About six months ago I started putting together a “Be a Blogger” series of posts that recorded some of my thoughts on starting a blog, writing for the web, etc.  As I said in the inaugural post, I’m certainly no expert, but felt perhaps others interested in blogging could learn from my mistakes.  In the last several days I’ve received a few messages from people looking for guidance on starting a blog, naming their project, and marketing their work.  Seemed like a good time to put together a consolidated post of my previous “Be a Blogger” entries.

I’d like to start sharing these “Be a Blogger” posts again on a more regular basis as I’ve learned some new techniques (and made many more mistakes).  Look for future posts on weekends, or when I feel like a break from the personal finance stuff.  I realize many of you are not bloggers, but I hope that it will inspire some of you to take the plunge, or at least be entertained by a sort of behind-the-scene look at what it takes to run a blog.

Be a Blogger Top Ten

• So You Want to Be a Blogger? This one started it all.  Kind of funny to read that I used the 100 subscriber milestone to kick off the new series.  Since then, about 3,000 of you have joined, and I’m honored to have each of you following me here at Frugal Dad.

• Identify Your Target Audience.  The advice here is geared towards writing for the web, but as I’ve learned from offline writing assignments since, identifying your target audience is a key element in any writing project.

• What’s in a Name? Of all the tasks required in setting up your blog, this one may be the most important (and is often the most difficult).  There are all sorts of factors to consider, from search engine optimization, to offline marketing, to online branding.

• How to Write for the Web.  As I mentioned earlier writing for this blog, and for a couple other online spots, has opened the door for a various offline writing projects.  I found out quickly that writing for the web successfully required the ability to condense things to a few major points, and make use of formatting strategies differently from offline projects to make important points standout.

• Set Your Post Frequency.  Early on, I settled into an every day routine here at Frugal Dad, but I am not as dedicated with other projects.  If I had more time I could probably crank out two or three articles a day on a range of topics, but full-time work and family obligations still require the majority of my attention.  If you aren’t able to put something out every single day, don’t worry–there are some arguments floating around the blog world extolling the benefits of a three-times-a-week or similar reduced posting schedule.

• Lessons Learned From a Traffic Surge. In March of 2008, with Frugal Dad barely off the ground, I received a mention from LifeHacker.com on my square foot gardening article via Being Frugal.   With over 14,000 unique visitors overnight things really took off here at Frugal Dad, and long-time readers often refer to the square foot gardening article as they way they discovered me (which is funny considering I didn’t have much luck with gardening).  Lynnae at Being Frugal and I still keep in touch and she has developed one of the top frugal living blogs in the personal finance niche.  I owe much of my early success to her linking to that article.

• Selecting a Hosting Service.  Besides selecting a name, deciding where to host your project is probably the second toughest decision when starting a blogging project.  There are a myriad of choices out there ranging in expense.  Being the “Frugal Dad” that I am, I went with the cheapest option early on.  While I have had to make a few upgrades to compensate for increased traffic, I have been pleased overall with the service from my host.

• Five Cures for Writer’s Block.  By this point I had been writing every single day for four months, and I was beginning to suffer from a bit of writer’s block myself.  I went on a search for inspiration and found some unique ideas to generate article topics.  I still use most of these methods today when inspiration doesn’t come naturally.

• When Inspiration Hits.  The opposite of writer’s block occurs when ideas for articles are coming faster than you can write them.  This post deals with creating a system to capture these ideas for later use, either on the go or at home.

• Tools for Organizing Ideas.  A follow up to my When Inspiration Hits post, this is one of the more informative guest posts ever shared here at Frugal Dad.  Mrs. Micah put together a great review of the tools she uses to keep her blog ideas organized.

Ready to start your own blog?  I host my blogs with HostGator–a great host with awesome support!

Pressed for time, so just a few favorites from the past week.  More to follow later in the weekend.

