You may have noticed we look a little bit different this week. Warren has done a lot of work behind the scenes so we can more easily share photos and videos with you as we travel.

A few changes:

• We are now using our new logo from I Design Your Logo. You may remember us getting this logo several weeks ago, and we have already been using it on our Facebook page.
• The tabs at the top of the home page showcase the latest post, a video on where we are going, and random pictures. As we start to travel, these tabs may change. You’ll always see the most up-to-date info here.
• Are you on Facebook, Twitter, or Flickr? You can friend/like us through the icons on the upper right corner of the site. We put out a lot of info on Facebook and Twitter that isn’t quite big enough for a blog post, so if you like that sort of thing please connect with us there. You can also “like” us on Facebook from the widget in the footer.
• The categories are now on the right side in a dropdown menu, so if you only want to read posts on a particular topic you can click there and find everything you need.

Now that the basic changes are made, we can focus on the enhancements coming soon:

• An interactive map that will allow you to click on a destination and get photos, blog posts, and videos we’ve made. This is one we are very excited about and can’t wait to use. We’re hoping to have a function to allow you to suggest things for us, too.
• A really fantastic resource section with budgeting, planning, and downsizing information. We’ve met a lot of great people while planning this trip, and we want you to know them, too. We’ll also be updating the “New Here?” section for those just discovering our site or looking for how we got started.
• A link to our upcoming radio show, which will be done in a format similar to This American Life. We are really jazzed about doing this show for the Rock Your Genius network this fall and hope you like it, too.

Thanks for your patience as we’ve (we=Warren) worked behind the scenes to make this a better experience for you. Your comments and feedback have been a big help, and we want to keep hearing from you as we tweak this.

What do you think?

Eagles, chicks, and dreams

(Photo by Ivan Cabrera via Flickr)

Today we’ll be sending out our newsletter. We’ve revamped it – stripped it down to only the basics, just like our life these days. The article is pretty good, but what really stands out is the live webcam of an eagle with her baby. You’ll have to subscribe to see how that ties into my thoughts on achieving goals (when you subscribe, you also get our free ebook on how we saved money plus a few other cool things).  The newsletter goes out at 1 p.m. Pacific, so sign up now.

If you are already a subscriber, I’d love to know what you think.

Comments

You might notice a change in the comments section. You can now reply directly to a specific comment rather than having yours always appear at the end. This should make our conversations a little bit easier. Thanks to Warren for making that happen.

Speaking of comments, did you know you can add your picture to yours? Gravatar is a service that works all around the web to link your photo to your comments. It is a great way to let us all get to know you, and if you are into branding and all that it will help you get noticed just like a logo. Gravatar is free, and you can sign up here.

Social Media

We’ve been hanging out on Facebook and Twitter (Betsy and Warren), and we’re going to be better about posting videos to YouTube after the move. If you hang out in any of these places, we’d love to connect with you there. Each one has a slightly different vibe, and you’ll see a slightly different aspect of our personalities and thoughts on each. We think we might see a slightly different aspect of yours, too!

That’s all for this off-schedule post. Really, I do my own housekeeping about as often as I do the blog housekeeping posts like this. Can you see why selling the house and getting rid of everything is a good move for me?

You know, it isn’t hard to leave things you don’t like – the wrong job, a bad relationship, or even a crummy house. We think that anything we do after that has to be better than what we just went through. And usually it is.

View from our deck

But what about leaving something you love?

We’ve talked a lot about decluttering, downsizing, and sentimentality as we’ve prepared for this trip. And for the most part I’ve worked through it pretty well. But this week is hard for me as we officially list our house for sale and I know that we won’t be living here much longer.

We had such a tough time personally when we lived in Boston, and the freedom we gained from downsizing and changing our surroundings was like an adrenaline boost. We finally started living! And it is hard to leave this place that has been so good for us.

But I think back to the lessons we learned last year about attaching sentimental value to material things, and the danger in giving the object more weight than the actual memory or feeling. That is probably what is happening here.

This house and this location marked a big turning point in our lives, and if it weren’t for our move here, I don’t think we’d be planning our trip around the world. In fact, I’m pretty certain we wouldn’t.

In the final few months before our departure, I’m starting to feel a little bit like this motorcycle rider in the video below. I expected to make the leap, sure, but I didn’t expect a plane to come flying in underneath me. It has me a little bit unsettled, but I know once I reach the other side I’ll be okay.

