less equals more

Buy Your Next Car Like it’s your Last.

One of the best ways to live lean, work lean and travel lean is to own a classic car. What?! Okay, about now you’re saying the Frug is nuts, classic cars are exotic, expensive and require lots of work. Well I’m going to debunk that myth and redefine the term “Classic Car.”

A recent Forbes article profiled Mr. Money Mustache, an early retirement guru. When asked about his top recommendations for early retirement, number one on this list was cutting automotive expenses. One eye-popping number in the article was the additional $150,000 he saved towards early retirement by cutting automobile expenses to a minimum. Yes, he still owns a car. (His formula, quoted in the article, says to multiply your weekly auto expenses by 752 to get the cost per decade)

I believe it’s possible to save this kind of money and, at the same time, drive a classic car that you enjoy. It really depends on how you define “classic car.” So, here’s my definition of a truly classic car. And seven steps to get you there.

It’s paid for. Pick up any personal finance book,( a few of my favorites here), and you’ll undoubtedly come across the great benefits of owning your vehicle and making it last. If you buy your next car like it’s your last, plan on paying it off in three years, that’s when the real benefits begin.
It’s at least 10 years old. There’s something about a great looking well-maintained older vehicle. These aren’t exotic cars, just your average, Fiat 500, Ford Bronco, Jeep Cherokee, SAAB 900. Look for cars with classic lines, a cult following, and basic features.
Bottom of the line. When purchasing a new or gently used car that will become a classic, you want to avoid a lot of bells and whistles. For example, GPS systems and satellite radio are largely being replaced by smart phones. Trust me, you don’t need all those extras. Fewer bells and whistles means fewer things that can go wrong later. As an added benefit, the smaller more efficient engines come standard in these vehicles.
You don’t drive it as much. When you add the time-related cost of commuting to the cost of vehicle-related expenses, the savings for a couple can be closer to $300,000 over a decade. Find a way to work from home more often, or bike to work, and you can make this number a reality much quicker.
Taxes and insurance are minimal. If you live near city with high insurance rates like I do, or in a state with personal property tax like I do, then you can cut costs further with an older car. Insurance companies use factors like monthly mileage and age of the vehicle. Personal property tax in states like Virginia is also based on vehicle age and value.
Know your mechanic (he doesn’t work at a dealer.) Auto dealers have very high overhead and a lot of these costs get passed through their service department. Do some research on Angie’s List or ask around and find a good mechanic who works out of a independent bare-bones operation. If you’re turning an old Audi or Saab or other imported vehicle into a classic, look for specialists who work independently on these brands and come highly recommended. You can start on craigslist and yelp.
It’s the only car you drive so you keep it in like-new condition and track its recommended service intervals on a mobile app or website like www.driverside.com. Most of those dire warnings about older vehicles becoming money pits are from people who drive too much or treat their cars like garbage dumpsters. TLC will get you that extra 10-15 years you’re looking for so you can look forward to driving a classic!

Next time you see a great-looking classic Datsun 280Z or Jeep Wrangler, take a close look. That could be you behind the wheel in your completely paid for classic car. You’ll also be part of a tribe like the “SAAB 900 Tribe” or the “Ford Bronco Tribe.” People will stop you, ask you about your classic car and admire your great taste. Start now, after 10 years, your like-new car will start to look like a classic, in 20 years it will be a classic. All that money you saved on car payments, insurance, and taxes will be in the bank, working for you.

My 10 year old Audi A4 is rapidly on its way to becoming a classic. It doesn’t look a week over five years old and paid off 7 years ago.

Have you turned an everyday car into a classic? I’d love to hear your story.

The Frug Workout, Less = More

09/13 by The Frug 2 Comments

Why is it so easy to miss a workout?

I used to try to do three one-hour workouts per week. To be honest, I generally ended up with 2.5 as an average then 2.2 and finally 1.9 workouts per week. The problem is timing. Getting ready for a one-hour workout is a bit of a hassle. Even with the equipment in the basement, I still had to schedule it early in the morning, motivate, and get down there. Then, stretch out and slowly start going through my eight exercises, two or three sets each. I was pretty good at getting at least a couple of workouts with weights in per week. I’d also find time for walks and bike rides. In my case, and I believe in many people’s lives, it’s more of a time issue than a motivation issue.

In addition to the time issue, early morning hours are prime time for me. It’s when I do some of my most creative work. A lot of people are able to work out, clear their heads and come up with ideas all at the same time. (A picture pops in the my head of an overweight executive shouting into his Bluetooth headset while on the treadmill)

I’m not a great multitasker, I prefer focus, no interruptions. Usually I’ll be working out and remember something I need to do, or have a great idea, and have to stop, put a reminder in my iPhone, write it down etc. This disrupts the flow of the workout and adds additional time. Sometime these interruptions go up to 15 minutes, running out of the room to go scribble something down and end up looking at some article online. What I need is a workout that’s over in 20 minutes, less chance for interruptions.

