5 Excuse Busters for Losing Weight when you dont have the Money

The key to weight loss as with pretty much anything is consistency. Consistency doesnt cost a dime.  If you have a goal in mind and remain consistent in doing the things required in order to reach it, chances are you will reach that goal.  
      
For most of us, at some point of time past, present or future, we want to lose weight.  Often times weight loss goals are put on the back burner because we dont have the money to join a gym, hire a personal trainer, etc. If you want to lose weight and putting it off because you dont have the money to do whatever it is you want to do,Stop, No, Start with a goal because I am here to tell you, you dont need money to lose weight. Use what you ALREADY HAVE to help you. 

The easiest, most convenient and no cost solution is….THE INTERNET.  I absolutely love the World Wide Web because you can find the answer to just about ANYTHING.  Most of us, have an internet connection at home.  If you dont, use your local library or a place that has free WiFi.  Let the internet be your greatest resource for helping you to obtain your weight loss goals.  The first thing you will need to do is establish your goal, how much weight do you want to lose, in what time frame do you want to lose it?  A healthy and most likely to be maintained weight loss is up to 2lbs per week.  Stay away from fad/drastic diets such as cabbage soup, liquid, grapefruit, etc.  

Following, are the most common desires related to fitness and weight loss with low or no-cost solutions to help you reach your goals.  

I want to join a GYM
Search Planet Fitness Locations, Low cost Gym Memberships and YMCAs in your area Many YMCA locations have scholarships and an open door policy in which they will work with you in regards to the amount you can afford to pay each month 

I want to hire a Personal Trainer
Use the Internet to find workout/meal plans based on your goals.
Seek out a fitness professional or aficionado within your circle of family and friends, co-workers, etc.(there has got to be at least one : ) ) and ask them for help.  If it is their passion, they will be more than likely happy to help.
Fiverr.com is an excellent and very affordable option- everything is $5!    
Search YouTube for workout videos and you can also find workout video series for specific goals or time frames. 

I want to join Weight Watchers
My first experience with Weight Watchers was in 2009 and I lost 20 pounds and I have pretty much been maintaining a Weight Watchers lifestyle ever since.  I am a big fan of Weight Watchers and I think that it is best and easiest to maintain solution for weight loss and overall healthy eating.  Weight Watchers is basically a creative way of tracking your calorie intake and output.  If you are interested in starting Weight Watchers you dont need to pay the fees to join Weight Watchers.  If you are interested and have $5 to spare, click here https://www.fiverr.com/frugalandfierce. 

I need help, I dont know what to do/where to start 
My first suggestion would be to utilize your local library, look for books under the subject of weight loss/fitness for beginners, guides to weight loss/fitness, understanding weight loss/fitness.  Set aside some quiet time to read and take notes.  If you dont have time to go to the library, use the Internet there is a plethora of information at your fingertips.  And as mentioned before utilize your circles to seek a fitness aficionado to help you.  

I need a partner/motivation 
First, inform your spouse or significant other of your goal and see if they will join you or at least help you and hold you accountable in your weak spots.  Ask your friends and family to see if anyone wants to join you. Meetup.com is an excellent way to search for exercise, weight loss and fitness groups in your area.  If all else fails, go to Pinterest and/or Google and type in Weight Loss/Fitness Motivation as often as you need to, you wont be disappointed.  

If you want to lose weight, what are weighting on?  

Thanks for Reading! 

Introducing "Frugal and Fierce"

Hello everyone, I thought it was about time that I did a brief intro about myself and why I started the “Frugal and Fierce” blog.

My name is Stacy Crosby and I am a G.R.I.T.S. (Girl Raised in the South) still living in the South. I am am a wife to the world’s greatest husband and mother to a wonderful daughter.  After my daughter was born, I became a stay at home mom but after about a year I got a little bored.  Dont get me wrong, being a stay at home mom is hard work and you are constantly busy but for me, it isnt a challenge. I felt like I wasnt using my creativity or expanding my knowledge.  With the advice of family and friends, I started blogging about the things that I love: fashion, shopping, organization, eating healthy, weight loss and fitness but with frugality.

