The Economy Is Picking Up BUT You Still Need To Save More Money!

Even as the economy picks up (and they’re telling us it is), we have things we do day in and day out that we know we can do without or ways that we can make changes to save money.  Much as none of us wants to admit it, we’re not getting younger and retirement for some of us is closer than we care to think about.  Even small changes you make today in your spending can have a huge impact years down the road.  So, here are some ideas you can use today to make “change” for tomorrow…and not all of these are “chump change” either.

Jeroen van Oostrom/
FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Something you probably have done in the past, but now is a good time to do it again – Record your spending – put it in a small notebook and keep it handy so that you can record your spending over a two-week period.  Make sure to write down every time you take money out of your wallet or use that debit or heaven-forbid credit card.  This will help you see what you are spending frivolously and what those essential expenses you can’t live without are. Here are some tips you can use to save money.

All-Purpose Tips:

• After you’ve done your two-week review, pick 2 or 3 things that you can do without. Is it that extra latte you get every afternoon?
• Do you have a membership to a health club or another monthly fee that you pay that you don’t use? – Cancel it – if it’s a health club – Remember: a walk in the sunshine is a great way to get your exercise and all the vitamin D you need!
• Keep your car tuned up and in good running condition and don’t forget your tires – keeping them inflated to the right psi will save you money on gas!
• Everyone dreads it, but pick up the phone and make a couple of calls –
• Call your credit cards and ask them to lower your interest rate.  They may say “no” but it is definitely worth the phone call. This can add up big over the course of a year.
• Call your cable or internet provider. They are all after your business and don’t want to let existing customers slip away. By bundling your services, such as cell phone, cable, internet and home phone you may be able to realize some real savings.
• Remember to unplug your appliances and your cords for your chargers for the phone, I-pads, e-readers, or whatever you plug in to the wall to charge. Even when you’ve disconnected the device from the charger, the charger still pulls energy.

Food and Dining Out:

• Shop for your food and household products once a week.  And, always take your coupons with you so that if you do have to run in for 1 item, you’ll be able to save even on that 1 buy.
• Don’t be afraid to buy generic – it is almost always cheaper (unless you have that coupon with you for the name-brand) and DO ask your favorite store if they accept other store’s coupons.
• Short on time every week? Check out grocery services online – you may find that between time and gas to go to the store and the unexpected impulse buying we all are famous for, you may actually save money with a service instead of shopping yourself.
• Invite friends over, but instead of you preparing the entire meal, do a potluck where you provide the main course, and have your friends bring over dishes that would go with it.  Everything from vegetables and salads to desserts are all things you can use to involve everyone in the fun!  One thing to make sure of though – that everyone doesn’t bring dessert and no one brings veggies or rolls.  Ask your friends what they want to bring and record it so that you know immediately if you have too many of one thing and not enough of something else.
• Instead of a night out at the movies, consider going to your local library and checking out their choice of videos. – Can you say “free”? And, while you’re there, pick up a good book to read when you eat your sack lunch in the park instead of sitting in the dreary lunchroom at work. (Get the added benefit of exercise – walk to the park or where you’re going to eat and get some of that vitamin D from the sun at the same time).
• Visit your local community events pages online and see what is going on in your community.  Many times they will have free concerts and other fun events that will get you out of the house – BUT bring cash and leave the plastic behind…If they’ll let you bring it in, bring in your own bottled water and snacks.  Those vendor prices can rack up pretty quickly.
• And, last but not least (because the list could go on forever), remember the old adage – Wait and if you still want it in 30 days then go out and buy it.

Here’s a post from the Minimalist Mom sharing her “hows and whys” to creating a Buying List. Creating a 30 Day Buy List | The Minimalist Mom www.theminimalistmom.com10/24/11 Pinterest has become my new go to for making lists or boards as they call them. My vision board lists some short and long term goals and plans and my 30 Day Buy board shows the things I am thinking about purchasing.

Please use the Comment section below and share with us how YOU save money! We’ll be sure to share your ideas and comments with everyone!

Increasing Your Self-Esteem!

