Unfortunately, this is the season....to pay the piper. December is usually expensive and gets us in trouble. The holidays bring us expenses with presents, gatherings, parties, events and vacations.

January brings us the cold hard reality: we have bills to pay and usually don't have enough money to cover the rest of the month. It can be stressful: there were times where Jules and I had $50 in the account to get us through the month!

Fortunately, February isn't usually as cold as January. We have an opportunity to catch our breath and dig ourselves out of a financial hole (provided that we don't blow it all out on Valentine's Day). We can literally thaw the deep freeze on our wallets and bank accounts if we take control of our budgets and cut spending.

How is your bank account looking right now?

Maybe it is a pocket full of sunshine and you are smiling.
Maybe it is empty as the grasslands of South Dakota and has tumbleweeds blowing across it.

Whatever situation you might be in right now, events and decisions in far off places are going to hurt our accounts. The fact is that tariffs on goods and energy are going to hurt the American consumer.

We need to acknowledge that fact and prepare accordingly, so even if you have a fat wallet and happy bank account, we need to prepare for what is coming at the stores and at the pump.  It doesn't matter what you believe politically, there will be repercussions from policy decisions and actions in the far off Heart of the American Empire.  Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.  This is a hard reality, and I hope you understand that as we move forward and prepare accordingly.

If you are struggling financially, there are a few ways to get out of it. One way is to make more money (side hustles, extra jobs, etc.). Another way is to dramatically cut back on expenses, especially the ones that are not necessary.  We are going to focus on cutting expenses dramatically in No-Spend Challenge or Frugal February.

Remember: February is the shortest month of the year. You can do this; we can help!
Learn, do, grow and be a little better everyday!

For more resources including tips, guidelines and budgeting tools, check out the post at Small Scale Life!

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

Listen to Small Scale Life Episode 214 to listen and be inspired by Adam's story. You can find all the show notes at https;//smallscalelife.com.

I have known Jay for over 10 years, and he and his wonderful wife are experiencing their own Back to the Land Movement as they develop their garden and create a homestead somewhere on the East Coast of the United States.

At the time of this recording, Jay and his wife were on the eve of a massive gardening project. The next morning, they were going to clear and build their dream garden. What is more remarkable is that this garden, like their home, is on the side of a mountain.

We are all trying to live a little like Laura Ingalls Wilder in a confusing, chaotic and rapidly changing world. A path is before us, but it is punctuated by a lot of hard work and on-the-job learning. The path won’t be easy, but it will be worth it in the end.

This is what we are doing. This is the path forward; this is the way.

Join us as Jay and I talk about the Modern Day Back to the Land Movement through our own eyes, experiences and homesteads.

For more links to podcast episodes featuring Mr. Tactical Jay, head over to smallscalelife.com to see show notes and links.

• Maria owns and operates a dog grooming business and her intuitive energy healing business in Lake City, Minnesota.
• Julie operated her own wedding floral design business in Minnesota and Illinois.
  

We discuss a number of topics including the following:

• How to prepare to start the small business and side hustle
• Where do you start? What should you focus on?
• Mindset and narratives that hold you back
• Teamwork makes the dreams work
• Small business ideas (Hell Yeah's vs. Hell No's)
• What do you wish you had during the busiest times of your life?

Hear more of our interviews with Maria and get show notes at smallscalelife.com!

For links to the recent appearances and to learn more about Driftless Oaks Farm, head over to smallscalelife.com .

As a reminder, you can now buy high quality grass fed meat (raised using Regenerative Agriculture protocols and principles) at the following site: https://www.amodernfrontier.com/

Use code SMALL (in all caps) and you will get $25 off and beef, pork or chicken box. That’s right, use code SMALL (in all caps) and get $25 off!

You can chat with Adam on the site if you have any questions, or you can email him at amodernfrontier@gmail.com.

For full disclosure: this is not an affiliate for me or Small Scale Life. I want to help a friend get this business going. I receive no payments or percentages from any sales; I am just helping a friend out.

For links and show notes, head on over to smallscalelife.com

As I mentioned in this Small Scale Life Podcast, you can now buy quality grass fed meat at the following site: https://www.amodernfrontier.com/

Use code SMALL (in all caps) and you will get $25 off and beef, pork or chicken box. That’s right, use code SMALL (in all caps) and get $25 off!

Please note: I get no payments or affiliate income from any purchases or clicks; I am just helping my friend start his business.

Special Guest: Adam Rick.

Brian started a lot of different business ventures since starting his Happy Hills Homestead 7 years ago, and I wanted to find out what worked, what didn’t and what other lessons he learned along the way.

Check out the Episode 197 of the Small Scale Life Podcast! Available at smallscalelife.com or on streaming apps everywhere!

Of course, it is also a special birthday episode for the Small Scale Life Podcast (7 years) and your humble host Tom!

For more information and links, please head over to smallscalelife.com!

