Sustainability Starter Pack: 6 Simple Swaps to Save Money (and the Planet!)

Sometimes being sustainable feels like a hard ask. I get it! That’s why I wanted to share with you the 6 easiest, most mindless swaps that help save you money and help save the environment.

1. Reusable Water Bottle

If you’re looking where to start, look no further than the humble reusable water bottle. Not only does it reduce plastic water bottle usage, which takes years to biodegrade, but it also is chic and cute. I like water bottles that are super great at insulating the cold! Mine keeps ice in there for over 24 hours.

Hydro Flask Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Sports Water Bottle with Cap, Black, 21 Ounce Buy on Amazon

Hydroflasks are a very popular, and trendy option, but there are also great options on the market that do the same job for less. I personally use a TAL 64 oz bottle. (Be sure to use Rakuten with it to get 6% cash back!) This way I know I only need to drink one bottle of water per day and I can tell if I’m not on track!

Stay hydrated, save money, and the planet. WIN-WIN-WIN! :)

2. Fountain Pen

Sustainability but make it fashun! This year I started using a refillable fountain pen. I use a Pilot Metropolitan. When I did my research, this was a good, basic, beginners fountain pen. I needed something easy.

My dad actually started using them years ago because the pressure it takes to write with the fountain is a lot less than the grip you need with a standard pen. He ended up switching to fountain pens for that reason, but I was more interested in the sustainability and sexiness factor. This is a sexy pen! It’s heavy and the nib looks very fancy. There are really fancy ones you can get on Amazon for like $12, so it doesn’t even cost that much to get started.

This one came with a fountain pen and an ink refill cartridge. You’ll take an ink cartridge, put the end into the inkwell, and squeeze the rubber part until the ink stops bubbling. That’s when you know it’s full of ink. Then you unscrew your fountain pen and load the ink cartridge in. It’s super simple once you get the hang of it.

Pilot Metropolitan: $23 at time of publishing

Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen, Black, 1.0mm Stub nib Buy on Amazon

It’s also ergonomic and you don’t have to put a ton of pressure on the paper when you write which causes your hand to get cramped up and callous. It saves you a ton of money and makes you more conscious of keeping track of your pen. This is the only pen I use now. It’s made of all metal, no plastic like those cheap pens you buy.

I really love using this fountain pen. It feels luxe and not only does it make you feel luxe, it saves you a lot of money from ever having to buy another pen again. Again, I use a Pilot Metropolitan, a great beginners fountain pen, but I highly recommend you check out any reusable fountain pen.

Pen: $14.99 // Ink: $11.29 at time of publishing

Matte Black Forest Fountain Pen Extra Fine Nib Classic Design with Converter and Metal Pen Box Set by Hongdian Buy on Amazon

Waterman 50ml Ink Bottle for Fountain Pens, Intense Black Ink (S0110710) Buy on Amazon

3. Wool Dryer Balls

Another super easy swap is getting dry balls. I like the wool one’s because they’re all natural and non-damaging. The dryer balls cut down your drying time, the natural motion from the balls bouncing around in the machine helps to beat the water out even quicker and keeps all of your clothes feeling really soft without having to use dryer sheets. Which even knows what’s in those dryer sheets—I don’t.

I really like using these dryer balls in place of dryer sheets. They keep my clothes soft, cut down on the drying time, and I’m not buying dryer sheets ever again.

$6.99 for pack of 6 at time of publishing.

SnugPad Wool Dryer Balls XL Size 6 Pack, Natural Fabric Softener 100% Organic Premium New Zealand Wool, Chemical Free and Reduces Wrinkles, 1000+ Loads, Baby Safe, Saving Energy & Time, White 6 Count Buy on Amazon

4. Safety Razor

Honestly, I can’t think of a reason not to switch to safety razors. In addition, to giving a better shave and reducing irritation, they are less expensive and more eco-friendly than normal razors. Seriously, what more could you ask for? One handle will last a lifetime, and the blades (which come in bulk!) can be recycled at your local recycling center.

I specifically like a butterfly safety razor because it’s easy to twist open and replace the blade. It goes right on top and that’s the only thing you are really replacing. For a pack of 100 blades it cost about $6-$7. Traditional razor-heads for women are really expensive and add up so quickly. So for a pack of 100 of these razor blades you could change it out every couple days and you’d be gold in for the entire year.

Vikings Blade Chieftain: $29 at time of publishing.

VIKINGS BLADE The Chieftain Double Edge Safety Razor (Neutrally Aggressive) Buy on Amazon

I will say, it takes a little bit of a learning curve. And something that I miss about Traditional razors is the pivoting head that gets inside all the curves and your curvy lady parts. Razors were designed by men for men way back when to shave their beards and that area is easier to get to. So it takes a bit of an adjustment getting used to the weightiness of a safety razor and the feeling of a single blade. 

A modern woman’s razor has like three or four blades. This one only has a single blade, so that way it’s not cutting so close to your skin. When you have that many blades, it cuts the hair below the skin, which is how a lot of people get razor burn and ingrown hairs. This is actually something my dad turned me onto because he was getting a lot of ingrown hairs and I do too under my armpits. The switch to a safety razor has helped a lot with that.

Safety Razor: $16.98 // Razor Blades: $14.97 for pack of 50 at time of publishing.

