BRAINS..I need Brains..YOUR brains..

[Thevail]

Ok, I haven't actually become a zombie. (unless you try to talk to me before coffee)

But I have gotten talked into giving a "Good Ideas for surviving Bad Times" class by one of my friends...estimated attendance 50 people. GULP

I'm a frugal person by nature, and I'm learning more by the day (especially here). My friend thinks that this is a class that will appeal to a lot of people and the proceeds go to a local non-profit so it was just too hard to say no. (I couldn't claim not to know enough since I've been blathering on about this sort of thing non stop since I started reading and posting here!)

My problem is figuring out the key "talking points" and a way to organize the information...

That's why I need your brains...and hopefully help and suggestions.

[madhen]

I'd say looking at the subforums here would be a good way to break down your information. I think they are something like: food, lifestyle, money, health, etc. A few good items in each category, depending on how long the class is. Lots of handouts, if possible. People love handouts.

And give them this website as a good place to start their new frugal ways!

[mombottoo]

Take stock of what you have...that's the first thing anybody should do when faced with hard times. By taking stock you have the information necessary to prioritize and priortizing during tough times is a necessity.

Ways to cut expenses is also a good topic to throw in the mix. How to save on food, utilities, health care, fuel, etc. and what to do with the savings. I would also touch on checking all of your insurance policies (home, car, etc.) to make sure you are getting absolutely the best rate possible and on your bank's fees for the accounts you may have...many people pay way more in fees than they should be paying. Cooking smart is another good one...have recipe handouts for a weeks worth of meals using low cost cooking methods...mention cooking 2 meals at once & freezing one for later. Ways to cut down on the cost of impulse purchases, by tracking your purchases. The envelope method of having a limit on what you spend works well for a lot of people for things like groceries, entertainment & gas. Cheap or free entertainment is also a good topic...you could put together a handout for things in your area that people can do that cost little or no money.

Have a great time doing your class...I'm sure you will be a success!!!

[Thevail]

Very good advice madhen! Thank you.

I'm also not sure how "deep" to go with this.
There's all the usual advice "don't eat out so much", "snowball your debt", "shop in thrift stores", "stock up during sales" that I'm assuming everyone has heard about a thousand times.

But, there's also the sort of meta-advice.."Do you really NEED it, or just WANT it?" "How much does it REALLY cost?" "Set goals, KEEP TRACK, and achieve them".

Then there's the very specific stuff. " Stuff from the "tips" forum..but I thnk most of those are too detailed and specific for such a short (1 hour) presentation to such a diverse group. I can just refer them here for that stuff.

Then, there's the whole subject of "fallacies".

ie.."it is cheaper to knit a sweater than it is to buy one", no matter what you may have heard that's almost never true.

"Both parents working means you'll have more money! Problem solved." No..not unless both parents have really good paying jobs, actually. The associated daycare costs, clothing expenses, commuting costs, lunches, convenience food, etc. mean that you'll usually just about break even, and often that you'll lose money depending on the age and number of the kids.

[NewLeaf]

You will do great. I think breaking down your talk into the catagories this forum uses would be easiest , like madhen suggested.

You could print out a tip sheet for them to look at later, but the question is "how far do you want to go to be frugal". I mean, most women won't want to make their own pads.....

You could have a question/answer period when you let the audience ask and discuss questions.

You could even try to bring examples. Like a price book, or a coupon organizer. Bring the sales papers. Show people what a loss leader is. I had never paid much attention to all of that until this year.

Bring some books you might reccommend like the TWG and OAMC cooking. Or just list them or their websites.

Like I said before you will do great!!!! I wish someone would do a class like that here.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Milly]

I'd probably start with a version of the TWG intro. "We all know how to lose weight, so why don't we just do it?" sort of question, because it's true.

We all know how to save money (just as we all know how to lose weight) but we need to overcome our misconceptions and mental blocks to it.

This was certainly true for me.

[rainbowgc]

Yeah, what they said LOL. Seriously, in today's economy people want the kind of info you will be presenting. I totally agree with hand outs.

[Judi Dial]

I think taking stock is a good idea as a first step. This includes pantry, frig, freezer, possible items to sell, and debt/asset inventories.

Then figure your plan of action. Do the money in/money out thing (Julia Cameron, The Money Drunk) Dave Ramsey's money Makeover, etc. but all of those start with where are you NOW as a first step.

A lot of what we talk about here are the details of how to save money. If that's what you want to teach, then do it that way. But to change people's lives, I think you have to do the where are you now? How are you going to change it? first.

My .02!