Remember as you plan your big dreams that you do have to give some things up to get what you want. Don’t let the fear of letting go keep you from reaching for your dreams.

“You can have it all, just not all at once.”

How do you handle letting go?

Photo by janetmck via Flickr

Today’s post is inspired by a conversation with my friend Debb, who thinks I need an intervention for my reverse kleptomania. What’s so funny about this post is that I originally planned an article about hoarding today (you’ll get that next time). Read on to get the full story.

We’ve been downsizing in stages now for a few years, and things are starting to get really aggressive.

The house goes on the market in just a couple of weeks, and we want to have everything gone that isn’t essential for daily living or staging the house.

One of my strategies lately has been leaving/donating/gifting items every time I go somewhere. Debb calls this “reverse klepto” and calls me on it every time (sorta like the Sheriff of Nottingham to my merry Robin Hood).

A few instances of my reverse kleptomania:

• We went to an event last week and they requested canned good donations for a food bank. We have several canvas bags, so instead of using a plastic one I donated our cans in the canvas tote.
• One of my friends commented that she loved all kinds of music, and I still have a hundred or so CDs that have already been transferred to my iPod. I brought them to her at a party in yet another canvas bag.
• At a potluck I brought a plate of brownies and “forgot” the plate as I was leaving. This friend brought the plate back to me, and when I explained my strategy she laughed (but still gave me the plate back).

Instead of coveting things I’m always on the lookout for how other people can use my stuff. I don’t want to offload junk, but if I see a need I want to fill it, even if that person doesn’t quite realize they have the need yet. Just last night at a party I figured out the perfect person to get my crockpot.

Debb is like an eagle when I go to her house, and she does a bag check when I leave to make sure I’m taking everything with me. She’s tough, that one. But most everyone else is okay with my reverse kleptomania. At least those who realize I’m doing it.

I’m not sure if this makes me an evil person or not, especially since I stand on my figurative soapbox every week and talk about downsizing and decluttering. But I’m on a timeline, people!

So I’m opening up the comments below for your judgements, sympathies, and creative new terms for “reverse kleptomania.” Debb will be so happy to finally have a name for it.

PS – I’m going to a Superbowl party at Debb’s house this weekend, and I plan to bring a dress for one of the other guests. In one of my canvas bags, of course! hehehe

It was the approach of Y2K and people were getting a little crazy.  Remember that?  Planes were going to fall out of the sky, and the computers that manage our money, oil, food, and government were going to stop working at the stroke of midnight.

The sky was falling!

Some people were making shelters with razor-wire fences, stockpiling food, and buying guns and ammunition to fend off the desperate people who would try to steal from them in the coming apocalypse.

It’s almost funny to think about it now, but for many people it was a real fear.  I like to think of it as an example of how things are hardly ever as bad as you think they will be.

What were you doing 10 years ago?  Were you scared of Y2K, indifferent, or fully prepared?

I guess I was mostly indifferent.  At the time I was telecommuting (with a dial-up modem!) and did back up my computer before finishing work that day and transferred important files to one of those 3.5″ disks – remember those?  But I didn’t really do anything else.  My husband at the time was a police officer and worked that night, and I went to bed around 10 p.m.

At 11 I got a slightly drunken call from one of my friends in Texas reassuring me that the world had not come to an end, at least in her timezone, and I was able to drift back to sleep.  It makes me smile to think of that memory, and even though we are still far apart I sent her an email today reminding her of that night.

So, what were you doing on the eve of Y2K?  Were you worried?

(Photo by Warren Talbot)

Only a few more days left in 2009, and I’m excited to turn the page to a new decade.  But before we do that, let’s take a look back at 2009 and what was most popular on the blog.

I may be compiling this list, but YOU made them popular by clicking through, commenting, tweeting, and sharing with your friends.

So what’s popular? Saving money, getting rid of junk, and living a life true to yourself.  I’d say this was a pretty good year.