Weishi Nostalgic Long Handle Butterfly Open Double Edge Safety Razor Buy on Amazon

VIKINGS BLADE Swedish Steel Replacement Razor Blades, 50 Pack (9 to 12 months supply), Mild & Safe Buy on Amazon

Something I am interested in trying out is a Leaf Razor ($84 at time of publishing). It has a lot of the same properties of a single blade safety razor, but they modernized the design to have a pivoting head. It’s also made of metal, plastic-free, and you use single blades. You can put in a single blade, or it can hold up to three which is nice to have that option.

The Leaf Razor is more of an investment, but a beginner safety razor will run you about anywhere from $15-$30. It’s a worthwhile investment sheerly from not having to place your razor head over and over again.

5. Shopping Bags

Living in California we actually have a plastic bag ban. That means whenever you go to the grocery store they will charge you $0.10 if you don’t bring your own bag to reuse. Obviously it’s a financial incentive for people to bring their own reusable bags.

I keep like 5-10 bags (probably an excessive amount) in my trunk just so that they are always handy even if I bring some in and forget to put them back. That way I’m ready to go and can pull it out when I’m ready to do my grocery shopping. It’s really very low effort to remember to bring your own bags. At this point it’s a habit.

My favorite ones are the standard size Baggu bags. They come in a ton of fun prints! I have a shark one, a llama one and one of my favorites is one that’s made to look like a classic plastic one.  Since I am a designer I really like bags that are cute and aesthetically pleasing and not only that but they’re super, super functional.

3-Pack: $36 // Single Bag: $12 at time of publishing.

BAGGU Standard Reusable Shopping Bag, Ripstop Nylon Grocery Tote or Lunch Bag, I Love NY Buy on Amazon

BAGGU Standard Reusable Shopping Bag, Ripstop Nylon Grocery Tote or Lunch Bag, Recycled Yolk Buy on Amazon

BAGGU Standard Reusable Shopping Bag 3-Pack, Eco-friendly Ripstop Nylon Foldable Grocery Tote, Thank You Set 2020 Buy on Amazon

If you’re going to be sustainable, you want to make it fun and have the things you use spark joy whenever you go to use your bags. It sparks joy when I’m packing my groceries up. 

These can carry like 3 gallons of milk and it will still hold up. I only need two or three per grocery trip, but the sides expand. There’s extra space on the sides so you can hold a lot of stuff in this bag. I love my Baggu bags. They’re super functional and practical. They fold up into these nice little pouches. I think they are about $12-$16 and they have new prints every year.

I really like to give these as stocking stuffers or a white elephant gift because I’m so practical. I'm like well this is totally something anyone can use even if they aren’t as eco-chic as you. Everybody could use a large nylon tote, right? I have been known to even steal these back at my own white elephant parties. Not gonna lie, I brought as my gift and definitely stole it back. So think about that for your next white elephant party, if you have any this year…although who’s having white elephant or Christmas parties this year. *WOMP*

6. Rechargeable Batteries

This is not as fun as my reusable bags, but this product is something I use all the time. It runs many of the little appliances in my life and it’s so behind the scenes but it’s always good to have these on hand and that is rechargeable batteries.

Whenever I have a little appliance, like the clock on my wall, and the batteries die, I replace it with a rechargeable battery–my coffee foamer, all of my flashlights I use for camping, literally any little thing that uses batteries. It’s just a matter of having enough extras on hand so I can recharge them. Usually things don’t run out at the exact same time so I have maybe four on hand that I can use as my reserve.

Rechargeable Batteries + Charger: $14.97 for pack of 50 at time of publishing.

AmazonBasics AA High-Capacity Rechargeable Batteries (24-Pack) and Ni-MH AA & AAA Battery Charger with USB Port Set Buy on Amazon

I got a rechargeable battery set a couple years ago and it’s really great. The charger I have is for AA batteries and it can also charge AAA batteries. Rechargeable batteries are the way to go. Batteries themselves are so expensive and if you find yourself running out of them a lot it really adds up. Not only does it add up monetarily but batteries aren’t great for the environment, so it’s great to have these rechargeable ones.

Just like your phone, the batteries degrade overtime. Eventually you would want to replace them, but for the years and amount of use I get out of these, these are SO worth it.

There are so many ways to help preserve the environment that don’t require you to completely change your lifestyle. I’ve found that starting with small, easy swaps has led to me making more and more sustainable choices. The impact on my day-to-day life is barely noticeable, and it saves me money in the long run! We only have one Earth to live on, which means it’s so important that we take care of it. Have you made any simple sustainable swaps recently? Share your eco-friendly hacks in the comments below!

Save your money. Save the planet.

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Disclosure: Some links on my site are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn some compensation. All opinions are 100% my own! I truly appreciate you and your support. :)

2021 Money Goals and Recapping My 2020 Financial Resolutions

2020 you guys, such a year! With everything going on though in the world I think it's a good time to reflect on all of the goals I set for myself, and my hopes and my dreams looking into 2021. Some things went really well, better than anticipated, and some things honestly fell flat. I think having the grace to move forward and reflect back on what was and wasn't working in the end makes me a stronger and better person.

I'm excited to share with you the goals that I set for myself, what I did, what I accomplished, and what goals I have looking forward in the future!