• 5 Ways to Take Time Off Work.  I’m always amazed at the number of people who have maxed out vacation accrual, or are even at risk of losing vacation time at their jobs. Get out of the office. Enjoy your family and the world around you!

• Save for College Using These Tools and Strategies.  Nice collection of “Tools To Help You Save For College.” Includes an eye-opening chart of suggested monthly saving recommendations based on child’s age and type of college (private, public, Ivy).

• Is It Fair to Be Judged by Your FICO Score?  I hate what FICO has become. A FICO score says little about the quality of its owner, and makes assumptions about people’s lifestyle that is rarely accurate outside of statistical correlation.

• Buying Things on Sale is an Awful Way to Save Money.  This falls under the category of spending money to save money, which is pretty hard to pull off unless you are able to track usage and carry the costs/benefits far enough out to justify the expenses. Often times the greater savings would be found by skipping the item altogether, even if it is a great deal!

• Does Money Really Affect the Way You Think?  Yes, earnings do matter, but having something worthwhile to do is far more important to me long term.

I’ve always wanted to install a programmable thermostat, but have been a little intimidated by the thought of any DIY project that involves wires.  What can I say, I’m a chicken when it comes to anything electrical, and usually resort to searching Angie’s List for a reputable electrician.  After reading a few “How-to” articles online I summoned the courage to check out a few models of thermostats.  I found that like most everything electronic, there is a range of options to choose from ultra-cheap to over-the-top expensive.

Our old, original thermostat

We settled on a medium-grade model, not the cheapest, but not the most expensive, either. It was a 5-1-1 GE Honeywell programmable thermostat (the 5-1-1 means you can set a weekday schedule and a Saturday/Sunday schedule, independently).  This feature appealed to us because our weekday schedule varies from our weekend schedule, as I suspect is true in most households.  With new thermostat in hand, I’m ready to tackle the installation.

Disclaimer:  The following instructions are for inspirational purposes only, and are not meant to substitute manufacturer instructions that come with your particular model.

Step 1 – Turn off all power at main electrical panel.   Some instructions I found online advised to simply turn off power to the room your were working, others suggested throwing the main switch.  I always lean towards safety and decided to turn everything I could find on the electrical panel to the “Off” position.

Our old thermostat, minus cover and control board

Step 2 -  Remove cover and control panel from old thermostat.  The cover and control board on most models snap off–look for a recessed lip around the sides or bottom of the original thermostat where you can grab and remove the faceplate and control board.  Take care setting this aside as you may have to reinstall if something goes wrong further in the installation.

Step 3 – Label wires according to their current position, and remove them one by one.  Most new models of programmable thermostats come with sticker labels that you can use to wrap around the wires coming from the wall.  If your package doesn’t contain pre-printed labels you can substitute with masking tape and a Sharpie.

Step 4- Remove old thermostat plate from the wall.  Be sure not to let the mess of wires drop back into the wall when unscrewing the old plate.  Some instructions recommend taping a group of wires to the wall, but I found that the wires were so stiff that simply spreading them out a bit adequately prevented them from dropping back into the hole in the drywall.

It’s a good idea to use a level–I did when drilling, but not when taking the photos!

Step 5 – Attach new thermostat plate to the wall.  Most of the time a new model’s plate will not match up to the existing holes from the old thermostat.  This was the case with our model.  I simply drilled a couple holes for the new thermostat, and inserted the drywall anchors that came in the new packaging (don’t worry, the instructions accounted for this by indicating the drill bit size to use, etc.).  Go ahead and insert batteries if your model requires them.  Our model required two AA batteries (installed just above the wire connections) to hold the programming settings in the event of a power outage.

Step 6 – Reattach the wires according to their label and the corresponding spot on the new thermostat.   This was the most difficult part of the entire project because there wasn’t much room to work with, and depending on your heating/air conditioning system you could have several wires to attach.  We finally managed to get them all attached and were ready for the final installation step.

