Live Well, Spend Less recap

I just finished my second installment of Live Well, Spend Less! with some lovely folks at Waubonsee Community College.  The Live Well, Spend Less! class is a three-week course where we discuss ways to live large on a small budget, including ways to save on clothes, furniture, vacations, holidays, weddings, children's items and activities, and more.  

Overwhelmingly, like the spring semester class, the summer class participants really enjoyed learning about all the online group coupon sites and the benefits to each one.  Groupon, Living Social, Family Finds and more are all discussed. With so many similar group coupon sites out there, and all featuring great deals on a daily basis, it's easy to be overwhelmed with all the offers flowing into your inbox.  Participants Suzie and Sandy (Hi, Suzie and Sandy!) suggested signing up for a generic email address just to use for these sites. That way, deals are kept separate from your regular email.

Jane (Hi, Jane!) was thrilled to learn about great places for cheap furniture, including ReStore and area flea markets.  Ann (Hi, Ann!) brought St. Peter's Barn Sale to our attention, and I'm so glad she did.  How did I not know about this?!  I will be there on September 17/18 to check it out. 

One thing I like to share with my Live Well, Spend Less! class participants is the TMI rule for Christmas gifts concerning the Little Guy and Little Miss:

Something you want, something you need, something to wear and something to read.

And that's it!  My kids only get four gifts for Christmas, plus their stocking and a special gift from Santa.  Their Santa gift may or may not overlap with the "Rule of Four" depending on what they're getting that year. This saves us a ton of money, and my hope is that when they get older, my children will be grateful instead of greedy.  Participant Matt (Hi, Matt!) said that this little rule about Christmas gift-giving was the best idea he got from the class.

Thanks to everyone who took the class! I had a great time, and I hope you all did, too.

In the fall, the Live Well, Spend Less! course will be divided into three one-night seminars for a fun "Happy Holidays" series:

Creative Gift Solutions at the downtown Aurora campus
Monday, October 24, 7:15-8:45pm
Cost: $19.00 (The cost of $59.00 as listed in the WCC course catalog is incorrect.)
We'll focus on fabulous and frugal gifts for everyone on your list, as well as great gifts for families, online deals and homemade goodies that friends and family will be delighted to receive.  I'll have great ideas to help you shop for even the hardest-to-please person on your list.

Perfect Party Solutions at the Sugar Grove campus
Monday, November 7, 7:15-8:45pm
Cost: $19.00
Does the thought of hosting a holiday gathering have you stressed?  I'll have tips and tricks for organizing and hosting everything from office cocktail parties to family feasts that will make you the host with the most!  Be careful, following my suggestions could have your family begging you to host the holidays every year!

Holiday Activities for the Whole Family at the Plano campus
Monday, November 21, 7:15-8:45pm
Cost: $19.00
I firmly believe that the holidays should be a time for fun, family and friends...if your holiday preparations have you threatening to cancel the whole season, then something must change!  Let me help you find ways to reconnect with your family during this busy season, whether it be by creating new traditions, improving upon old ones, or finding ways to tackle holiday chores in ways that will leave the entire family feeling merry.

As always, you can find all of my Waubonsee Community College courses listed to the right. I hope to see you in one soon!

Live Well, Spend Less

I just finished "Live Well, Spend Less!" through Waubonsee Community College with a great bunch of gals. 

The course description was as follows:  Join instructor Amanda Grant to collaborate and share great ways to experience ''the good life" on a tight budget. Amanda believes you can spend less and still live well. Find out how! Get ready to give and receive leads, tips and sources for exciting free or low cost entertainment sources, tips and recipes for succulent meals on just pennies, hip fashion-forward clothing at a fraction of retail cost, and even bartering/trading for goods and services. The group's best ideas will appear on Amanda's blog, "The Martha Initiative."


We spent three weeks sharing tips on where to get bargains on clothes, how to repurpose and refinish furniture, and all the free/cheap activities for kids and families in the Fox Valley area, and much more!  Of all the ideas presented in class, from saving money on groceries, clothing, entertainment, furniture, travel, kids' parties and more, a few stood out as class favorites.

Cheryl and Mary Beth are in love with Groupon.  Seriously in love. With great deals on restaurants, entertainment and services delivered daily to your inbox, who can blame them?  Jennifer was a fan of all the online resources introduced in class, especially EstateSales.net (great resource for finding estate sales in your area) and Restaurant.com. 

Mary was excited to learn about the Museum Adventure Pass.  Offered by many local libraries, this pass is checked out like a book and can get you free or cheap admission to area museums and cultural institutions.  Last year, the TMI Household used the Museum Adventure Pass to take our little family to the Brookfield Zoo...for free!  It was a fun day.  Now Mary is planning all kinds of free/cheap adventures to take her grandkids on this summer. 

Part of the class was sharing tips, and my class had some great ones for me.  I've learned about a few awesome resale shops in my area that I'll be checking out soon.  I also learned that county forest preserves in the area offer free/cheap educational and fun programs for kids, adults and families.  I hope to sign us up, or at least myself, for something soon.

What tips do you have for Living Well and Spending Less?  I'd love to hear from you!

Thanks again to Waubonsee Community College for asking me to teach this class, and thanks to all the wonderful women who participated!  I had a ton of fun, and I hope you did, too.