Judi

[lisettelovebug]

If I was breaking it into parts this is how I would do it if I were giving the presentation:
I. Intro
II. Budgeting (maybe mention envelope system an others, tracking expenses, etc.) Maybe even have a handout where they can write down expenses, income, etc later.
III. Groceries/Food. (this could actually be a very large section) I would include things like shopping sales, using coupons, buying generics, buying in bulk, and more, oh and stockpiling.
IV. General tips for saving money. You could probably break these down into subcategories like saving money on utilities, entertainment, etc)
then maybe questions ...
What kind of place are you doing the presentation? If it's done in a school or in most places of business, maybe you could do a powerpoint presentation? Powerpoint slides keep you on task and you can just expand on what you put on there.

[Thevail]

Ok..been listening..been working.. here's what I've got so far. I think I'll turn it into a book soon..hmm..I call copy right..but the ideas are free!

Good Ideas for Surviving Bad Times
March 28th @ Skagit Valley College for 4-H

Societies
Toxic
Opinions are
Poisonous

Snake oil salesmen and the American Dream…
The 3 most expensive things in your life:
Home
Largest single purchase you’ll ever make.
Continuing payments for an extended period of time.
Possibly the worst contract you’ll ever sign.
Do you UNDERSTAND your mortgage?
How to save money on your house.
Pre-pay mortgage principle..buying back the years of your life.
Maintenance, you wouldn’t let moss grow on YOUR head
DIY..approach with cautious optimism, and ALL the information.
Take advantage of the fact that it’s YOUR KINGDOM.
Rent out a room, add sweat equity, grow a small garden
The most expensive thing in your home..and how to get it back..Square footage!
Car
New or Used? Status Symbol or Tool?
Continuing payments, continuing costs.
How to save money on your car.
Maintenance, drive it until it drops, a few basic DIY skills.
Include good website. Buy Chilton’s manual for YOUR car.
Change the phrase “drive it like you stole it” to “Drive it like you’re still paying $500/month for it”.
Convenience
Convenience is probably the single most expensive thing in your life.
It is also probably the one place you can cut back fairly easily.
With a house or a car you get to KEEP what you pay for.
Convenience evaporates.
Food
Convenience food..bad for you budget and your belly, bad for you bottom and your bottom line. EX. 5.99/ pound chicken strips from a deli vs. 20 piece chicken McNugget vs. making it at home. Hamburger Helper vs. A package of noodles, a can of cream of mushroom soup, a pound of hamburger.
A price book..is that really a good deal?
Coupons..the Guilt and the Glory




Bills
Do you know how much you owe?
Do you know why?
Review ALL your bills EVERY Year..here’s why.

Clothing
The hidden cost of clothing, dry cleaning
Buying new vs. Buying used (and where to draw the line)
Maintenance..basic mending kit.
Washing tricks

Labor saving devices
How many are hiding in your closet?
Why a good chefs knife is better than a cuisenart.
Sure it saves you time, but does it cost you money?
Do you Really NEED it? Your great grandma probably didn’t have one, and she didn’t die.

Time savers (how much is your time worth)
Coffee on the go?
Frozen dinners?
Gym memberships?
The curious issue of Netflix…

Common “thrifty” Fallacies:
DIY…the money pit and the experience rope..
It is cheaper to make (X) than to buy it…almost NEVER.
Being “frugal” is just another word for cheapskate…
Barter can fix it all..or the drunken cousin fallacy.
That’s eco-freaky hippy stuff..
That’s Backwood’s redneck stuff..

No man, or woman, is an island…
How to enlist the natives..
Don’t offer criticism, Ask for help.
Keeping track.
Carrots and Sticks..
Why your enthusiasm, not what you’re doing, may be freaking them out.

Your community
Do you have one?
Do you contribute?
Supporting your community. Buy local..because your kid works there.

[ravenmaniac]

You have been given some great advice. Let people know they can apply what information they want to their lives. That way you can take things as deep as you want. I bet you'll do great!

[MrsOcean]

Wow! Looks like you've taken the tiger by the tail! Great job so far!! Have you thought about going to your local library to do some research? Although you'd most likely get better, or at least the same information from forums like this one, or the internet as well.

[dcompton]

That's covering a lot of ground. You might find they would like to meet again to go into more depth on the topics.

I would only add a couple of thoughts:

Stress stockpiling. It is possible to save so much money and so much time and energy having things on hand.

And a bit of pop philosophy - I don't remember the source - but it's very true: There are two ways to be rich; you can have a lot of money or you can have few wants.

[Thevail]

Thanks everyone..I'm going to leave this open for a few days and see what else anyone thinks of. If you think of another angle or a specific tip you think ought to be included..pipe right up!

[Milly]

I have an idea for when you're done.

How about you take it on the road? You could visit your friends here at FV and offer the talk in their communities.

You'd get to travel and meet all of us and have free housing to boot.

I'm only half kidding.