1. Get a contract in the Bay Area

My first goal of 2020 was to find a contract up in the bay area. I have been living in Los Angeles for the last 10 years. I really wanted to be able to be closer to family and also get to experience San Francisco. I was really excited to try living up here and it wasn't until March that I was actually able to get a contract. I was freelancing for the first three months of the year and I wasn't sure if anything would pan out. Fortunately something did...and then the pandemic hit. Now I work completely from home. On the downside I never got to experience what it was like living in San Francisco. Here we are in month eight of this quarantine. So yes, I obtained my goal of finding a contract in the bay area, unfortunately it's not quite the experience that I anticipated.

2. Work in fintech tech

My second goal for 2020 was working in fintech. What I want to achieve is financial independence so earning more money is obviously a way to help you get to financial independence quicker. I knew I wanted to be in fintech because it would merge the tech money with my love of finances. I was thinking about something like Credit Karma, Wealthfront, or Robinhood— all brands that I really love. Unfortunately, I did not get a job in the fintech space. I did end up finding a contract and job in the tech space. My second goal I did achieve, but only part way.

3. Savings rate at 60% 77%

My third goal of 2020 was to save 60%. Actually for this goal I ended up saving quite a bit more. My 2020 savings rate this year is somewhere in the range of 77%. There are a couple of factors that contributed to this unanticipated bump in savings rate. Speaking to my last point, I ended up with a contract in the bay area and in the tech space. Fortunately for me my job has been pretty secure throughout this year. There weren't any major layoffs and they continued with my contract, so that was one factor.

The second factor is that I am still living with my parents. I am 29 now and living with my parents, which I never really anticipated. When I moved up to the bay area, I thought I would only be here for a few months while I figured out where I wanted to live in the city of San Francisco and find a spot to really be integrated in the bay area life. However, that did not pan out and I am still at home. Because of that I am able to save a lot on rent.

Then the third factor is I'm always inside. I used to go out with my friends. We used to go to brunch, go out to bars on the weekends and that used to be a pretty big chunk of my monthly expenses. Because of the pandemic, I haven't been able to do any of that. My goal of saving 60% has definitely been hugely impacted for me from the pandemic.

4. No spend year

The fourth goal of 2020 was to do another no spend year. I had done a no-spend year a couple years ago and it went really, really well. It is honestly the main contributing factor to jumpstart my life into personal finance and figure out investing. Because of that I was thinking in 2020 that I would do another no-spend year, but I did not accomplish that goal. The other day I bought a pair of fluffy slippers at the thrift store, which I don't really know where I'm gonna wear them to, but they were only $6 and I need some joy in my life right now. 2020 was not a no spend year, it was a very, very low-buy year. I think I only got like five new items of clothes. Overall I spent probably less than $200 in total on all my clothes. I also tried to buy secondhand.

That being said, give yourself grace if you don't reach your goal. I know we're not perfect but I do try to keep my spending to a minimum. I think as long as you're trying and doing your best I think that's the best we can do.

5. Host a clothing swap

Building on top of that, my next goal was to host a clothing swap. I love hosting a clothing swap. I love being able to bring a bunch of people together to find joy in getting rid of their old stuff and also feel like they're getting like new stuff. It's a great way for me and my friends to all hang out and get together and “shop.” Whatever didn't get swapped got donated. It's rewarding and fulfilling being able to pass things on and give something a new life. 

6. Rebalance my portfolio

For 2020 I knew I really wanted to learn how to rebalance my own portfolio myself. For this goal I built a rebalancing spreadsheet, which you can download for free, that would help me rebalance my portfolio. My portfolio is modeled after the Bogleheads three fund portfolio. Basically I invest in three index funds—a total U.S. stock market index fund, a total international stock market fund, and a total U.S. bond market index fund. With those three funds I allocate a percentage of my portfolio to each.

Whenever I go to add more money to my accounts I'll put that dollar amount into my rebalancing spreadsheet and it will tell me how much of that dollar amount to buy or if I'm truly rebalancing I sell some of my assets, usually in my tax-sheltered accounts to reallocate some of it. If I'm over-indexed in stocks, I will go buy more bonds. I like to rebalance on a quarterly basis but I think it's also okay to do it on a half-yearly basis.

8. Max out 401K and IRA

In 2020 for the very, very first time in my entire life I was finally able to max out my 401k and my IRA. I've been able to max out the $6,000 in my Roth IRA for the past three years and finally this year in 2020 I was able to contribute the full $19,500 to my 401k portfolio. That was a huge accomplishment. As soon as I got my contract in March I knew that that was something I wanted to do. After taking a look at all my expenses and deciding to stay with my parents, I knew that that was a goal of mine that I could for sure accomplish.

I'm a big believer in front loading your portfolio. My initial percentage for my 401k came out of my paycheck at 40% to really front load it and get it over with ASAP. I didn't even see that money.

8. Start Millennial Money Honey podcast/Youtube/blog

Lastly I had some big goals for Millennial Money Honey. I went full into millennial money honey in September 2019. I bought the domain, bought the website, and finally decided that I'm gonna do this. My goal for 2020 was to start a podcast and that actually evolved into this, which is my youtube channel. I also decided to blog more frequently. Initially my goal was two posts per month, but I went quiet for a little bit and instead decided to release a blog post for every video that I launched. With the launch of this youtube channel, I've been able to blog promoting the video content simultaneously. I try to be extremely efficient with how I work and operate and use content for Millennial Money Honey and it has been much more streamlined. 