Red Dragon Herbs and Teas is a small tea business from Des Moines, Iowa. Ryan and Mary Lewellin started Red Dragon Herb and Teas in 2015, and they have grown the business through word of mouth and at local (and sometimes not so local) farmer’s markets. This is their story of international travel and tea tasting, humble beginnings, government regulations and overcoming.

It’s tea time! Grab your favorite cup of tea, put on your headphones and enjoy the show!

For more information, links and a special DISCOUNT CODE for Red Dragon Herbs and Teas, go to Small Scale Life and find the article titled "Tea Time with Red Dragon Herbs and Teas" (or just click this text to take you there directly).

Hey, everyone, this is Tom your host of the Small Scale Life Podcast. I am glad you are here! In this Escape Velocity Series Podcast and Video on Small Scale Life, I have the honor of interviewing Kris Geissler. Kris saw a need to provide driver’s education in her community, and she started the Northfield Area School of Driving to help teach students how to drive safely.

Who is Kris Geissler? Kris is a single mom and has a background in special education. She went from the St. Peter Security Hospital to teaching. She wanted to help students who were struggling in school in an effort to prevent them from going down a dark path. Kris has a passion to help these students succeed in school and life.

Northfield is a community south of the Twin Cities and home to St. Olaf College, Carleton Collage and Malt-O-Meal. It is far enough from the Twin Cities that it is beautiful bedroom community with small town charm, but it is big enough that there are needs for students and people that go unfulfilled.

One of those needs was driver’s education. There were no driver’s education classes available to local students. Kris saw that need and started her school to address that need in the Northfield area, especially when Community Education said "no."

Do You See a Need?

Do you see a need for a product or service?

Maybe this podcast episode is just what you need to hear to make you START. That is the most difficult thing: overcoming your fear and starting. It is my goal to inspire you to take that step forward and begin. Escape Velocity is achieved after you get some momentum and small successes.

The key, however, is to start!

What's holding you back?

Think about it as you listen to Kris Geissler’s story about her Amazing Driver’s Education in Northfield, Minnesota!

In case you don’t know who these esteemed guests are, let me introduce them to you.

• Glen Tate is a lawyer, the author of the 299 Days book series and co-host of the Prepping 2.0 Podcast and syndicated radio show.
• Mr. Tactical Jay is my good friend and frequent guest on the Small Scale Life Podcast. He hails from somewhere on the East Coast where he is involved in healthcare and a firefighter.

We recorded this podcast live on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel on the day after the election. While this is part of a longer hour and a half Live Stream on the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel, I ran into some file size limitations with Fireside, which is my podcast hosting service. This was an interesting discussion, and given the interest that some folks that I have been talking to lately, I figured this would be a timely discussion.

You can find the first part of our conversation with Glen Tate and Shelby Gallagher titled “How to Become a Gray Man or Woman” on smallscalelife.com, the Small Scale Life YouTube Channel and podcast apps everywhere!

You can find the links for this show and the 6 (plus one bonus) Key Points to consider when starting a business on smallscalelife.com, so head over there to get more information including notes and links.

What is Atlantis Gazette?

The Atlantis Gazette is an art, business and lifestyle blogging and podcast project started by my friend Cal Massey from California. As he describes in this episode, Atlantis is a mythical and fictional city that disappeared under the ocean. The Atlantis Gazette, however, is a newspaper dedicated to people doing cool things in the world. Cal Massey is just starting out and outlining his plans for this platform.

What is Escape Velocity?

This is part of a new project here on Small Scale Life called “Escape Velocity.” Many people have ideas, dreams or even goals for starting a side hustle or business; however, they never act and never start. Some launch and fail. Others launch and get enough momentum to escape the gravitational pull of an ordinary life, job or career and start a new side hustle and business. Through the Escape Velocity Podcasts, I am hoping to document lessons learned as people push forward on their side hustles or small businesses.

For more information and links, please see the article and podcast episode posted on the article titled Escape Velocity: Blogging is Art with Atlantis Gazette on smallscalelife.com.

This weekend, I toasted Julie as we took a few moments to remember where we were and how far we have come in a year! We have a fully funded Emergency Fund with 6 months of expenses, and Julie and I got there even after going on a trip of a lifetime to Hawaii (which was all paid in cash).

Of course, we didn’t start out that way. No, dear Lifers, we did not. We were horrible with money, and Julie and I were in survival mode and living on the edge. It was not the way to operate a household budget and certainly injected a lot of stress and uncertainty in our lives.

It took a lot of time, but we finally came to our senses and started following Dave Ramsey’s babysteps. I have to give Julie a lot of credit for getting us going and getting us to where we are today. Good job, Jules!

You might be asking: “That’s great, but how do you start your $1000 Emergency Fund?”

Well, dear Lifers, you are in luck. We are talking about The Saving Problem, defining an Emergency Fund, discussing our experience and giving you 9 Tips to Start Your $1000 Emergency Fund.

