Frugally Green

This is a video update post.  If you are reading via email or feed reader and cannot see the video, please click here to go to the site to view it.

Happy New Years everyone! Party harty! This is another video update discussing some changes going on around Frugally Green for 2010.  I like doing these on holidays. Watch and enjoy.  If, for some reason, you’re not able to view the video, here are the highlights:

I’ve finally completed my annual review and, for the most part, have my life set for the next 365 days.  Hopefully you’ve got some big plans for 2010 as well.  Feel free to let us all know what they are in the comments.

As a result of my annual review, I’ve decided to make three significant changes to Frugally Green this year.  I’m excited.  I hope you are, too.

New Guest Contributor

Aldra from Consciously Frugal will now be a guest contributor here, posting monthly. If you don’t already know her from the comments section of the site where she’s an active participant, let me tell you she’s a pretty great person and an excellent writer with enough opinion to go around.  I’m really excited to have her on board and I know you’re going to love what she has to offer.

If you’re dying to get to know her right away, feel free to head on over to her site.

New Posting Schedule

I’m changing the posting schedule back to once per week.  I weighed a lot of options while considering this and it was a tough decision to make, but I am certain that it is what is best for you, me, and Frugally Green.

Though a little less frequent, the new schedule will allow me to write much deeper posts that are more valuable and actionable to you. Every time you read a Frugally Green article, I want you to have all the information you need to form a full opinion or implement a new idea in your life.  This schedule will help support that goal.

Frugally Green Now Accepting Guest Posts

In an effort to make Frugally Green a really great, community oriented site, I will start accepting guest post submissions.  Reading through all the comments of 2009, I realized that many readers are also bloggers and have some really awesome things to say (I love having smart readers!).

If you’d like an opportunity to share your wisdom here, I’d be happy to help facilitate that.  Just head to the contact page and get a hold of me however you like. Also, feel free to just leave a comment here if you’d prefer and I’ll get in touch with you.

Thanks for being such an important part of Frugally Green in 2009.  I really look forward to spending the next year with you.

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If you’re planning to have an awesome 2010,  leave a comment and subscribe get free updates.

Connect with me on Twitter: @tylertervooren

This is a video update post.  If you are reading via email or feed reader and cannot see the video, please click here to go to the site to view it.

Merry Christmas, all!  This is just a quick video salutation (less than 1 min.) to say:

• Merry Christmas, duh!

• Presents are cool, but people are better.

• Don’t forget to recycle your wrapping paper.

• Stay tuned for an update next week about what Frugally Green will look like in 2010.

I hope you’re in a nice warm place with friends and family.  Wear out your voice singing Christmas carols if you must, but make sure there’s plenty of eggnog around to soothe the windpipes.

Merry Christmas.

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If you haven’t passed out from too much eggnog yet, leave a comment, or subscribe get free updates.

Connect with me on Twitter: @tylertervooren

This is a video update.  If you are reading via email and cannot view the video, please click here to go to the site.  A short text summary is also included below. Enjoy!

Happy (early) Thanksgiving

Happy early Thanksgiving everyone. I hope wherever you end up tomorrow, it’s with people you love.  Don’t forget to take a second between bites to think about all you have to be thankful for.

I know what I’m thankful for: readers like you.  There are days when I come home tired and don’t want to work on the site, but remembering that you’re out there reading reminds me that I have nothing to complain about and everything to be grateful for.

So, thank you. You are what keeps me going day in and day out.

A Thanksgiving Guest Post

I did, in fact, write a full post for today. It is a guest post that is up right now at Get Rich Slowly, another blog that I am very thankful for.  It’s titled Giving to Receive: What Legacy Will You Leave? and discusses the idea of social responsibility and how you can succeed by helping others.  Feel free to leave your comments there, or come back here to leave them if you’d prefer.

Whatever you do, I hope you read it and take a moment to consider the message.  I think it’s important.

Thanks again for being part of Frugally Green.  I wouldn’t be here without you.

What do you have to be thankful for this year?

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Connect with me on Twitter: @FrugallyGreen

Hey everyone.  Welcome to the first ever video post at Frugally Green.  I’ve answered a few of the questions that readers asked in the recent survey.  Hope you all enjoy.  If for some reason you can’t watch the video, I’ve highlighted the important points below.

“How do I convince myself that in fact, I do not need as much as I have?”

Eliminate unnecessary clutter. Look at the things you already have and ask yourself, “When was the last time I used that?”  If it’s been awhile think about getting rid of it.

Determine long term value.  When you buy something new are you just filling an immediate desire or are you buying something that will give you lasting joy and value?  Check out this post for more.

“What would be a good way to start up a community recycling center?”

This will be tough to do on your own.  Get together with some good neighborhood friends if you can.  Maybe a ‘traveling’ center is the way to go at first.  Share the responsibility weekly or monthly.  Keep it small and manageable until you’ve got a real handle on it.

Get involved with your city council. Go to meetings and let them know what you want as a resident. Enlist the help of your friends. The more people you can get involved, the faster you can effect change.

Check out this guide I found (downloadable pdf) with real, solid info about starting a community recycling initiative.

“How do I continually find new ways to be green and stick to them?”

Focus on the things that are already important to you.  How can you improve them?

Put a microscope to the things you’re already doing.  Don’t look for something new without a reason why.

“Is it possible to find a way to make sustainability something that most people can be bothered getting behind?”

I think it’s possible, but has more to do with focusing on yourself than others.  Do what you love – you’ll exude an energy that is contagious.  When people see you improving your life without making it look like work, they’ll be more inspired to try it themselves.

Do you have any suggestions for these readers?

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Connect with me on Twitter: @FrugallyGreen