I'm still getting into the groove, but I think I'm slowly, slowly finding it. Those were my goals for 2020...some of them wild success, some of them less of a success, but I'm looking forward to taking my learnings from my failures and successes of 2020 and looking forward to 2021.

1. Extend design contract

My first goal of 2021 is to extend my current design contract. I really, really love where I'm at. I'm happy with my team and the work that we're doing and it's really fun. I am also hoping we find a cure for this pandemic and I actually get to experience the bay area because that's what I came here for and that's what I'm most looking forward to. Hoping in 2021 I'll finally be able to experience that.

2. Savings rate >80%

Because of my decision to continue living with my parents through 2021 my savings rate goal is 80% now. That is extremely high, way higher than my goal last year. I think I will be able to accomplish that given the situation that I put myself in.

3. No “brand new” clothes. Get rid of clothes if I buy something “new.”

My third goal is instead of a no spend year, I want to do a no new clothes year. I don't mean no clothes, I mean clothes that are secondhand. It's new to me but it's not brand new. If I do buy a new to me article of clothing, then I will have to reevaluate my closet and give up a piece of clothing that I own. I already have a ton of things and I really don't need more, but I love things so I'm trying to be better about that. As I buy new things I'm going to let some things go.

4. Max out my 401K and IRA

Next year for 2021 I also want to continue the trend of being able to max out my 401k and my IRA. I am again planning on front-loading my accounts. I'm saving up $6,000 so on January 1st or within the first month of the year, I can boom send the $6,000 and max out my IRA. I am also going to try and front load my 401K. Right now I'm not contributing anything to my 401k because I maxed it out, but I'm going to increase that back up to maybe around 30-40%, whatever I feel comfortable with.

5. Post 1 Youtube video per week

I think my financial goals don't really scare me at this point. I'm like I know I can do that. I'm confident in myself. The thing I'm less confident in is growing this business, to be honest. My next goal is to make one Youtube video per week. Since I've launched this channel, I have been extremely consistent about posting one a week, but I also launched in October, which means there were only I think nine weeks left of the year. It's been really fun and really easy but I'm also scared I'm not going to be consistent. (Hold me accountable!) Along with that, I want to be super transparent with you, my goal is eventually to monetize this channel...like a side goal. My main goal is more to put out stuff that's interesting and fun and watchable things that you want to see.

6. Formalize MMH business

And then building upon that I really want to establish Millennial Money Honey as a business. Right now it is all mixed up with my personal stuff and I think I need to get my shiz together. That for me is looking into opening a SEP IRA, opening a business checking, and a business credit card. I want to keep all of my finances separate from my regular life. That is a big huge goal for 2021—to figure out the business side of my brand.

7. Gross $100K income

And then finally my goal for 2021 is to gross $100k. Actually last year in 2020 I was able to achieve that and I want to maintain that same momentum. I'm not really looking to go over that because I did a lot of design freelance work. While I really enjoy design, it is a huge time suck when I'm working 9 to 5 and doing design work throughout the entire day and then after work I also have to do more freelance design work. I really do not want to do that in 2021. All of my income will hopefully be from this brand and from my 9-5 contract job. 

I hope you guys are inspired by my goals. Send me a DM, leave me a comment, shoot me an email and let me know if you guys have great ideas for financial, personal, business goals for 2021. I would love to hear them! One of the main reasons I'm putting this out there is to hold myself accountable. If you see me throughout the year and it’s like, “Hey Catie, that's not looking too good!” Shout me out, call me out because I'm here for it. This is why I overshare!

I really appreciate all of your love and support and if you liked what you saw hit the like button subscribe hit the notification bell to get notified when I drop my next video or if you're tuning in on the podcast subscribe wherever you listen to your podcast and I'll talk to you guys soon.

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Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn some compensation. All opinions are 100% my own! I truly appreciate you and your support. :)

How to Stop Shopping: My Experience and Tips for a Successful No Spend Year

I didn't buy anything for a whole entire year. You read that right. I did not buy any clothes, any home goods, any candles, decor, nothing–no physical item for an entire year. This year really helped shape how I think about my spending—what I really need versus what I want.

It all started back in 2017, which was my year of sustainability. It was my new year's resolution to be mindful of my impact on the environment and reduce my impact where I could. But instead of doing it for an entire year, which I felt like was a lot for me to cut things out of my life, my plan was to do it for a quarter, so three months at time and have four different resolutions. For the first quarter, I decided to not buy anything. 

These were my rules for not buying anything:

1. No Clothes

My first rule was not buying any clothes, period. No clothes. I did not need anything–no dresses, no pants, no hair accessories. I could make everything that I had in my closet work. 

2. No Home Goods

The second was I could not buy any home goods. I have been known to go all out on Christmas decorations, Halloween decorations, seasonal flair. Tchotchkes to make your home look cute with whatever was the trend at the time...probably chevron or something. So I could not buy any home goods or candles or anything like that. 

