in case. If you have to buy anything for the trip, plan it well in advance, that way you can make sure to spend less by getting it at a sale.
4. First Aid Kit. While this isn’t mandatory, and hopefully you will never have to use it, having a first aid kit is a good idea. You just never know. There are lots of small kits available just to store in a car. And sometimes these are on sale. Maybe even just have a look at the items in a kit and put together your own. You never know, it might be cheaper that way.
5. Entertainment Money. Is that the whole point of the trip? Unless it’s a family visit (or maybe because) you will need to plan and budget the entertainment events for the trip. Make sure to allow sufficient funds for this, or plan the events around how much you can realistically afford to spend. This is one area that a lot of people go overboard, so being aware of it and the budget ahead of time is the best way to avoid going overboard. This is called actively managing your budget.

A tip for entertainment is to take along some games. Even a ball or Frisbee can make a lot of time pass and be great entertainment! Take some cards. Take a couple board games. Take some horse shoes or lawn darts. Whatever games you and those you are with will enjoy. Brainstorm to see what everyone can do in the few hours of downtime that you might have. You might be surprised at what inexpensive ideas there are.

I admit that I try to live more frugal than most people. I rarely go out. And when I do I always make sure that it’s on a discount, using coupons or sales events, or attending a free event. But I always make sure that I have fun!

My number one rule to living frugally is to think about anything I buy before hand and see if it is truly necessary. This is constantly a battle with my kids, as they are too young to understand, and they have some strong influences from elsewhere that tend to spoil them a little bit (and I admit that I’ve been guilty of that myself at times). But I think that’s what grandparents are for and try to emphasize that we don’t buy too many toys or other things.

Now I’m not just talking about what is necessary to survive. If that were the case, I could live in a shelter in the woods and make and grow everything I needed. Hey, I used to actually think about doing that when I was a kid! But I have other priorities in my life than mere survival – I want to enjoy life, too. So what do I need to do that?

This requires a lot of self understanding, as well as it took a few paradigm shifts for me. Hey, I love my toys – but most of them are useless and don’t really get used after a few weeks or months. So that’s one habit that I stopped, for example. Now if I buy something for entertainment or hobby, it’s going to be something that I will use for months, if not several years. Otherwise it’s just not worth it.

Food is another area that changed greatly for me. I used to eat out at least three times a week. This could be a lunch at work, or even a nice dinner with someone special or a dinner at the pub with friends. Now I rarely eat out. It isn’t really worth the money, and when I do things like go to the pub with friends I limit what I buy a lot more than I once would have.

I also used to have a HUGE chocolate addiction. I would eat at least one bar a day, plus drink at least a litre (quart) of chocolate milk every day. Now I can hardly remember the last time I ate a whole bar in one sitting. And it’s actually rare that I eat it. I still buy chocolate milk, but not so often. And I drink  a lot less at once than I used to.

I have also examined how I shop for groceries. This is a lot different than I once did. I admit that I have a bit of a head start on most people, since I spent 15 years without ever eating red meats (these are expensive), and even a while where I was completely vegetarian. So, for me eating with less meat was easy.

I worry more now about the people in my life than I do about the things. I used to think it was really important to have a nice house that was really big. I wanted a beautiful car (actually a nice, new minivan or station wagon is what I wanted. The Volvo station wagon is what I’ve always drooled over). And I wanted the nicest clothes. Now I don’t think that’s the case. All I need in a car is something that really works and gets me where I want to go, but is still big enough for me and the kids. And that’s cool by me!

So, living frugally is a matter of examining what is truly necessary in your life. Perhaps you absolutely need a big SUV to be happy. Or do you? It might require a paradigm shift or two to really understand what is required in life to be happy.

What helped me a lot was not only the situation I got myself into, but reading other people’s stuff. One of these was Leo Babauta’s books. I read those mostly through his website, but it’s a lot easier (and won’t take you the months that it took me) if you get his books. It’s pretty much more detailed on the kinds of things that I wrote about above. Learning to simplify and organize your life in a way that makes it less stressful and more balanced. This is something that I think almost everybody could benefit from.

And I love being frugal! It’s amazing how little I can get by on, if I have to, and I still have a great, happy life! Most people I meet are so grumpy about the things in their lives. And that’s the whole problem – things – we need to have more simple lives and less focus on things. Follow the number one rule of frugality – examine if it’s really necessary. And temper that with the number two rule – put those you love before everything else, especially things!

Having a fun, romantic time together doesn’t always have to be expensive. So many people tend to think of a date as dinner and a movie, or dancing, drinks and food, which can be very costly. Yet, there are other things that can be fun and frugal, too!

Firstly, think of the fun things that you would do with someone who wasn’t a romantic interest. What kinds of things would be fun there? Then look at all of those and think of what things might be interesting to the person you’re interested in. You immediately have a list of common, fun interests. These are some things that you can do!