For more information and show notes, go to the article titled "9 Tips to Start Your $1000 Emergency Fund" on smallscalelife.com.

*Also make sure to download the FREE Budgeting Bundle on smallscalelife.com as well! Start your journey to becoming financially free today!
*

Topics in this podcast episode include the following:

• Introduction
• Thank you for Ratings and November Lifer of the Month
• 10 Kitchen Thrifty Thursday Tips
• Next Steps
• Your Turn: Challenge Yourself

For more information and links, check the show notes in the article titled: https://smallscalelife.com/10-kitchen-thrifty-thursday-tips.

This is the podcast you have been waiting for!

After recording this podcast, Julie and I realized that there was a lot to this topic. Budgeting so important to your future success, but creating your first budget can be overwhelming and stressful. Julie and I have done a lot of thinking about how to present this material and share our process with you.

To help you with successfully creating your first budget, Julie and I decided to create and release a Quickie Monthly Budget rather than a complicated spreadsheet. We want you to try this method of budgeting in a simple and easy to follow format.

As part of Creating Your First Budget Week, Julie and I will be releasing a Quickie Monthly Budget with instructions on Wednesday this week at smallscalelife.com. We will have a special page dedicated to this Quickie Monthly Budget, and we will include a link in the show notes once the budget has been posted.

In the meantime, head over to smallscalelife.com to find more information and get the show notes on this podcast!

"Your goal is your destination; your budget is your roadmap." - Julie Domres

Do you have dreams and goals? Are you making progress towards achieving those goals? For some people, it is difficult to dream. Others have big plans and goals, but they do not execute and take steps towards making those dreams a future reality. In this podcast, Julie and I discuss How to Dream Big, Set Goals and Take Steps to Achieve Them.

Dreaming big and setting those goals are the "Secret Sauce" behind budgeting. You are developing powerful "whys" for those times when you are tempted to engage in retail therapy, splurge on meals or rack up massive credit card debt to impress people you don't particularly like!

As we discuss in this podcast, you need to start with your powerful why. Before you begin budgeting, you need to do some deep thinking and dreaming about what you want your life to look like in 10 years, 3 years and 1 year. Once you have this vision set, you can focus on developing your budget that will set you up to achieve your dreams!

We'll share with you how to dream big, set goals and take the steps to achieve them in this podcast. How do we know they work? Because we are using this to achieve our goals too!

For more information on this post including getting the show notes, head to the article titled "How to Dream Big, Set Goals and Take Steps to Achieve Them" on Small Scale Life

In previous episodes of the Small Scale Life Podcast, Julie and I have told our story about making mistakes and doing stupid with zeros on it. In order to break out of the box and go from Survive to Thrive, we needed to change our habits and our mindset.

To start down this path, you need to get a clear picture of what your net worth looks like. Are you in the red or in the black? Do you know? Julie and I have prepared an inventory worksheet for you, and it is available on the Small Scale Life Resources Page.

Once you complete this exercise, you can begin tracking ALL of your expenses. You can do this by writing it down in a notebook or using apps like mint.com.

For show notes and more information, head on over to the article titled Financial Freedom: Start by Taking Inventory and Tracking Expenses at Small Scale Life.

It's Western Wisconsin; it's sunny; it was awesome!

At the same time, it was a great week at Small Scale Life. We got a great podcast posted, a newsletter (two actually) sent out and News from Around the Bend posted. What more could you want?

Actually, it was even better than that....Julie and I are up to something good, and you will have to listen to find out what is happening!

For more Small Scale Life, head over to the website for the following articles and links:

• **Sign up for the Small Scale Life Newsletter
• Our Journey Rowards Finacial Freedom - Small Scale Life Podcast
• News from Around the Bend - Earth Day Edition**

For show notes and more resources, check out the article titled Our Journey towards Financial Freedom on Small Scale Life!

Money is a tool, and having enough money can help you develop that life you love. Not having that enough money tends to lead to poor decisions, stress and relationship problems with your significant other.

Americans have had a love affair with debt: we take loans for our houses, our cars, our cell phones, and buy lots of stuff using credit cards. We live in a country that borrows from future generations to build and repair roads, pay for benefits, conquer nations and protect the world. It is amazing that our money says "In God We Trust," yet we put all of our trust in banks and credit card companies.

Getting a hold of our finances and debt is a critical first step in taking control of our lives and starting to develop a life we love. This is a huge realization we had this year, especially with a record-setting Government Shutdown.

As Seth Godin says, “Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you should set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” ― Dave Ramsey, EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches. We completely agree and Julie says this exact words in the podcast (which leads us off the Introduction to Financial Freedom Podcast).

F*or more information on this podcast, check out the article titled "Renew You: Introduction to Financial Freedom."*

Also, sign up for the Small Scale Life Newsletter on the Resources page!