3. No Makeup/Skincare

I could also not buy makeup or skincare. So if I saw a bright red lipstick that supposedly looks good on every lip according to that one blogger I wasn't allowed to buy it. I had to use all of the things that I had.

4. Can buy Necessities I run out of

The things that I could buy were stuff that I ran out of like shampoo. If I ran out of shampoo obviously I'm not going to not wash my hair for the rest of the three months. I was allowed to buy things like that.

5. Can buy Experiences

I could also buy experiences, whether that was dinner out with my friends or a night out on the town. My friends and I  would always go out and I would never not want to experience making memories with my friends. So experiences—travel, food, things like that, I really did not hold back on. Only materialistic items experiences were off limits. 

The first few months…

So the first few months were really hard, I'm not gonna lie. I have always been a person who really loved to dress up, to be trendy. My clothes have always felt like a form of self-expression. Even when I was growing up in a small town in Texas, I always tried to wear what was cool or be ahead of the times. Back when skinny jeans weren't really a thing, I would wear them. I wanted to be trendy and cool. That's how I defined myself, so it manifested itself in shopping and I felt the need to be accepted by wearing what was “cool.” I used to define myself self-worth through clothes and because of that the first month and a half or so was honestly really freaking hard for me. I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't easy, it was like going through withdrawals.

Sometimes you just wanna mindlessly scroll through Zara and online shop. A favorite pastime of mine is literally going to a mall and wandering through every single store and seeing what I was gonna find that day. I could spend seven to eight hours at a mall, no joke, me and my mom all day. It was a marathon! Shopping was my exercise. So it was hard. I would still go to the mall with my friends because that's kind of a bonding experience in and of itself. (I know these days during the pandemic we don't even go to malls really anymore or hang out with friends, but it was such a bonding experience at the time.) 

I told myself at the end of those three months I could buy whatever. So if I really wanted that shirt, that top, that dress I could buy it. So for me, it was very hard. But after about a month and a half I lost the overwhelming desire and urge to buy and because of that it really made me reflect on all of my purchases. Do I really want it? Do I need it? What will it replace in my closet? Or do I have anything like it?

All of my wants became a lot more conscious and front of mind. So at the end of the three months, when it ultimately came down to it, I had things that I wanted initially and I didn't want them anymore. Even in that period after when I said I could buy anything, I didn't buy anything for the next three months. I loved the experience so much. Instead of adding something you have to remember, by not shopping at all it's much easier to take something out than it is to add something in. So it was easy in that sense. The third quarter of the year I actually did another three months of no buy.

Transitioning to A year

Because I did the no buy Q1/Q3 in 2017 I decided I was going to go the full year in 2018. Even my closest friends were like, “No way, Catie, you can't do that. There's no way you're gonna make it a whole entire year.” Everybody knew how much I loved to shop and they didn't think I could last a whole year. But I knew that because I had gotten over the urge to shop and I was a lot more mindful, I was able to roll those skills into a whole ’nother year. It was not honestly as hard as one might think.

I still kept the same 5 rules that I did for my initial quarter of no spending, so no materialistic items, only experiences. Because of that, I didn't feel like I was missing out on anything. Things are things and at the end of the day nobody's going to remember what you were wearing two years ago. You're going to remember the things that you did, the trips that you went on, the nights you had, and the memories you made.

That mentality came into focus for me in the year of 2018 when I didn't buy anything. You're not going to remember that lavender candle, you really won't. It might smell nice at that moment, but you don't need it. You're not going to be thinking about that candle you were sitting there sniffing. No, it just doesn't work like that...life doesn't work like that. 

Keys 🔑 to success

A key to my success of the year was going in and testing it out for a quarter. During the year I wore the same clothes over and over and over again. Honestly, I don't think anybody even noticed. Before the no spend year, I was defining my worth by the cute outfits I was wearing, but I don't feel that anybody noticed. I was wearing the same clothes over and over again and they still thought, “Catie, you look good. You still are a stylish person.” It made me realize that buying the latest fast fashion does not make you any cooler.

People will still like you and they won't notice if you're not wearing the latest and greatest fashion or the designer labels or anything like that. I used to want a Chanel bag, but things like that did not matter to me anymore and they still don't. If I need a trusty old bag I will wear my leather Madewell one that I've had for the last five years and it still feels timeless. 

The way I made it through the whole year without feeling the need to buy but still keeping my wardrobe fresh or “new” to me was by reaching out to my network. The very first thing I did in January was organize a clothing swap. I invited all of my friends to my backyard and said bring clothes, bring what you would donate. I had everything organized and hung up everybody's clothing. Then people could take whatever they wanted for free. People would come with their old clothes, hang them up, and then take whatever they wanted. At the end of the clothing swap I donated everything that didn't get exchanged. People felt like they got new clothes. I got some cute new tops for free and saved a lot of money and then donated to people who really needed the clothes.

I did the clothing swap and then I tapped into my network of friends and family who were getting rid of stuff. By sharing with everybody my goals and what I was trying to do (not buying anything for the year), friends and family would offer clothes to me. I have three sisters and we're close enough to the same size, so if they were getting rid of stuff, I'd ask them to save stuff for me. Whenever I would see them they'd have clothes that they didn't want and I would pick through them and get “new to me” clothes. 

