Hello Reader!

We just returned from London! We lucked out with beautiful weather to enjoy the blooming parks. We took advantage of its great and affordable public transport system to get around town. We visited a lot of free sites, like the museums, and avoided the costly tourist traps. I'm glad we went now, because with all of this tariff talk, we will be tightening the budget to prepare for all of this uncertainty.

We've done the basics, like getting rid of high-interest debt, and we've boosted our emergency fund, but here are a few more tangible things we are doing. Coincidentally, a lot of the things we are doing align with living a more sustainable life. Our household is going to be a bit stricter with following the Buyerarchy of Needs to guide our spending decisions.

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Here's what we will be doing:

• Use our car less - We have been a one-car household for over 10 years. Our goal will be to extend the life of our car a few more years by taking care of it. It can be easy to lease a car, but this is a debt that we don't want over our heads. Instead, we are going to take very good care of an expensive item.
• Take no summer vacation - We decided early on not to go on summer vacation. Instead, we took our big trip this spring and will spend our time locally. I've already signed up for our community pool, which we love, and other local activities that are easier on the wallet.
• Eat better locally - We have signed up for a CSA to support local farmers in NJ. With tariffs up in the air, food prices are likely to increase. By supporting local producers, we reduce our carbon footprint for the things that nourish us, and we support local farms and families at the same time.
• Take care of our things - Tariff chaos means a lot of things are going to increase in price. Instead of upgrading right away, we will work to take care of our things better. For instance, I just reset my iPhone 11 and updated the software. It feels brand new already, and it didn't cost me a dime. My biggest flex right now: not having monthly payments.
• No new clothes - Clothes will likely take a hit in the next few months, so we are gearing up by foregoing buying anything new. I've bought leather conditioner to freshen up 2 bags and a pair of shoes that I own. I'll be hitting up ThredUp to buy a dress for a special occasion. I'll also be following these tips to extend the life of what I own already.
• Stock up mindfully - It can be tempting to stock up in the midst of all of this, but it's important to be mindful of the excess and extra you have at home, especially for things that do not get used up as quickly. This is literal money that could be used to pay high-interest debt and save you money in the long run.

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Overall, our theme for the next few months is going to be:

BOUGIE FRUGAL

Enjoy quality and luxury while staying within a budget!

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Reader, how are you thinking about the next few months? Are you preparing your finances and your household?

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