Top 10 Blog Posts in 2009

1. How much money do you need? Part of our series on how we saved enough money to change our lives.  What a powerful exercise to actually map what it would take to live your dream.  I’m betting it is less than you think.
2. How we saved enough money to change our lives (and how you can, too!) is our 55-page ebook which is currently free to download.  I’m repackaging it with some video and audio and will be putting it together in a package that we will sell in 2010, so get it now while it is still free!
3. The no ‘poo method is one of the most popular money-saving posts I’ve ever written.  It sounds gross, but it is actually a method of washing your hair that doesn’t involve shampoo or harsh chemicals.  People with thicker hair seem to have much better success with this method.  I have gone back to using shampoo, but much less often, and I have a healthier scalp and shinier hair because of it.  Try it!
4. Necessary and unnecessary expenses isn’t a judgement about what you buy.  Instead, it introduces the concept of *everything* as an unnecessary expense until you say it is.  When you make the decision on what to add into your empty budget instead of what to take away from a full one, you’ll feel better about saving money.
5. Your financial future, no obsessing necessary is a guest post from Erica Adams of Smarty Pig.  Readers were asked to leave a comment about what they were saving for to get a chance for a $50 Smarty Pig savings card.  Unfortunately those comments did not make it over when we migrated the blog to a new platform earlier this year, but you can read about online savings programs and how they can help you save for small and large goals.
6. Is it selfish to not have kids? This post grew out of an interview I did with Delicious Day on the choice to not have children. I heard back from people with and without kids, and the overriding theme seems to be there is no right or wrong answer to this question. The important thing is to live a life that is true to you. I loved doing this interview.
7. To sell or not to sell is a post written by Warren about our house.  In a down market, and with an expected 3-year trip around the world, does it makes sense to sell or rent?
8. Gear Review: REI Grand Tour Women’s Backpack is the story of my future “home.”  Almost everything I own will reside in this orange (my favorite color) wonder, and buying it was one of the first signs that this trip is going to be real.
9. April theme: Decluttering was the kickoff of a month-long cleaning spree. Links for all the posts in the series are on this page.
10. How to create a budget for big savings or debt reduction was one of my favorite posts to write, mainly because I’m not by nature a budgeter or very organized.  If I can do this, anyone can!

What would you like to see in 2010? Let me know in the comments or send me an email.

We’re planning to be even more transparent with the new year (don’t worry – no nudity!), and you’ll see a little bit more opinion and personality in our posts instead of “just the facts, ma’am.”

Every dollar counts

Groupon is such a good idea that I’m kicking myself for not thinking of it first.  Groupon features one deal per day with something fun to do, and if enough people sign up for the deal they can offer it at that price.  Emails go out in the early morning, and you’ll always know how many people have to sign up to get the deal.  By the time I log on the deals are usually on and I just need to decide if I want it or not.  The next day an email arrives with my redemption instructions, or I can just view my account page on the website.

If enough people do not sign up, the deal doesn’t go through and you get nothing and owe nothing.

The site is all about group buying power in a local area.  I’ve bought a gift card for a restaurant I like at 50% off and also got a month of beginner’s yoga for over 50% off.  Because I had previously gotten another friend to sign up for Groupon I had an extra $10 credited to my account, which gave me an additional savings on my yoga Groupon.

What’s really cool about this service is that you can gift your purchases to someone else, which is perfect for the holiday season.  I love gifts of experience, don’t you?

Groupon is available in 27 cities, and when you find something you like you can advertise it through Twitter and Facebook to get your friends interested, too (that’s how I got the extra $10 added to my account).  How fun to attend a concert, go to a restaurant, or take a class together – at a discount!

Check it out to see if it is available in your city.  And if you’re a business in one of those cities, you should really investigate offering a deal because it is great publicity.

Hope your shopping is within your budget and sanity level this holiday season.  (If not, get some budget basics here.)

What is the price tag on your dream?

Update 5/17/11: Interested to see how our savings is working real-time on our trip? Check out our monthly “expense reports” where we detail all our spending and the lessons we learn.

This is the first in a series called How We Saved Enough Money to Change Our Lives and How You Can, Too. Click here to get all the posts delivered directly to your email inbox or feed reader.  You’ll want the inside scoop on how we saved $75,000 for the adventure of a lifetime!

How much money do you think it takes for two people to travel around the world?  Actually, let’s take it a step back.  When you think of doing something like that, do you even put a price tag on it, or do you just assume it is out of your reach?

What is the price tag of your dream?

We all have big dreams, and only a few of us ever really turn them into something.  There are a host of reasons why, but I think one of the main culprits is a lack of planning.  We can’t even comprehend the logistics of making our dreams come true so we never seriously think about making them come true.