Same with my grandma. I wear a ton of my grandma's clothes and even my aunts and uncles. I wear dude's clothes too, anything is fair game. I will take whatever people don't want and try and give it a new life, a new home. That helps me curb my want to buy new things for the sake of buying new things. I still feel like I'm getting to experience a new wardrobe every time I get a new piece of clothes.

Fashion (And Mindset) Evolution

My style has definitely shifted. In 2020 big puffy sleeves, the squared off neckline or things like that are very in vogue right now. I probably dress more like a grandma because I literally have clothes from my grandma. Even though I do wear old lady clothes and my uncle's men's clothes, my dad's clothes, whoever it is, I try to stick to pieces that are timeless. My color palette has definitely ranged down too. I used to wear brighter, bolder colors and now everything tends to be in a very navy, white, black, gray,—a neutral palette. Those colors stand the test of time. A bright yellow will come and go. A bold marine blue will be in trend for a season, but neutrals are timeless.

My Takeaways 2 years later…

It's been almost two years since I actually did my no buy challenge. The thing that has stuck with me is that I literally do not have a desire to buy new things. My sister asked me today if I wanted to buy anything to add to her order and I was like nah, I'm good. I know lounge sets are so popular right now, but I also have so much clothes. That’s the thing, I still have a lot of clothes.

I'm totally and perfectly happy with what I have now.  I did buy one thing this year and that is my biker shorts because that's a big trend right now too and I've been thinking about that purchase for a year. So finally back in April I was like, I'm gonna buy these biker shorts. We're staying at home and I want comfy pants, so I'm gonna buy these biker shorts and I did. That was the one thing I bought this year. A lot of the things that I buy, I try to buy secondhand or thrift it. 

If I do buy new stuff, it’s from companies that I believe in their mission and who I believe care about like the world and the kind of world that we are shaping for our children. At the end of the day I feel like consumerism wants you to buy, buy, buy, and that creates a lot of waste. I'm not trying to get all environmental, but I do care about that and that's what is important to me. I don't try and push that belief on anybody else, but I'm trying to do what I can to do my part. 

My no buy year was really amazing. It helped save a lot of money for me, helped do a little bit of good for the environment, and it was just an all-around great experience. I totally recommend you try it, whether it's for a week, or a couple months, or a quarter ldid initially, or a whole entire year. If you've tried it, let me know how it went. And if you have any more tips on how you did it, also leave that in the comments below.

If you liked this video and you want more content like this, like the video and subscribe and I'll see you next week to talk more money honey.

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Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn some compensation. All opinions are 100% my own! I truly appreciate you and your support. :)

4 Books You NEED to Read to RETIRE EARLY and FIRE

Many people have asked me where to begin on their own journey to retiring early. For me, it all began with a book and that's why it's the starting point that I recommend to other people.

Books are perfect because you don't need to buy books at all. You can check them out from your local library, like I did, but if you're also like me, you may end up liking them after you read them and want them for your own personal reference. You might like it so much you end up buying it.

These four books are the absolute must reads to really launch your personal finance journey and I say these in this specific order to help you get started. 

1. Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

The first book is Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. This book is so important to me because I think the first step to actually getting on your personal finance journey and becoming financially independent is to be in the right mindset—to think that yes, you can do it and that money should be working for you. Rich Dad, Poor Dad opens your mind to thinking like a rich person. 

Even if you aren't rich, even if you're in debt, it's the mindset that will make this all a reality. You have to think rich to get rich. My favorite quote of the book was,

“Don't work for money, make your money work for you.” 

This book is so eye-opening to being in control of finances and adding assets, which are things that make you money, versus having liabilities, which are things that lose value—like a car, and this is a hot take, but if you own a home and you're paying the mortgage on it not house hacking or buying as an investment property to rent out, a house is a liability. And yes, the housing market may be appreciating, but a lot of the time I think your money would be better off being invested in the stock market. 

A primary residence is oftentimes a liability and I'm not saying you shouldn't buy a house, not at all, or if you own a house I’m not judging. I will one day buy a house too, but The New York Times has this really great calculator on this. Just Google “New York Times should I rent or should I buy,” and it will spit out the information based on your area and current situation. That's my hot take and if you don't believe me you should definitely read Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

2. I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

Once you've shifted your mindset to a millionaire mindset after reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad, it's time to build your house of wealth and that requires a solid foundation. So this next book is I Will Teach You to be Rich by Ramit Sethi. It's a no-BS crash course on finance 101. It touches on everything from negotiating bills, gives you an overview of credit cards, and automating all of your finances so you don't even really have to think about anything. Ramit is really funny, actionable, and most importantly I love that he doesn't encourage you to live like a pauper, but he wants you to design your own version of a rich life.

So if you like eating sushi, buying designer purses, go for it. It's just a matter of not wasting money on things you don't absolutely love. So for example, I still love traveling. I eat at bougie brunches with my friends. We go out and I don't even think twice about dropping money on things like that.

I used to have a lot of “hobbies,” that I would spend a lot of money on like clothes and fashion. I realized I don't really care about keeping up with the latest fashions or dropping $90 to get my eyelash extensions done every other week. It was a headache and didn't like spark joy—not to like Mari Kondo your life. Giving up all these beauty routines save me so much money.