It is my belief that you can get or create anything you desire with a little creativity, and patience without sacrificing your Style or Budget. Hence the name “Frugal and Fierce” .  

A few of my favorite and most popular posts so far include:

11 Items You Shouldnt Pay More than $1 For   

4 Mistakes you are Making with Receipts

10 Good for You -No Fridge Needed- Snacks to Throw in your Bag

Enough about me, follow my blog (tinyurl.com/frugalandfierce) as I provide YOU with creative tips, tricks and information on living a life of style,class and confidence without spending much cash and saving you time and money!  

Thanks for reading, stay “Frugal and Fierce”!

You can watch my intro video here https://youtu.be/W0A9TTjgKa8  

Fashionista Ring Organization

If you are like me and love wearing fashion rings, organizing and storing them is probably a challenge. I started thinking, “How are rings displayed when I buy them?” Most of the time they are in these display boxes or cases.  I did a little research and was able to find a ring display box that fit inside of my dresser drawer on Ebay and the best part, it was only $3!  

If you own several rings and are looking for a way to store and organize them, purchase a ring display box that is big enough to fit the number of rings you have from Amazon or Ebay, put it where you store your jewelry or in a drawer and there you have it! 

Check out the Before and After

Thanks for Reading!!

Too Many Clothes but Nothing to Wear

I often experience what I call “closet frustration” as I am sure many of us women can relate. Closet Frustration consists of the following, plus a lot more but these seems to be the most common: you look in your closet and it seems to be overflowing with clothing and shoes and you still feel like you dont have anything to wear, you spend a great bit of time trying on clothes planning what you are going to wear for a special event, casual function,work, etc. and my favorite, you just wore a “cute outfit” but cant remember exactly what it was or you remember just part of the ensemble.  

I just recently thought of a solution to help alleviate “closet frustration” with sticky notes. Each time you wear a “cute outfit”, something you feel confident in, something that you feel proud of yourself for putting together, write it on a sticky note including shoes and any key accessory or jewelry piece(s). Put the sticky note on the wall in your closet or where convenient.  Continue to keep a record of your cute outfits using this method and instead of potential “closet frustration” just look at the sticky notes for some “cute outfit” inspiration.  

“Frugal and Fierce” Tip- Use different color sticky notes for different categories such as work, casual, church, etc.  

 

Other variations include: Index cards, a Notebook or Diary, Wall sheets.    

Thanks for reading!!

10 Good for You Snacks to Throw in Your Bag

Lets face it, most of us are busy and are on the go frequently.  It can be a challenge to eat well when you are always on the go.  You dont want to fall into the trap of buying “convenient/fast food” when you are hungry in between meals or just need a snack. 

I have comprised a list of 10 healthy snacks that have been tested and proven to be great to on the go. These snacks dont need refrigeration and you can conveniently throw them in your handbag, bookbag, briefcase or any bag.  

1. Raisins 

2. Pringles Snack Sticks 

3. Whole fruits (apples,pears, oranges,bananas) 

4. Fruit Snacks (Natural, no added flavors or colors, 10g or less of sugar per serving) 

5. Nuts and Seeds 

6. Trail Mix 

7. Rice Cakes  

8. Unsweetened Applesauce (Mott’s All Natural is my favorite)

9. Popcorn (Skinny Pop, Boom Chicka Pop, Smartfood), 

10.Dried Cereal  (Low sugar, ex: Shredded Wheat, Cheerios)

Many of the snacks listed above come in “snack” size packages that are smaller and more convenient.  For those that dont, or if you are looking to save money, use regular and snack size food storage bags or snack sized plasticware to create portable “snack” packs.  

Snack Healthy and Happy!

The Reverse Grocery List

We are constantly creating lists of things that we need to buy or acquire in the future. One of those lists that we frequently create and rarely change are Grocery Lists.  I shop for groceries every other week and often times in between and I grew tired very fast of having to write out lists for pretty much the same thing.  After a little brainstorming, I created what I call The Reverse Grocery List, a list of the all of the grocery items that you frequently buy in which you highlight or circle only the items that you need for that particular trip.

