Hello Frugal Feministas!

(I wrote this newsletter over the weekend and have seen such a positive response. It really hit a nerve with a lot of us so I decided to make it today’s post. Thanks for all of your replies. I will respond to each one.)

-Kara

It’s about 7:45EST as I write this love note to you. This morning I woke up so inspired to get my day started.

And I started to ask myself, “Kara, why are you so pumped so early in the am on a sleepy Saturday morning, pray tell?”

Well, I think it was a few things and I wanted to share them with you because I think they may be helpful for you if you are in need of a Saturday morning restart.

1.You can always create your comeback. So, I’m not sure if you remember, but in a few newsletters ago, I shared with you a major failure– I was not able to meet my August deadline of getting The Unmasking The Strong Black Woman book out to you.

But with a lot of ugly crying and persistence, I ordered the proof of it, which is the printed copy of the book sent out for final touches last week.

Woohoo!!!

This idea of helping brown girls like us own our financial and emotional health, which has been a big part of me, which I believe is my life’s work, and which forced me to fail hard and publicly is now an actual living thing that I will be able to share with all of you.

Yum!

If you are wondering when it’s coming, when I’m closer to having completed the finishing touches, I will let you know. But I will definitely show when the proof arrives!

So the moral is just keep pushing… and if you can’t  push, then nudge your way to the next step and try to get one thing done to make you feel good about yourself.

For Unmasking the Strong Black Woman book, it was a matter of clicking a link, filling out a few fields, and paying $12.00 for my dream to be shipped to me.

What will you be willing to do to recreate yourself and your comeback?

2.Know your needs vs. wants. For those of you in The Frugal Feminista Self-care Community on Facebook, I shared that I recently finished my big ol’ bottle of Eucerin lotion after two years of use and not buying any smell good or lotion until it was done.

In the community, we had a lively discussion about needs vs. wants and the truth about claiming we can’t afford something when the reality is that we are spending on things that we don’t use.

My lotion addiction has been kept in check and saved me tons of money.

I’m still weak in the knees when it comes to books and purses, but I’m a lot better and having the community to share and strategize with about helps a lot. If you want to join us, come. We don’t bite. Here’s the link.

3. Monitor your media intake. I think social media can be great but I think it can be one of the worst things for your spirit and your self-esteem. For realies. (That was on purpose. LoL). If your thoughts are headed south and you noticed that it was after a marathon run on Facebook,  Instagram, Twitter, Periscope, or your preferred weapon of choice, take a break.

Actually, this weekend as I was preparing for a video series (that I can’t wait to share more about when it’s time), the speaker talked about how he stayed away from social media and even mainstream media because it polluted his creativity and put dents in his confidence. If you are familiar with Tim Ferris, author of the 4-Hour Work Week (and a book I highly recommend), he talks about this concept, too. Very powerful stuff from people who’ve had their money helping people break from their old thinking.

4. Start with the number 15. When I have a Herculean task to complete with the blog or the job or with my family, that’s where I jumpstart my first-class levels of procrastination. But when I say to myself, “Hey, Kara, just do it for 15-minutes,” I feel a sense relief. The pressure to be perfect is gone and, of course what happens is that I spend more than 15 minutes working on whatever it was that I was trying to avoid.

The 15-minute rule has been instrumental in helping me overcome many a fear, including organizing my bills, picking up the phone for my student loans, or asking for an uncomfortable favor.

The 15-minute rule is what keeps The Frugal Feminista growing, the books written and edited, and the comfort zone changing.

And honestly… this newsletter written. And by the time I send it, it will be 8:30 and I started at 7:44.

See, it works.

Try it out and let me know how it works.

Okay, Frugal Feministas, I’m out. I’m going to take a walk for 15-minutes.

Please leave a comment  and let me know which of these nuggets resonated with you the most and why. I love hearing from you!

Warmest,
Kara
P.S. On the site, here’s an article on the site by Aisha of FNPhenomenal that talks about setting goals. Check it out.

[info_box type=”alert_box”]Caring for yourself including takes care of your finances.  I encourage all ladies who are serious about self-care to go on The Happy Finances Challenge. In 42 days you can learn to make money decisions that will lead to long-term financial happiness.  [/info_box]