Something that Ramit preaches is,

“Spend extravagantly on the things you love and cut costs mercilessly on the things that you don't.”

I actually bought this book for two of my younger sisters who just started working this year and one loved it so much she literally bought 12 copies to give to her friends as graduation presents. If that doesn't emphasize how much of a game changer this book is, I don't know what will. Definitely go check out I Will Teach You to be Rich by Ramit Sethi. 

3. The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins

Once you've read that and built that solid understanding of personal finance, it is time for you to read The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins. You can save all the money you want, but unless you actually start investing your money, as Rich Dad, Poor Dad would say, your money is not working for you. JL Collins gives you the step-by-step breakdown on how to invest your money in a way that is legit so simple—like The Simple Path to Wealth makes it really so simple. 

The TL;DR is you should mostly be investing in low-cost index funds, specifically a total U.S. stock market and a total bond market index fund. He preaches about VTSAX but any is good. The total U.S. stock market index fund is a group of stocks or a group of bonds. Instead of owning, for example Apple (APPL) or Tesla (TSLA) or Amazon (AMZN), you are owning a little bit of basically every single stock in the entire U.S. stock market. So if one company goes bankrupt, it gets replaced. It is self-cleansing, so it's awesome.

My favorite quote of this book was,

“I may have not owned a Mercedes, but I owned my freedom—the freedom to choose when to leave a job and freedom from worry when the choice wasn't mine.”

You must be investing to have what JL Collins calls F.U. money, which is basically just the concept of financial independence and financial freedom. You want to be able to walk away from your job tell your boss F.U. and never, ever have to go back to work again. (I don't recommend doing that because that's not very nice, but you could.) The way to do that is through investing.

I've used Wealthfront to do my index fund investing for years which is a robo-advisor that automatically invests in index funds for you. If you're still scared and figuring it out, I 100% recommend using a robo-advisor like Wealthfront to get started investing in the meantime while you figure it out. Again this is totally not sponsored at all, I just really freaking love it. (I mean I would be down to be sponsored—shout out Wealthfront) Their app is legitimately amazing, it's so easy to use. 

A lot of these big bank brokerage apps are not user friendly but Wealthfront is. After reading The Simple Path to Wealth, I decided I could manage my investments myself. If you have the ability and the funds to invest right now, but you're too afraid to manage it like I was two years ago, Wealthfront is 500% the way to go. Again, not a plug.

4. Quit Like a Millionaire by Kristy Shen

The final book on my list is a book on how to actually become financially independent and then retire early. It's called Quit Like a Millionaire by Kristy Shen. I love this book for several reasons, the first one being Kristy is a woman in the super male dominated FI world.

She also makes conservative financial estimates like me. I'm scared of not having enough. She also shows you these US-based tax hacks on how to actually minimize your taxes. Once you reach your financial independence number she gives you a detailed breakdown on what to do when you actually cross over to FI.

So this is a must read for anybody pursuing financial independence and wanting to retire early. Her belief aligns 100% with mine in that, no matter your circumstances, wherever you come from, whatever your background is, everyone can retire early. Financial independence is literally for everyone, as her title implies, no trust funds, luck, or gimmicks required.

Kristy herself grew up impoverished in China and yet she still managed to retire at 31. She is a girl goal inspiration. My favorite quote of hers from this book is, 

“If you understand money, life is incredibly easy and if you don't understand money, which the vast majority don't, life is incredibly hard.”

I 100% believe that and that's why I feel like it's so important for you to educate yourself, to read books like Quit Like a Millionaire, to watch these Youtube videos, in order to really teach yourself more about money.

I've read a lot of other personal finance books like Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robbins, Work Optional, Playing with FIRE, and many more, but these are the four books I always come back to and the ones that stood out from the vast library of books that I've read. Whether you're just beginning your finance journey or you're already on the path to financial independence, these are the four books that you have to read.

Honestly these books are so helpful and go to show that FI/RE is for everyone who's willing to put in the work to learn and teach themselves more. So if you're looking for something to do this quarantine, seriously who isn't, these books are a great way to start your journey into the world of finance.

So if you found this helpful for your own FIRE journey, like the video above, subscribe to my channel. And let me know in the comments what other books that have inspired you!  Be back next week so we can talk more money honey.

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Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn some compensation. All opinions are 100% my own! I truly appreciate you and your support. :)

Save Money with a DIY At-Home Quarantine Haircut

Transcript:

Hey guys! Welcome back to Millennial Money Honey. Today, I’m going to give myself an at-home quarantine haircut.

Back in February, I decided I'd had it with hair salons. I would no longer be paying the amount that I paid to get my hair done in Los Angeles. I would spend $200+ every single time I went into a salon and that would be only for a haircut...plus tip or for a perm, it would be way more. I also did balayage for awhile and then I even upgraded that and was doing a full bleach blonde. Because of that my bill would run anywhere from $200 to upwards of $500+.

I decided to do an at-home haircut and it went horribly and I ended up back at Supercuts the next day. I decided $30 is worth it to pay for a haircut, so that's where I landed on the matter. I didn't even end up making a video because it was so bad, so I'm kind of nervous to actually try this again. 