Do you build up your own self-esteem or do you tear it down? Negative thinking is the one thing that will diminish or destroy your own self-image. We do it unconsciously by thinking about the negative instead of the positive. Why we do this, I don’t know – is negative easier than positive? Are we trained from early childhood to focus on the negative? Did our parents, teachers and peers teach us this?

Here are some ideas on how to take control of your self-image and improve your own self-esteem!

Sit down and make a list of all your accomplishments and good things in your life

Take an inventory of everything that you’ve accomplished – big and small! Grab a piece of paper and  number it to 101 and start writing. You’ll be amazed at the things you’ve done  and find great satisfaction in recognizing what your abilities and strengths really are.

This list will also help you to focus on places in your life that you want to develop and increase or change completely. Areas of change are some of our greatest challenges and these challenges will always give a structured way for you to continue to grow and that means excitement and ways to stretch yourself and become exactly who you want to become!

Make a concerted effort to improve the weak areas

Once you’ve made your list of accomplishments and have discovered your areas that need improvement in your life, it’s time to focus on how you will tackle exactly what you want to change. Resolutions are NOT just for the start of the New Year. You can choose to make a resolution any day of the year!

To stick to your resolution, focus on just one small piece of the “thing” at a time. Failure for resolutions usually happen when you try to change too many things at one time. Starting small will help you see your life change one bit at a time.

Be clear in your goals

When you determine what you want changed, formulate your desire clearly. Say you want to lose weight – don’t just say you want to “lose weight” but rather say instead “I want to lose 10 pounds”. It’s ok to start small – you’re not going to lose 30, 40, or even 100 pounds quickly, but when you start with just 10 pounds and you achieve success, the next 10 pounds will be that much easier to focus on.

It allows you to track your progress, create better strategies and reach your goal faster.  Clear goals help you focus, and start them and you will find everything falling in place and even find that situations and people will help you stay on track to meet that goal.

Life is a passage or journey

Remember the saying “the journey is more important than the destination”? Life is our journey; so enjoy where you are and know that life only gets better when you believe!

Mission Statement

To enhance, enrich and empower the lives of women by offering a place of Friendship, Education, Networking, Personal Development, Goal setting and Fun.

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Stop Procrastination In 4 Easy Steps! & Video

So, here you are – the start of another day, week, month and you have a million things to do – It’s true – we all have too many things to get done every day, but we only have so many minutes in an hour and so many hours in a day and so many days…you get my drift.  I’m probably #1 at procrastination unless it’s something I really love to do and yet, even then, I find ways to sabotage myself.

Procrastination is defined as avoiding doing a task that needs to be done…putting the activity off until tomorrow.  So, here are four steps to help you break the procrastination trap. Do not judge yourself as you work through this. This is an assessment and judgments will only block your ability to change your focus and actions.

Step 1: Assess the task

For the most part, we procrastinate in areas where we are apprehensive about our ability to handle the task effectively. We tend to put off the “doing” and usually end up waiting until the last moment when the “pressure is on”.

Answer: Assess the areas of your life that bring out your procrastination habit. Create a list of those areas that you resist taking action in. For example, you resist making sales calls for work (your issue) and you wait until the last-minute (how you procrastinate). Review your list and see what themes arise from your list.  Most people will find themselves procrastinating because:

• Fear of their ability to do the task,
• Misjudging the amount of time a task will take
• Too many “To-Do‘s” on their list
• Overwhelmed by the project
• Don’t know how to break down the project in to manageable pieces

Step 2: Choice or Selection 

It’s best to start slow when overcoming procrastination. Choose an area you can focus on. Keep it simple to ensure achievement – success builds success and this will help you decrease that “need” to procrastinate.

Answer:  Say you have an issue with paying your bills.  Make the following changes now:

• Choose where to place your bills when they come in
• Choose how often you will pay your bills, ensuring they are paid on time
• Select a day/time when you will sit down to pay your bills
• Put the day/time on your calendar every week/month so it is part of your scheduled activities

Trying to tackle too many to do’s? Select 3 “must do’s” each day and tackle them first thing!  Have more time? Add 2 more tasks and complete them. Over time you will see a list of activities that are consistently being pushed to the next day.  This is the time to do your assessment of their value and see if they’re something you must do, or if you need to let them go.  If they are important to you, you might consider delegating them to someone who would be willing to help you.