We all want to win the lottery so we’ll have the means to make our dreams come true.  Some of us actually count on that and play every week.

I hate to break it to you, but that’s probably not going to happen.  You have a better chance of making your dream come true through your own hard work and planning.

In our case, we thought it would take a lifetime of saving to be able to enjoy a retirement with a few years of travel.  In reality, we will be living our retirement dream 27 years ahead of schedule.

How did we speed up the original timeline?

In order to take your dream from idea to reality, you have to face reality.  Instead of thinking that you don’t have the money/time/freedom to pursue your dream, simply take the time to map out what it would take to make your dream come true.

1. We did some research of seasoned travelers and found that they spent between $5,000 and $80,000 per year on long-term travel.  Find several people who have done something similar to your dream and learn from their experience.
2. Where we travel, how we travel, and the speed with which we travel make a huge impact on the amount of money we need.  Based on our preferences, we were able to estimate $100/day for long-term travel, which comes to $36,500 per year.  Just because someone else can live in Asia for a year on $5000 does not mean that is how we have to do it.  Rework the math from your research to accommodate your dream as necessary.
3. We decided that we wanted to leave in time to celebrate our 40th birthdays on the road.  Creating your timeline doesn’t have to be anymore scientific than that.  But you have to create a deadline or you won’t ever feel compelled to finish.
4. All that’s left is basic math. If your goal is to save 50,000 in 2 years, you have to make adjustments in your spending and saving habits to account for putting $2,083.34 in the bank each month  (we’ll address the “how” in a later post).
5. How much money do you have now? We had a small savings account for travel that we used as our launch pad for the Big Trip.  Whatever spare change you have laying around can be the start to your savings plan, and we’ll show you how we added to this little nest egg in the upcoming posts.

What is your big dream, and what are you doing right now to make it happen?  Because if you aren’t actively working on a dream, it would be easy to mistake you for someone who doesn’t have one.

Series Posts:

• Where is your money going?
• How to create a budget for big savings or debt reduction
• Necessary and unnecessary expenses
• How to have fun on a tight budget
• Making money off your junk
• Financial success story: living debt-free on a teacher’s salary
• Birthdays and holidays on a budget
• Online tools for managing your money
• Financial success story: teaching abroad
• How we saved enough money to change our lives and how you can, too

Thumbs up! (Photo by momentcaptured1 via Flickr)

So many blogs and news sources point out when things go wrong, and we’re always waiting for the next scandal, aren’t we?

One of my favorite newsletters is by Chris Brogan, and he has a regular column about Who’s Doing it Right.  This just seems like a small way to balance things out, so I’m going to follow suit and post regular updates on Who’s Doing it Right.

• Josh Hanagarne is the World’s Strongest Librarian.  Josh is a librarian, strongman, and “twitchy guy with Tourette’s Syndrome” who writes about goal setting, enjoying life, training your body and your mind, and books.  What I like most about Josh is that he actively engages with his readers and seems to have a superhuman capacity for work.  I don’t know how he does it, but I’m going to keep reading so I can find out.
• Debb Whitlock has started a gratitude journal for the last 100 days of this year.  She keeps it simple with a list of 5 things each day and a note about what’s going on in her life.  She often jogs my mind about things I should be thankful for as well, and if you are not yet motivated enough to do your own gratitude journal you can certainly benefit from Debb’s Motivating Mindset.
• I can’t leave Chris Brogan off my first list of Who’s Doing it Right.  Chris writes about media and community, and he is the coauthor of the new bestseller Trust Agents.  He’s put a lot of good stuff out there, but what really resonates with me is his newsletter.  He gets a little more “touchy-feely” with this, and every issue leaves me something to think about.  Sign up yourself and you’ll see what I mean.

Even if you don’t have a blog, you can showcase who’s doing it right by telling your friends, providing online reviews when you get great service from a person or company, or sending an email or card to the person to say “thank you.”

It won’t make the negativity in this world go away, but it will certainly make your corner of the world a little bit brighter because you’ll be focusing on Who’s Doing it Right.

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Betsy Talbot writes about carving the lifestyle you want out of the life you already have. When she’s not writing, she’s paring down, saving up, and getting ready for a year of travel with her husband Warren.