Step 7 – Attach control panel and face plate for new thermostat*.  This step reminded me of attaching an old parallel printer to a computer–simply match up the pins on the control panel with the pins on the back plate attached to the wall.

*Hint:  Make a handwritten note of the wires you attached (C, G, Y, R, etc.) before covering with the new control panel and face plate.  You’ll need to know this to properly program your new thermostat based on the type of system your have.  I didn’t know this ahead of time, and had to remove the faceplate to remember the letter designations I had attached.

You can see it got a little warm in the house with the power off!

Step 9 – Turn power back on and program new thermostat according to manufacturer instructions. We ran through the programming setting for weekdays, and then Saturday and Sunday.  In the summer time we let the temp get a little higher at night and sleep with ceiling fans running.  Before we wake up the thermostat is programmed to cool things down for getting ready for work and school, and then returns to a higher temperature for the day.  In the winter, we’ll reverse this process by letting things cool down after we are tucked away in bed, and warm things up during the early morning hours.

I haven’t received my power bill yet, so I can’t report on the savings (but I will in a future post). I imagine the long periods at night, and during the day, with increased temperatures will help reduce our power bill during these dog days of summer.

Still need help? Search Angie’s List for a recommended electrician in your area.

Relieve yourself from the cost and hassle of home repairs with a home warranty from American Home Shield.

Why does it always seem that the minute you delete a document or throw a piece of paperwork in the trash, THAT’S when you need it? And all those documents you save for years on end, you never need again in your entire career. Maybe it’s just Murphy’s law at work once again. I knew a co-worker who diligently saved a hard copy of every email he received for THREE years! His filing system was impressive in both its organization and its size, but it was a lot of work that was entirely unnecessary, wasted a load of paper, and caused him to replace his printer toner weekly. With current computer systems, you could now have hard copies, digital copies, scanned copies, backup copies and backups of your backups of your backups. So now, instead of simplifying our lives, we’ve made them even more complicated, full of clutter, and a source of stress.

Reducing clutter should be high on everyone’s priority list.

Try using the T.A.M.E. method to get a handle on both your electronic and hard copy clutter:

Trash what you don’t need. Get rid of the duplicates of the duplicates. And quickly delete those e-mails or attachments from your mother or your best friend that you “just have to forward.” Yeah, they’re funny, cute, and heartwarming, but they are cluttering up your life and your inbox!

Act quickly with all communications. That is, decide to DO something with it right away. Now. Delete it, throw it away, reply to it, or file it. If it can be done is less than two minutes, DO IT. You can use the Getting Things Done method and create files such as

• A projects file
• Project supported material
• Calendar of actions and information
• A “next actions” file
• A “waiting for” file
• Reference material
• A “maybe someday” file

By taking action, even if it’s to decide to defer a task, at least you’ve made an attempt to keep your clutter under control.

Make the time to keep organized. The old saying goes, “Dig your well before you’re thirsty.” Before you get overwhelmed with clutter and paperwork, take the time to create those folders I just listed. It will make life so much easier if you file your documents and you’re easily able to find them later. Make sure you label your folders with an accurate name so that when you attempt to retrieve the information, your labels make sense to you and to others who may need to access your files.

Effective and effortless response. Which is the easiest (and most effective) way to respond to this communication? It could be email, letter, phone, delegation through another person, or eyeball to eyeball? Since most paperwork requires some sort of a response, always use the easiest or most effective way for YOU to respond.

We can click one setting and then trust our computers to save every single document (which is unnecessary), but it’s just as easy to become paranoid and make hard copies of everything, like my co-worker. Yes, it’s important to back up your computer files, but you don’t need a hard copy of every e-mail you’ve ever received. Nor do you need to save every letter you receive or send. To get a better grip on your paperwork, use good judgment, common sense, and the suggestions provided through the T.A.M.E. method.

This was a guest post from Ron Haynes who writes daily at The Wisdom Journal on issues such as wise choices, personal finance, business, and life in general. If you like this article, go ahead and subscribe to his site via RSS or email. It’s FREE!