Step 3:  Share It 

We all love to hide what we don’t want others to know about us.  We think that people will somehow think less of us if we share.

Answer:  Let others know what you are doing and don’t be afraid to ask them for their support.  Think about how they can best help you achieve your goals.  You might be surprised to find you have a friend who is a procrastinator on something you revel in and they in turn love doing something you don’t “love”.  You may have just found the perfect “procrastinator buddy”!

Step 4:  Celebrate Your Success! 

Too many times small victories in our day go unrewarded.  As a procrastinator you may feel you don’t deserve a “reward”.

Answer:  Make sure to reward yourself for accomplishing what you need to get done. Tip: Know what you will reward yourself with before you begin. As soon as you accomplish a small goal, celebrate that victory!  Make sure the compensation is something you want to do for yourself.  Time is an issue with most people, so your rewards must be realistic – something you can do in an hour.  Some rewards to consider:

• Take a bubble bath
• Buy a new book
• Take time to read a favorite magazine
• Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea out on the patio or deck

Thoughts:  We only have today; we’re not promised tomorrow.  Choose what is of value to you today. Remember, this is your personal journey through life and you are the one  who will create more joy in your own life.

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It’s Valentine’s Day – Who Loves Ya Baby?

It’s Valentine’s Day and you may be wondering, “Who loves ya baby”?  Most of us, over the course of any day, find we do things for everyone but ourselves.  Many times, we feel unappreciated by our family, undervalued by bosses, and often forgotten by friends.  We run from meeting to meeting, and store to store to find, buy, provide, give…and at the end of the day, we’re just worn out.

Valentine’s Day is a day to tell those you love that you do love them – that they are special – that you celebrate them for who they are…boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, even our children.  Well, this Valentine’s Day do something totally different!  Make Valentine’s Day the day to rejoice in everything that makes you special!  Chances are you don’t take time out of your busy life for the little things that would pamper you and make “you” feel special. Not taking care of yourself with these little opportunities can wear you out, mentally and physically. And it can definitely have an effect on your mood.

So, regardless of your budget or your time constraints, sit and really think about something that would totally change how you view the rest of your week. It may be as simple as one or more of the following:

• Buying a special soap, piece of jewelry you’ve wanted, a new dress,
• Take an extended lunch and go to a new restaurant you’ve wanted to try,
• Snuggle up to watch your favorite movie with snacks you usually say “no” to,
• Take a long hot bath with candles and a glass of wine.

Whatever you decide to do for you, remember to pick up that special Valentine’s card for yes, you guessed it YOU…write a little note telling why you love you and what makes you special. Don’t forget to address it, stick a stamp on it and make sure to mail it to yourself so you get it before the big day!

Happy Valentine's Day to All Our Girlfriends Galore!

Aromatherapy And Your Busy Life

The idea that aroma is used to create healing and positive emotions has always been known, but in our busy day-to-day lives, we may have forgotten just how healing it is. Aromatherapy by definition is to find the special scents that are unique to each person, that provide positive feelings and emotions and bring back memories from a time when you felt safe, or warm, or even how you felt as a small child, a teenager, or that first hug with your new baby.

Aromatherapy has become a lost art in many ways. We walk in to department stores, drug stores, specialty shops and are immediately overwhelmed with the smells – and everyone is marketing their own “brand of smell”.  Many of the synthetic perfumes and oils are not only hazardous to you but to our environment as well. 

But, how many times have you hugged someone and were immediately reminded of someone you love or the whiff of a scented candle that brought back memories of grandma baking cookies in the kitchen. How about the aroma when you’re walking through a garden of flowers – how that scent made you feel at that moment.

Today as in days gone by, there is a way that we can introduce those scents back in to our everyday lives providing relaxation, invigoration, balance, romance, and the list goes on.  Thru botanical aromatherapy oils, we can regain that balance and inner harmony.

