I ran across an interesting quote today. Before I go on, I’ll share it with you.

"Our waste problem is not the fault only of producers. It is the fault of an economy that is wasteful from top to bottom – a symbiosis of an unlimited greed at the top and a lazy, passive, and self-indulgent consumptiveness at the bottom – and all of us are involved in it,” Wendell Berry.

The brunt of Berry’s argument comes when he says our waste is connected to the economy — to how we use and use and use without thought to conservation, moderation, or luxury. I think we can stretch the logic of his statement to say that our waste directly relates to our spending habits. For instance, a person who uses the green linen grocery bags instead of opting for the plastic sacks at checkout would be more money conscious. If consumption leads to waste and the majority of waste comes as a result of convenience, laziness, and general apathy then we might need to reconsider our perception on use.

The natives of this country did hunt for their food, not travel to grocery stores to buy plastic covered meat with food coloring to accentuate it’s freshness. The act of slaughtering an animal meant preserving a family through use of that animal’s resources. Today we often times forget the process behind the foods and supplies we consume. We see only price labels, packaging, and product. The resources we use come down to buying bits and making them fit holes, not finding the whole and making it fit the individual needs.

American society does waste more per capita than any country in the world. Coincidentally we’re also a country of consumers rather than savers. Our economy thrives on this spending, but we also lose site of usefulness and needs when we simply buy and buy and buy. As individuals we can attempt to stymie excess spending by reining in the unnecessary purchases and making smarter shopping decisions on the whole.

The best place to start for smart shopping would be where we meet our life needs: food, shelter, and clothing. We need these essentials, so how do we go about getting them without creating too much waste in the process, both for our wallets and the world around us. In the next few posts, we’re going to take a look at how we can transform our approach to spending on necessities and forfeit waste in the process.

One of the most obvious ways to save money is to reduce debt. The biggest pain in the financial rear comes from credit cards. If you’re in good standing with your credit card lender, then you probably enjoy a finance rate around 10%. The more unfortunate might see rates around 20% or even higher. What can you do to reduce your credit card debt and ultimately save yourself those high finance charges every month?

If you read our latest Frugal Mindset post, you probably know we’re big on financial perspective. When you change the way you see your credit card, then you’ll begin the road to change. We can use a credit card to buy everything, right? We can. But we shouldn’t. A credit card should be a lifeline in an emergency, not the financial ties that bind us. Here’s some steps to severing our ties to a credit card followed by a few tips on reducing credit card debt quickly.

How to Severe Ties with Your Credit Card

1. Cut it to pieces. It takes willpower and determination to do this step, but its the most effective. We don’t recommend closing an account, as credit cards do help your credit score (when paid on time).
2. Call the creditor for reduced interest rates. A quick solution to a high interest rate. Don’t be too optimistic with this solution. The dire financial state has made many creditors raise their rates to make up profits. Still worth a try.
3. Transfer the balance to a different card. While not the best solution, many credit card companies offer low interest rates on transfer for a limited time or for an extended period of time. It can save you a substantial amount, unless you go back to the old card and start loading up purchases.
4. Steer clear of cash advances. The interest rates on cash advances usually exceed those of standard purchases. To keep your credit card in check, stay away from these outrageous rates.

How to Erase Credit Card Debt

After you’ve taken a few of the above steps, you can begin drafting a plan to tackle your existing debt. For starters, you should tabulate the amount you owe among all your cards. This can help you create your plan.

A plan should be tied into your budget. You need the money to pay more on specific debts in a downward triangle approach, the beginning point should be the least amount of debt, unless that debt accrues a low interest rate. For instance, a $650 Department store card with high interest rate should be first obstacle in the pay off.

I recommend focusing on the small debt first, then taking on the next biggest one. The only exception being the low interest rate small debt one. If you have large debt with a very high interest rate, then that needs paid off before a low interest rate small debt card.

If you’re like me, then you probably want a timeframe. How long will it take to pay off xyz card with this type of interest rate? An Excel document can calculate the amount of time it would take to payoff a debt. You don’t have to do the heavy lifting though. The folks at Vertex42.com have a free credit card debt payoff calculator using Excel. It’s very well done and free. It’s very simple to use too and gives you the amount of time it would take to pay off debt with a certain interest rate.

Download the Debt Calculator Excel File

Good luck paying off the excess credit card debt. Once you have that obstacle out of the way, you will realize monthly savings from the lack of finance charges.

New year resolutions usually come with a price tag. If your resolution was to exercise more this new year, then we can hopefully help you save some money.

Gyms across the country are ripe with new members this month. Many of those gyms offer new customers a terrific introductory offer to encourage them to sign up. If you’re in the market for a gym, we recommend looking for one that waives the setup fees, as these can run into the hundreds of dollars. Also make sure you understand the gym membership contractual fine print. Many gyms charge an early cancellation fee. Be sure you’re committed to the act of exercising before signing on the dotted line.

A gym membership can be an added monthly expense though, so be sure you budget in the money beforehand. If you really want to save money, many people choose to exercise at home. It may not be as glamorous as a gym, but you can still stay fit and tone through cardio and basic toning exercises. To exercise at home, you may need to purchase some equipment, like a treadmill (unless you live in a warm climate), dumbbell set, fitness ball or step bench. The cost of a gym membership would easily eclipse the cost of all these items over the course of a year.

Have you thought of joining a sports league? Basketball and softball squads get sponsored by area businesses in many communities. The cost to join a league is minimal and the social aspect of these activities makes them a doubly beneficial act. Contacting your park district or other community organization can put you on the path to enjoying these physically challenging activities.

However you choose to exercise in 2009, be sure to scrutinize the expense and not get trapped into spending more than you can afford. A healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to cause financial hardship. In these trying times, every little bit helps. My 81 year old grandfather still does twenty pushups and sit-ups every morning. This free bit of exercise has helped him stay healthy and frugal throughout the years. How will you save and still stay fit?