Photo courtesy of Michel Filion

At least a couple times a week I get asked some version of the following question, “Have your thoughts on frugal living changed since you started your blog?”  The direct answer is a resounding, “Yes and No”.  Yes, writing about frugal living has helped make me more accountable to a more simple way of life.  No, interacting with thousands of readers has not changed my own personal opinions on frugal living, but it has opened my eyes a bit to how society as a whole views the practice of frugality.

In just over eight months I’ve received over 5,000 comments from readers here at Frugal Dad.  That does not count the dreaded spam comments, but it does include links from others who referenced pieces here at Frugal Dad.  I didn’t take the time to filter out those for purposes of this article.  I have attempted to summarize the comments into ten “truths” about frugal living–some for, and some against, the lifestyle of simple living.

1. Living frugal is not for everyone.  To the self-righteous frugalist this news is disappointing.  After all, if they can live frugal and be happy, then so should everyone else!  That is just not the case.  Turns out everyone is different (shocking, I know).  Personalities, life experiences, and personal situations often drive how people choose to spend money, or not spend money.
2. Everyone has a different level of tolerance for practicing frugality.  Not everyone is as gung-ho about rinsing out Ziploc bags, making homemade detergent, or line-drying their clothes.  Some people pick and choose frugal tips to implement, but don’t go all out.  Others try to save as much as possible in all areas of their lives.
3. Frugal living is not just about saving money.  The most obvious benefit of frugal living is reduced expenses, but there is another benefit that motivates many to live frugally.  Those who make a conscious effort to reduce waste are making an impact in the environment around them.  Actually, a better way to say that is they are making less  impact on the environment around them.
4. There is a difference in being frugal, and being cheap.  I dedicated an entire post to this idea a couple months ago, because I saw a lot of comparisons to the two types around the web, and I fielded questions on the subject as someone who wrote about being frugal.  Cheap people are often consumed with deals–finding the cheapest bottom line price available.  Those following a frugal lifestyle will invest more up front to get a quality product that will last longer, and require less repair/maintenance costs over time.  Frugal people will often pass on buying something they don’t need, even if it is a deal.
5. Frugal types are spiritual types.  I am a Christian.  I suspect not everyone who reads Frugal Dad shares my same beliefs, and that is perfectly fine.  However, I do believe most of the people who follow a life of frugality are “spiritual” people, whether that means they are Christians, Buddhists, or a non-denominational believer in some form of higher power.  Most frugal followers I’ve interacted with receive as much comfort from their spirituality as their frugality.
6. Frugality is about being good stewards of resources.  There is a connection between frugal followers and the environment, and not just because we are into square foot gardening.  The connection goes deeper, and is centered in the idea that we should be good stewards of our resources, natural and otherwise.  Frugal people tend to be less wasteful, and more concerned with environmental issues, but not overly critical of those who don’t follow these ideas.  In other words, your average frugalist isn’t out beating people up for not setting the recycling bin by the curb on Friday morning!  They simply live this way because it lines up with their own personal beliefs.
7. Frugality and debt don’t mix.  It is hard to live a simple existence when you are struggling to keep up with credit cards and car payments.  Debt forces us to stay in bad jobs.  It drains our mental resources, zapping creativity and inspiration.  It cheapens future earnings thanks to interest.  It adds unnecessary risk to our lives.  One of the very best things you can do for yourself is become debt free.
8. Frugal people don’t watch a lot of television.  Strange, but true.  We just aren’t big television viewers.  Don’t ask us who won American Idol last season, or who got kicked off the island, because we don’t have a clue.  Most television shows today are overly sensationalized dramas depicting people living lives free of any responsibilities.  The shows are full of plugs for things we don’t really need and have a way of making us more materialistic that we would be without seeing everyone else doing so well.
9. When someone sends frugal people $10, they keep it.  Coupons are your friend.  If your Sunday paper came each week with a $10 attached, would you simply throw it away?   That’s what most people do with coupons.  Sure, it takes some time to sit down and clip them, organize them, and plan for their use, but if it knocks several dollars off your ever-increasing food bill it might just be worth the effort.
10. Most frugal people can afford not to be.  Sounds odd, doesn’t it?  It’s true.  Most frugal people can afford to live much more extravagant lives, however they choose to live well below their means.  This does not mean that all frugal people are wealthy, or all spenders are poor, but I have noticed a general trend that frugal people live “rich” lives, regardless of their income.