Aromatherapy is a word  we see everywhere today, but true aromatherapy is science and art combined. The art is in blending the scents and oils to create the exact combination, enhancing the oils into a synergistic blend. An aromatherapist also uses science to create that perfect blend for its therapeutic properties.

Essential oils are used in many ways including; massage oils, spray mists, diffusers, body creams or in the bathtub.  Subtle aromatherapy is also used in :

• Meditation
• Reiki
• Healing sessions
• Chakra balancing
• Distance healing 

One of the most common oils is lavender, known to give calm and balance. Lavendar is effective for sleep and is even recommended to spray on bed sheets before settling in for the night. Lavendar is also excellent to use straight on the skin for burns, cuts and even breakouts. Lavendar, in a mist form is also wonderful as a facial mist.  It provides relaxation and a soothing sense of peace.

Looking for that scent that provides feelings of joy and happiness and is a wonderful oil for the kitchen – look no further than Citrus oils.  And for that pick-me-up while working out – try Peppermint oil in a mist form as well.

Be sure to look for experienced and recommended aromatherapists when you go out to seek out that wonderful fragrance you’ve been looking for!

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What Makes a Fabulous Woman Fabulous

Really? – A fabulous woman? – And you’re probably saying – “Not me…that’s for sure”.  To which we say, “Yes, you are fabulous”.  You don’t need to be a movie star or an earthshaking bomb-shell or president of a company.  What you do need to be, is you!

Do you have rough edges that you know you would like to soften? Or are you a little tense in social situations? Are you embarrassed by your appearance or the way you speak? Do you wish you were more spontaneous with the things you long to do?  All of these things can be overcome.

Here are items spotlighted in what makes up a fabulous woman:

Confidence; being completely confident in the feminine woman you are, is absolutely necessary to succeed in whatever you choose to do. TIP: If you’re nervous about an upcoming event, take time to really concentrate on what outcome you want to have – then RELAX!

Centered; being fabulous includes being focused on what you want.  TIP: don’t be afraid to study and emulate other powerful, fabulous women you admire.  Even role-playing with a friend can be a fun way to build on that focus.

Charisma; a truly fabulous woman knows how to be charismatic in any situation.  It’s in building your confidence that you will find yourself able to handle a situation with grace and charm. People will always want to know a person who is truly and sincerely charming. Some words associated with charming include lovely, delightful, fascinating. TIP: Above all is the key word “sincere”.

Poised & feminine; a fabulous woman is capable of being two times the woman of other women and able to smooth over any unfriendly situations, promoting cooperation and harmony. TIP: Watch how other women handle difficult situations and follow their lead. One of the most critical parts of a fabulous woman is her ability to share from a place of plenty and real power, without using mannish behavior and ways.

Look after yourself – healthy diet, regular relaxation and exercise are all pieces of the puzzle to that step of making yourself over in to the fabulous woman we all know may be hiding right beneath that shy smile.

Image by George Eastman House via Flickr

This is a video of a gal from Montana who went to reVamp! Salonspa in Minneapolis and it made a “wow” difference!  Even her husband could only say “wow”.  We have a favorite here in Phoenix, Patricia Burkhardt Mitchell’s Sincerely Yours Salon.  Do you have a favorite?

We’re here at Girlfriends Galore to help all women be the best they can be. We offer several opportunities every month for girlfriends to get together to encourage one another, have fun with one another, and to support one another in our endeavors in the social and business world.  If you want to open a Girlfriends Galore chapter where you live…Please contact us and we’ll get it going with you!

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Throw a Bunco Party!

Here at Girlfriends Galore, we happen to be huge fans of the game Bunco.  So, we thought we would share you the basic Rules of the Game of Bunco.

A bit of the history of the game:  It is a dice game that became popular in the 18th century in England.  Americans imported the game in to gambling activity in the mid-1800’s with gambling parlors or Bunco parlors became all the rage.  Because it was often associated with “swindles” we have “bunco squads” that investigate confidence scams or swindles. There’s even a movie from the 1950’s starring Robert Sterling, Bunco Squad.