My sister has convinced me that since we are on month nine of lockdown, it's time for me to get a haircut. As you can see my strands are very ragged and dry. You can't feel it through the camera, but I'm telling you, it feels like straw. So that being said, I'm really excited to get a new fresh look for winter. Let's chop this hair! 

Today I have my sister, Sarah, here to help me with my haircut. 

SARAH: Hey guys! I’m Catie’s sister, Sarah.

CATIE: She is by no means a hair stylist or barber, but she has been picking up a lot of quarantine hobbies. Everything from sourdough baking to becoming a plant mom and she's a puzzle queen. She’s done all the classic quarantine hobbies including cutting hair. Let's do this!

What tools do we need for this? 

SARAH: We have a spray bottle to wet the hair down, a comb with a rat tail, and then hair cutting scissors. Oh and we have a lot of clippies and rubber bands. [We used regular ones, but recommend using these little clear rubber bands.]

CATIE: I think they know what clips and rubber bands look like.

SARAH: Okay let's start by spraying your hair down and then we also need to decide how much you want to take off.

CATIE: I'm trying to grow my hair out actually, so I don't want to cut off too much. I feel like it's better to go shorter because inevitably this is going to be uneven.

SARAH: Wow, not a lot of faith here. 

CATIE: I think like only maybe like an inch and a half. Is that too little?

SARAH: No, you can do as much or as little as you want.

CATIE: Okay yeah, let's start with an inch and a half.

SARAH: I'm going to start by dividing your hair into two sections. And this is how you normally put your hair, right?

CATIE: Yeah, I have a center part.

SARAH: I put in a rubber band and then we're gonna position it where you want to cut it. Unfortunately, we don't have like the tiny rubber bands, which I think would be better for this. 

CATIE: Not prepared.

SARAH: The goal is to brush it straight down and then have it rubber band exactly where we want to cut it and we're going to try and keep it as even as possible. 

I know you guys can't feel it, but I can feel it when I brush your ends how dead they are...knotty. 

CATIE: Yeah, honestly that's the problem. After I bleach dyed my hair blonde four times it just killed my hair. It feels horrible. It honestly feels like straw and I didn't even know hair could feel like straw because my hair has never been that damaged before. That's what made me decide to not bleach my hair anymore. I'm going back to my virgin hair and that's the goal with growing it out.

So we're parting my hair into little sections and tying with rubber bands all the way around my head. We watched a lot of Youtube videos where they did two ponytails or a single ponytail and then cut it, but Sarah found this one that she wanted to try. The new thing to do is section your hair off into little ponytails and then cut those all the way around. We’re Youtube experts. 

SARAH: Catie will link the Youtube video that's the inspiration for this haircut, but one thing that I loved is that he's a hairdresser and he was super candid about like if you actually want a really great haircut you need to go to a salon. 

CATIE: That's what I said!

SARAH: But if you're gonna try it at home, this is what you should do to make it look not terrible.

CATIE: Wowwww.

SARAH: Ready? First cut, here we go!

Basically I'm doing point cutting into the hair at each of the guides. I don't want that blunt cut because I think that's where it becomes obvious that I'm not a professional hairstylist. I'm going for more of a feathered look on the end that doesn't make it super obvious if I'm not perfectly aligned.

CATIE: So she cut all the sections and now we're taking them out and hoping, praying, that this is even.

Are we done yet? 

SARAH: Okay, and we're done!

CATIE: Feels lighter. I feel like you got a lot of the dead ends off. You can still see a tiny bit but definitely less than before. Feels lighter and shorter. Let’s blow dry it and see see how it is.

SARAH: Sounds good!

CATIE: Alright, so not bad, right? It actually looks pretty decent. I was very skeptical going into this and I actually kind of like it. I would definitely let her cut my hair again. So thanks, Sarah! 

Lessons we learned—when we dried everything out, the front ends ended up being a tiny bit, maybe half an inch, shorter. So it kind of like goes up a little bit in front, which is okay because some people like a little face frame, but I would definitely keep it a little bit longer if I were to redo this again. And then we cut it wet, but I think we would try doing it dry. When we section it off in the beginning I’d do it from dry hair because you get the more natural texture. 

Those are the two tips we would recommend doing if we were to do it again, but overall I think it turned out really great. I am now a believer in a do-it-yourself at-home haircut—my previous experience has been redeemed. I would recommend it if you have a friend to help. I don't know if I'd be able to do it myself, but I know Sherry from @saverspender does. 

Let me guys know what you honestly think about my haircut. I know it doesn't look like a huge difference, but it's definitely shorter, a little bit lighter, and you can't feel this, but my straw ends are almost gone. I just have a little bit in the front. 

If you check out my hair from the back you can see that it is all my natural hair. I've completely cut out the dyed end part. It's looking so much better and it feels so much better. I'll link the video tutorial that we actually followed to cut my hair. If you guys have any feedback let me know your honest thoughts on cutting your hair at home and how you think my hair turned out and if you have any tips I would love to hear them because I know i'll be doing this again in the future.

If you enjoyed this video, hit the like button and if you want to see more videos like this subscribe to my channel and hit the notification bell so you get notified when I drop the next video. Stay tuned for next week and we'll talk more money honey!

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Disclosure: Some links are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may earn some compensation. All opinions are 100% my own! I truly appreciate you and your support. :)