Photo courtesy of Frenkieb

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to write me directly, or comment in various posts, with prayers and well-wishes for my mom.  Her surgery is scheduled for today, August 25th, and could last for several hours.  I may be away from the blog for extended periods this week, so if I seem slow to respond to comments or emails, it is not because I’m not appreciate of them.  I’ll post an update on her condition when I can.

The last couple weeks have been a scary time for all of us, as my mom was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition that will require surgical intervention.  In fact, by the time this post is published she will be undergoing surgery.  It has been more than a year now since my own shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, and remove a large bone spur from my shoulder joint.  I thought it might be a good time to review the types of financial preparations we both have made in the unlikely event of a negative outcome.

Emergency Fund

In the weeks leading up to surgery I suspended all debt repayment above and beyond my minimum payments.  With the extra money I added to my emergency fund, as sort of a first line of defense in case of unexpected medical costs, or a lengthier hospital stay than planned.  I also wanted my wife to have a cash cushion in case something happened and it took time for insurance/health benefits to be processed.  By the way, it is a good idea to have your spouse, or someone else you trust, listed on your checking account for this very reason.  If you are currently the only one listed on your checking or savings account you may want to take a spouse or friend with you to the bank and have them added to the account.  This can usually be accomplished by you both signing a “signature card,” or in some cases a new, joint account must be opened.  Either way, it is a good idea for someone else to have access to your money in an emergency situation.  Be sure this is someone you trust will not clean you out without permission!

Living Will/Advanced Directive

When I went for my pre-op appointment I was given the option to file an advanced directive with the hospital. After reading over the informational sheet provided I thought this would be a good idea because I could list who I wanted to be involved in decisions regarding my care should I not be able to make them for myself.  I also wanted to make clear what steps I wanted taken on my behalf  (food, hydration, life-support, etc.).  By making these choices up front I was relieving loved ones the burden of having to make such tough decisions in the event something went dreadfully wrong during the surgery.

Update Your Will

I am by nature a procrastinator.  I joke that I work best when the pressure is really on at the last minute, and if it wasn’t for the last minute, I wouldn’t get anything done.  Unfortunately, the last minute is not the time to wait to get a proper will in place.  In fact, because any of us could go at any minute, it is a good idea for everyone to have a will in place–particularly those with large assets and/or children.  Take some time to make sure your last wishes are known and well-documented, and that someone knows where to find that document.

Updated List of Accounts

A couple weeks before surgery I listed all of my accounts in an Excel document (legal pad will do), including contact information, account numbers, current balances, payments due, etc.  I also included some general instructions on who to contact for insurance policies and indicated where the hard copy certificates of insurance were located.  My wife and I reviewed this list prior to my surgery and she kept a hard copy in a designated area at home.

Put Your Bills on Autopilot

If you feel like you are the last person on Earth not using Online Bill Pay, do not fear, you have company.  I don’t know if it because I am just the world’s slowest adopter, or because strangely enough, I actually like paying bills, balancing my accounts, etc.  Still, it is a good idea to put as many of your regular payments on “auto pilot” while you are recovering from surgery.  Most companies now allow you to schedule payments ahead of time, and most banks offer a free (or nearly free) bill-paying service where you can schedule payments well in advance of their due date.