How do I create a Reverse Grocery List?

Create a word document that includes all of the grocery items that you frequently buy and divide them into the appropriate categories (Fruits & Vegetables, Dairy, etc.).   You can even put them in order by how you navigate the store.

Here are the categories that I use:

Vegetables, Fruits, Sauce/Condiments, Canned Goods, Breakfast, Dry Goods/Spices, Meats, Deli, Snacks, Dairy, Frozen, Non-food/Cleaning, Baby, MISC

OR  EVEN BETTER…...

Ok so I was creating my own(what was I thinking!) until I recently discovered the best lists ever at http://www.grocerylists.org/ultimatest/

They have Grocery List Templates that you can download, edit and print and they are FREE!

Print enough copies to last two months or so.  Store them in a place where you can easily access them.  When its time to go grocery shopping, you grab one of your Reverse Grocery Lists and highlight or circle the items that you need to buy.  If you need to add something thats not on the list, just write it in.  This method saves time, stress and you can always edit any needed changes.    

Try the Reverse Grocery List for your next grocery shopping trip.  

Top Ten Reasons Why Every Woman Should Wear Wigs

I cannot stress enough my love for wigs.  Its the easiest and fastest way to change your look, provide a stress-free hairstyle, amongst many other things I love about wigs.  

Up until my third year of college I thought of wigs as taboo: something that only older women wear, if you have hair you arent supposed to wear wigs.  After a trip to the beauty supply store in search of my next hairstyle, I was introduced to half-wigs and even got the chance to try one on.  Instant hair I thought to myself, I must be dreaming!  From that point on I was hooked.  When the beauty supply store I frequented, opened a “wig room” I started wearing full wigs.

I dont wear wigs everyday but, I do go through spurts where I wear them for weeks at a time.  Forget about all negative preconceived notions that you may have about wigs. Every, and I mean every woman can greatly benefit from wearing wigs and here are the top ten reasons why.  

1. Affordable

2. Versatile

3. Variety

4. Effortless Styling

5. Quick, Save time

6. Weatherproof

7. Ultimate solution to a bad hair day

8. Last a long time

9. Easy to find, easy availability

10. Undetectable, Hard to tell that its not your real hair

Do Something Different and Explore Wigs if you havent already and if you have, go buy a new one. Thanks for reading!

ALSO.................

Watch my YouTube Video Favorite Wigs Demonstration Here https://youtu.be/pKYsjjIFAPU

5 Steps to Organization for Busy People

Getting organized is probably one of the hardest things to do mainly because we already have habits that are hard to break, especially when you live a busy life.  Start with one room, space or project at a time and do the following:

1.  Get Specific

Get very specific when it comes to cleaning and organization even if it is something small.  For example instead of saying “I need to clean my livingroom” say “I need to find a better way to organize my DVD collection or go through all of the mail on my coffee table”. Doing something easy and immediate gets you organized faster.  Also, its often times fun and more motivating when its something specific that you have in mind that needs to be done.  

2. Throw Away

This probably the easiest and most obvious, things that need to be thrown away are easily spotted and stand out.  Grab a trash can and get going.  Also, dig in a little further and comb through every drawer, nuc and cranny and throw away anything that is no longer of use to you.  

3. Put items back where they should go

That can opener on the coffee table, socks in the livingroom, food outside of the kitchen, etc.  Look around and if anything is out of place put it where it should belong immediately and try to put things where they belong immediately after use, it cuts back on clutter.

4.  Label

You dont want to have to ask “What is This” when it comes to your own things.  Labeling items that you store or use regularly helps you to identify them and access them quickly.  If you dont have actual sticker labels, you can use index cards/paper with tape and a pen or marker.  

5.  Keep it organized

This is also hard to do because of those habits again but, once you organize a space just try your best to keep it that way by practicing and making the aforementioned things a habit.  

Keep in mind, you dont have to be perfect when it comes to organization.  Just making small changes can lead to big improvements in your overall lifestyle.  If you have any questions or need ideas feel free to contact me.  

Happy Organizing!