Playing Bunco (the game) fell out of favor in the big cities until the late 1980’s when it started regaining popularity as more and more people have gone back to traditional family values, and the sense of desire and need for social interaction.

According to the World Bunco site the rules are as follows:

PLAYING THE GAME

• Take 12 score sheets and secretly draw a star on four of the sheets. Have each person pick a score sheet, this will tell you who will be starting at the head table. The remaining 8 players can sit at the “Middle” or “Losing” tables.

• Each table is randomly divided into 2 teams. Team couples sit across from each other. Pick one person on each team to tally points during each round. Keep track of team points by using the tally sheet–these points are only used for each number round. To save paper, just cross out previous rounds tallies and continue with new round on the same paper .

• The “Head” table controls the pace of the game. The game begins when the “Head” table rings the bell. One player from each table starts the game by trying to roll “ones” with the 3 dice. Always take your roll using 3 dice. If 1 of the die shows the number currently “up” tally 1 point, if 2 of the dice show the number currently “up” tally 2 points.

• When you roll “three of a kind” of the number you are currently rolling this is a BUNCO !!!(21 points). Keep rolling and collecting points. Do not forget to give yourself, not your teammate, oneBUNCO !!! point on the bottom of your score sheet after your turn is finished.. If at this time or any other time a player at the “Head” table rolls a BUNCO !!! the bell is rung & the round stops. The other players currently rolling finish their turn and continue collecting points .

• Remember, the fuzzy die is passed from player to player as BUNCO’S !!! are rolled.

• If you roll “three of a kind”–of another number–give your team 5 points and keep rolling and collecting points until you do not roll the number that is “up”.

• If you do not roll the number that is currently “up” the person to your left takes their turn.

• When the “Head” table reaches 21 points or rolls a BUNCO !!! they ring the bell to signal the end of that round. The number currently up changes to the next number (1 to 2, 2 to 3 , etc.).

• The winning team stays at the “Head” table. Have one teammate move over a chair so they will have different partners for the next round. The losing team from the “Head” table goes down to the “Middle” table.

• The winning team from the “Middle” table goes to the “Head” table & the winning team from the “Losing” table goes to the “Middle” table. The losing team from the from the “Middle” table goes down to the “Losing” table & the losing team at the “Losing” table stays at the table but one player moves over one chair so they will have a different partner..

• At this point write W or L (Winner or Loser) on your own score sheet for that round. Keep your score sheet with you at all times. Do not stay with your partner–your new partner will be one person from the winning or losing team joining you at the “Winning”, “Middle”, or “Losing” table.

• The “Head” table rings the bell to signal the start of a new round.

• If the teams have a tie score there will be a roll-off to determine the winner. ( See roll-off–BUNCO !!! Lingo)

• Play continues for two complete sets. At this point, take a break for dessert and then continue the last 2 sets.

The game ends when all 4 sets of BUNCO !!! have been completed. Each person then adds up the their total BUNCO’S !!!, Wins, & Losses from each round and writes the totals at the bottom of their score sheet. Prizes are awarded at this time.

Playing Bunco is a great way to maintain relationships and make new friends, and that is why it’s a favorite here at Girlfriends Galore – What games do you like to play with friends and family?

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The Best New Year’s Resolution of All Time!

There are probably more than 10,000 posts on resolutions for the New Year, but I wonder how many are like this one…

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We all set up a “want/wish list” whether we think we do or not; after looking back at the last year we  have ideas of things we want to change, habits we want to break and goals we set for ourselves and our passions, causes, and businesses. They are all useful and serve their purpose, but truly and honestly answer this question. Can you squeeze one more thing in to your life without something else breaking or falling apart? How often does a New Year’s resolution turn in to yet another “To Do List” that you have to find a way to fit in to the rest of your life?

This year, make a New Year’s Resolution for yourself that will be of benefit to you and to all who know you!  Make it a year where you only make ONE New Year’s resolution – a resolution that gives you a break; that will not only help your attitude about the things going on in your day-to-day life but also help all those around you, from co-workers, employees, friends and family!

