Hello and Happy New Year, friends!
We hope you had a fun-filled New Year’s Eve counting down the seconds, living it up, or snoozing (no judgement, because same).
You might still be celebrating today, as you should! We just wanted to ensure that you had an email to help center yourself after all the celebrating is over.
If getting on track with money is exactly what you need right now, we highly recommend the Monarch Money app for keeping everything ordered. AND they are offering 50% OFF your first year with code: NEWYEAR2025 (sale ends 1/12/25).**
No matter how you track your finances, we all need the knowledge and habits to support beneficial money decisions. And that includes knowing how to find the fun free activities AND identifying the ways we can earn more. So let’s get into it…
🆓 Our Favorite Free Activities
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Go to the library.📚 The library has tons of free activities, especially during winter months. Rent a book or a movie, or even check out a jigsaw puzzle to do! My library has board game days monthly for adults. You don’t have to bring a game or someone to play with, that’s all provided! They also serve free snacks, which is a great way to double-dip and save a little on groceries, too.
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Declutter.📦 This is a great way to put all that pent-up winter energy to use. Try tackling one room at a time and sifting out what can be donated or sold.
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Cook/bake.👩🏻🍳 Try a new recipe! Use the ingredients you have on hand to try something new. Bonus points if you’re able to explore another culture’s cuisine by using different seasonings or cooking styles. (We all have that one jar of seasoning that’s been in our cabinet too long. Use it!)
💵 The Best Money Making Activities
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Sell your stuff.🏷️ Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, and Poshmark are all great options for selling the items that you’ve decluttered this month! Kitchen appliances, furniture, and clothing are items that are always in demand 🙂
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Sell arts & crafts.🖌️ Are you an avid crocheter, or have you spent years painting the sunrise? Consider selling your creations at a local craft fair or on a website like Etsy. This is a great way to make extra $$$ and have fun while doing it!
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Use your space.🛌 Did you know that you can rent out one of your rooms on AirBnB? This is a great way to put extra money into your savings or toward your mortgage every month. If you have questions or you’re thinking about getting started, check out this podcast episode! **
What to Do With the Extra
Beef up those funds with a High-Yield Savings Account (HYSA). If you don’t already have one, this is the one thing you need to do to get your finances back on track this year! With how high APYs are right now, you’ll make money…on your money.
Our favorite is CIT, which has a 4.20% APY right now. It’s a great place to stash your emergency fund or sinking funds, and with the extra you make on it monthly, you can afford to treat yoself once No Spend January is over! **
Spending is a skill and you can learn to master it. If you’ve ever struggled with being unable to stick to a budget or felt guilty about spending on something you enjoy, Jen and Jill’s upcoming book is going to be your next favorite read.
Grab your pre-order gifts. Free With EVERY pre-order. 🥳
Happy Holidays!!
Kim
⭐️⭐️ P.S. Want to share all this goodness with your friends AND earn cool Frugal Friends merch?
**Means this is a sponsored or affiliate section. We may earn a small fee or commission when you choose to try one of our sponsor or affiliate partners. But opinions are still 1000% our own.