I know it seems morbid to discuss planning for worst case scenarios, but it really will help loved ones handle your affairs if you are gone, or otherwise unable to handle them yourself.  Hopefully all will go smoothly with your procedure and you will be back home before any of these contingencies would have to be implemented.

Sometimes you just need to get away.  A change of scenery, a different routine, and some quality, uninterrupted time with loved ones can work wonders when you are feeling stressed.  Unfortunately, the demands of work and school often interrupt the best laid plans for week-long vacations, so we decided this year to end summer with a short day trip.

The great thing about day trips is that a short ride can often reveal fun things to do in your own backyard (well, close enough).  No expensive overnight hotel charges are required, and to keep things frugal you can even take along food to save on expenses.

This was the only time I actually feared for the condition of our car’s exterior.

Last weekend we ventured out a couple hours to a wild animal park that lets visitors drive thru and feed the animals from your car.  We planned a trip to the zoo this summer, but my wife’s ankle is still a little bothersome, so the idea of driving around to look at the animals seemed like the next best thing.  We surfed around online to find ticket prices, and unfortunately there were no discounts for online or advanced orders.  The morning of the trip my wife packed up a cooler with a few sandwiches, bottles of water and enough snacks to keep us far away from McDonalds drive-thru windows.  The park’s website indicated they had picnic tables and even a covered shelter so we opted for the picnic as opposed to the restaurant adjacent to their gift store (can you say $7 hamburgers?).

Amazing creatures, and surprisingly gentle when fed by hand.

The ride over was easier than we imagined and the kids had a blast seeing the various animals in their natural habitat.  It’s not every day you can lower your window and feed a giraffe!  The cost of the tickets, the food (for the animals), and the gas there and back totaled less than $100.  Considering we would spend nearly as much on dinner and a movie for a family of four I thought this seemed like a reasonable expense.  We probably shaved $30 off that total by bringing our own lunch.  We also saved a bit of money by driving our own vehicle, rather than renting a zebra-painted rental for an extra $15.  Of course, this is one benefit of driving an older vehicle.  I didn’t see too many shiny BMWs weaving through the thousand-pound bulls smearing slobber and mud all over their windows.

We arrived home Saturday evening and gave our car a good washing!  Our dog didn’t seem to happy with the scents she was detecting and probably wondered where the heck we had been all afternoon.  A fun time was had by all, and it was definitely a “do-over.”  The short trip also gave us some ideas on how to save on future “frugal safaris.”  Here are a few of our ideas:

• Pack a picnic lunch.  Call ahead and make sure it is acceptable to bring in your own food in a small cooler.  Some places frown on this, but many zoos and animal parks are open to picnics-even providing picnic tables or shelters.  If the place you are planning to visit does not allow outside food, try to grab a bite before entering, or pack a lunch and eat it in the car on the way (we call these “rolling picnics”).

• Buy tickets in advance if possible.  Some places offer discounts for online purchases, or purchases in advance of the day you are visiting. Even if you don’t get a discount, it is usually worth ordering tickets ahead of time and saving yourselves some time by not having to wait in line to buy tickets.

• Stock up on hand sanitizer!  I probably should have listed this one first, especially for zoo trips and safari rides.  Animals are cute and cuddly, but they are dirty creatures out in the wild (the white rhino we saw was actually brown from laying in the dirt all day).  Before unpacking the picnic be sure everyone lathers up with some hand sanitizer–the next best thing to soap and water.

• Fill up in your home town.  Often times gas stations in tourist destinations (or near major attractions) charge a premium over other stations.  It’s a good idea to fill up the tank before starting out for your destination, and holding off until you are well away from any tourist areas before topping off for the ride home.

• Don’t forget a camera, and extra film or batteries.  Seems funny to recommend bringing film–I doubt many people use film cameras anymore.  If you have a digital camera, be sure your memory card has plenty of room and you have a backup set of batteries.

Enjoy the safari!  And whatever you do, don’t watch Jurassic Park the night before your trip!