Here are some suggestions, as well:

1. Anything outdoors. Yes, the classic walking can be good. But why not have a destination?
• Is there a park or playground that you could be walking to?
• Take along a snack and blanket, make it into a picnic.
• Or take a Frisbee or ball and play catch.
• Go by a river and skip some rocks.
• Take a sketch book and draw each other or the scenery.
• Use bicycles and explore a new area or have a far off book store or library as a destination and just browse.
2. Stay at home. Really! There are several fun things you can do together at home.
• Rent a movie and cuddle under a blanket. Popcorn is cheap and easy to make at home, too!
• Play some games. If you like cards, pick a couple of games. There are also several board games that can be fun for two. Or how about backgammon? Or chess? If that’s too serious, there are ways to make even a simple game of “fish” a little more adventurous, as long as you two are into some risqué fun! Use your imagination…
• Washable crayons and felts are inexpensive, much less so than fancy body paints (and since they’re made for kids, they draw very well on skin). Try drawing pictures on each other for a little intimate fun.
• Read stories to each other. Pick something romantic, such as poetry or another topic you would both enjoy.
3. Go window shopping. Yes, this can be fun for guys, too. Instead of making it about what she wants, pick a topic and imagine that have to pick only items from that topic and see how many each of you can find. The more wild and outlandish the topic, the better.
4. Pretend you’re rich. This is something I’ve seen several times and places before, but can be fun. Go to a high-end car dealership and test drive a couple of cars. Be serious, as if you really are going to buy the car. Make sure you dress in reasonable clothes for the occasion, but not too fancy. Go look at some million dollar homes and talk about how you would decorate the place if it were really going to be yours.
5. Make a “treasure” hunt. Take 2 digital cameras to collect the treasure. Each of you is to go window shopping and photograph 12 to 15 items that you dream about, but are currently out of your price range. Then go home and share the “treasures” with each other and why it’s a treasure to you.

There are several other things that you could do, too. But I’ll leave those for another time! Any ideas you want to add? Have you tried any of these? If so, I’d love to hear from you!

Parades are only one way to enjoy the upcoming celebrations. A lot of people also enjoy fireworks. These displays are usually put on cost free by the city and are a great way to enjoy the holiday for all people. There are other events usually put on by the city, even community leagues. Look at your local community newsletter for events; your city newsletter will also like list events.

Family events are very big during the daytime hours, and kids love these! Last year I took my kids to city hall and there were several things, including a petting zoo, face painting, and some free performances (a clown, a magician, and music). The kids had a great time, and they even went wading in the big fountain in front of City Hall. There are several events going on in our city and I may choose something different this. In fact, I probably will. but I have a big list to choose from!

Look around and see what your city or town offers! Don’t forget about the neighbourhoods. And don’t forget about simply enjoying the time with those close to you. If you aren’t into family events, then use the time in another fun way, go on a picnic, take a stroll, ride a bike, go for a swim. And enjoy the fireworks in the evening!

Some houses that people buy have more space than they really need. Use this space to make money and decrease your cash worries.

Ever thought about turning that den into a spare bedroom? Is there already a bedroom that’s unused? This could be a great opportunity to bring in a little spare cash into the household. Renting a room out doesn’t have to be a chore, and with a few precautions getting a roommate (roomer) that doesn’t interfere with your lifestyle and is responsible is quite possible.

Upfront Preparation for Renting Out a Room

Look at your local legislation! Each state/province has different legislation in their landlord & tenant acts. These are important to know what your rights and responsibilities are. If you are unable to provide what is necessary, then don’t do it. Usually the most difficult thing is simply getting a lock for the room. There are several rental agreements available online, such as this one for Alberta. Read these carefully! While they meet the requirements of the law, it is always possible to alter them and add provisions that are legal as long as they are initialed by both parties (such as, “No smoking; smoking on premises subject to 24 hours eviction and loss of damage deposit.”).

Make sure the place is clean. If there is any damage, take a photograph of it and include it in any move-in report. Have that initialed by the person moving in! Quite often a very small piece of damage, such as a scratch on a wall will magically grow ( although there is no logical reason why it would) and the tenant will deny responsibility. Better to have it repaired before renting the room out. Then take photos of the clean room without damage and have it initialed.

Make Household Rules Clear Before Renting

Let any potential renters know ahead of time what any rules for the house are. If it’s a vegetarian household, then mixing foods can be an issue. Non-smoking, allergies, pets, and so-forth can also be issues. Make sure that these issues are all communicated ahead of time! It really sucks to let someone move in if you asthmatic, only to find afterwards that he is a smoker. Even if it’s kept outside, it can make someone sick just from being on the clothes and then brought into the house.

Make sure that chores and cleaning duties are clearly outlined. Leaving dishes in the sink, even for a day, can be a big inconvenience for anyone else. Be certain that all people living in the house are clear about this courtesy. Other issues can be taking out the garbage, floors, outdoors, and (especially) bathrooms and kitchens.

Terminating the Rental Agreement

It will eventually happen that one party or the other will want to terminate the rental agreement. In most places 30 days notice, given at the end of a month, is required for the renter leaving a premise. This means that if a renter gives notice on the 15th, it is effectively 45 days notice. And if that renter leaves on the 15th of the following month, and no replacement has been found, the full month’s rent is still payable. This holds true for any day that is not the last day of the month. It’s even harder for landlords, as most jurisdictions require 90 days notice to tenants. Of course most landlords who are renting out rooms just let the renter leave and never replace that person when they are finished with renting and want to use the room for something else.

Taxes and Renting Out a Room

Technically speaking renting a room is taxable income and should be reported on annual tax returns. There are people who don’t do it, but that’s a risk they take. In reporting this kind of income, make sure that the proper deductions are taken so that taxes are minimized. This includes any costs to advertise the room, a percentage of the utilities, cable, phone, property taxes and mortgage interest. Oh, cleaning supplies are also deductible, as long as it’s only the proper percentage of the whole house expense! And so are consumable maintenance expenses. What percentage is right? Consider the number of people in the house and divide by that. For example, if the roomer is one of four people in the house, then 20% is acceptable. Another method is to consider the square footage of all the bedrooms and then divide it that way. Personally, I find the first method easier.

[Note: Yes, this is something that I have done in order to make ends meet. It has helped a lot!]