Put a “Do-Nothing” Time on Your Schedule…Get out your calendar right now (don’t procrastinate and say “I’ll do it later”) and look at next week.  Is there anything on your schedule that you could either postpone, trade with someone else (spouse, friend) that would give you the opportunity to just do absolutely nothing.

• Aim high on your goal – See what one day you could set aside to:
• Watch old movie favorites
• Go somewhere and just sit and enjoy a favorite latte and read that book you’ve wanted to read
• Get that massage you’ve been postponing and while you’re at it, have your nails done or some other little treat you’ve put off because you didn’t have the time.

Involve your family in your decisions so they see the benefits too – Kids need to have that time to just hang out. – Set aside an evening with the kids:

• Play games
• Watch a movie together
• Bake cookies

Whatever it is that you as a family enjoys doing together; plan that time together each and every week.

You may find that these days of “do nothing” will be of more help to you than many self-improvement plans that can cost upwards of $100’s and $1000’s of dollars…The times of “Do Nothing” will get you back to your natural timing and you will find you actually do many of your original resolutions naturally.

So, to one and all, Happy New Year and Let’s Make This One the Best Ever!

Great Little Gift Wrapping Tips!

Here are some tips & tricks to use for your gift wrapping this holiday – And we ALL know you haven’t wrapped EVERYTHING yet! (well – maybe some of you who are really organized have it all done, so you can use these tips for birthdays, shower gifts, and next year!)

1 – Go Green this year by recycling newspaper or brown paper bags.  Add pinecones, holly leaves and even small fruit like cranberries for decoration.  Use the Sunday cartoon section for kids gifts.

2 – To get the exact color you want for your wrapping paper, try using tissue paper – more layers = deeper & richer colors.  You can also use different colors of paper by offsetting the paper or wrapping the gift in a geometric pattern giving your gift a mosaic appearance.

3 – Have a gift too big to wrap – instead of wrapping the whole gift, try one of these tricks instead.

4 – Decorate the outside of the box with strips of paper crossing one another – try it as stripes all around or just on the corners.  Add ribbons & bows to make the box even more festive.

5 – Try using a cloth laundry bag in red and add white pillow stuffing at the top so it looks like Santa’s gift sack.

6 – This one is in 2 steps – Remove the gift and spray paint the box – when it’s dry, replace the gift inside and then add the ribbons & bows.

7 – Have a bottle of wine you’re taking as a hostess gift?  Wrap it in a pretty dishtowel and tie with a great ribbon & bow.

So, just a few ideas and we’ve included some articles below for more ideas – Share with us some of YOUR favorites!

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Great For This Holiday Season – Food Gift Baskets!

Everyone loves to get a gift basket loaded with goodies!  So, why not this year make it extra special, stay in budget and present friends and families with edible baskets you’ve made yourself?

Here is a checklist to use when putting your basket together:

• Who is receiving the basket (and for this post will make it a Christmas/Holiday basket)?
• How much do you want to spend?
• What does the person receiving the basket enjoy?
• Will it be an indulgence or little necessities they may not buy for themselves?

Now, what will you put in the basket?  Here are some ideas you can build upon for your special someone:

Pick a theme – Italian, Scottish, Barbecue (don’t forget to add a special utensil the person can use long after the basket is empty – a little reminder of your gift for everyday).

Or, make it a gourmet basket filled with desserts, cheeses and crackers and don’t forget the chocolate!

How about a coffee or tea time basket – loaded with gourmet coffees and teas in different flavors and don’t forget two coffee mugs (1 for them and 1 for you to share with them).  Remember to put in a tin of chocolates or cookies to go with that tea.

And, for the holistic, healthy person on your list, go organic – with nuts, organic grains,spices, and dried fruit.

Remember that long after the holiday is over, your recipient will have a basket you hand-picked for them and it carries that special, personal touch that tells them you were thinking of them when you bought and loaded the basket.  That personal touch will be a memory they will hold close for a very long time.

It’s all about the smile they have on their face when they unpack all those goodies!

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