I researched a few of the current hard-core fitness workouts like P90X and CrossFit. I look at these programs and I see complexity, I see additional time, I see pain. It would take me 20 minutes just to warm up, set up the DVDs and fill out the charts. Try a Google search on either of those terms and check out the workout charts.

Let’s be honest here. Most people can’t even stick to the type of low intensity 2X workout I described above, a couple of 1- hour long workouts a week and some daily walking. The more time and complexity added to the workout the less chance you’ll stick to it long-term.

What I was looking for was a highly efficient exercise that could be done in 20 minutes including warm-up and cool down. Gym equipment would be optional and the exercise could be done anywhere, with many variations to keep things interesting. Most importantly, it would not require a CrossFit membership at over $150 per month, or any DVDs or tracking charts.

About a year ago, I read about High-Intensity Training using the Tabata regimen. The basic idea is you can fit a workout that has the equivalent of 60 minutes of exercise compacted into approximately 12 minutes. This includes four minutes of warm-up, eight minutes of High-intensity training in 20 second intervals followed by 10 second breaks, and four minutes of cool down. 12 minutes total.

There is a catch. The high-intensity portions of the workout are tough. The Tabata workout calls for 20 seconds of maximum intensity exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest, done eight consecutive times without pausing for a total of 240 seconds or just four minutes.

So if you’re running those 8, 20 second bursts are (all out sprints), followed by 10 seconds of rest (walking slow, catching your breath). This can be applied to all types of exercise including cycling, mat exercises, elliptical trainers, kettle bell swings and a variety of weightlifting exercises.

If this all sounds a bit far fetched, take a quick look at this article on High Intensity Interval Training. There is some solid science behind it. In fact, the Tabata method, Described in the article has been used to train Olympic speed skaters, MMA champions, and many athletes that require explosive bursts of energy, and a high level of fitness. As the article states you should have a physical before beginning any high-intensity interval training program.

My research on Tabata conveniently coincided with my son requesting a boxing heavy bag for his 13th birthday. (Insert who is he really punching joke here)

I found that heavy bags can be a fantastic part of a Tabata training session. They are inexpensive and always there, reminding you to hit it. They are often are bundled with a nice set of boxing or MMA style gloves which are sort of bad-ass. Everlast Heavy Bag Kit
Don’t want heavy bag taking up space? There are plenty of other Low Cost
options, including your closet door which I’ll describe below.

So the Frug version of Tabata looks like this — I’ve increased the warm-up and cool down periods by four minutes each to allow for one additional set of light weight-training exercises. So, the total time commitment for the Frug Workout is 20 minutes per day, five days per week. You can take any two days off.

Warm up. 8 minutes of light weight training (your choice)
- 2 sets of bench press
- 2 sets of curls
Interval Training, 4 minutes total (your choice)
- 20 seconds on the heavy-bag at 100% effort
- 10 seconds of rest, basically catching your breath
- Repeat 8 times
Cool Down. 8 minutes of light weight training (your choice)
- Two sets of calf raises
- Two sets of squats

I have found that each of these quick 20 minute Tabata sessions actually have more fitness benefits than my 60 minute low intensity weight training sessions. Because they are so quick, there’s less chance that I’ll miss them or be interrupted. For the interval training sessions, I recommend using a free app for your smart phone or you can get an inexpensive Interval training timer
or just search “Tabata timer” in the app store.

Even though this exercise regimen is fast you still need to add some variety to keep it interesting. I alternate different types of mat or weight exercises for the warm-up. These can be any number of low intensity exercises that can be slowly increased over time.

Not interested in buying a weight set? One fantastic option is the TRX Suspension Trainer
developed based on a field training regimen used by Navy Seals. It is basically a two handle strap you can anchor to any closet door and is fantastic for core fitness when combined with aerobic activity like Tabata Training. Or you can go completely low-tech just a workout mat. Here’s a video of some gals at FitSugar doing Tabata training on a mat. skip the ad.

I know that’s a lot of information for such a simple workout but I like to share a lot of low-cost options so anyone can make this work. Give this a try. I’d love to hear how it’s going and if having a workout regimen that includes a frugal use of time helps you miss fewer workouts.

Origin of the Frug

07/13 by The Frug Leave a Comment

Origin of The Frug
by Brad Beckstrom

I was given the nickname “The Frug” by my beautiful wife Kelly. She has a blog, kellysuperficial.com from here on out “SuperK” as that’s how lazy of a typist I am. She writes about celebrities, makeup, and fashion. Sometimes she uses her blog to complain about me and my frugal ways! (when I am merely trying to dissuade her from spending our kids’ college education funds at Target, Nordstrom,and Sephora!)

I think she’s got at least 100 blog posts that mention “The Frug.” Anyway, I thought, “why do I deserve this nickname?” By all appearances, we are certainly not that frugal. In fact, I believe we spend more than most families on what I call “family T&E” or as SuperK calls it “Family Fun Time.” (I think she is being sarcastic, but what do I know?) It’s our biggest budget item. This blog is mostly about our journey from spending on “stuff” to spending on adventures.

Regardless, the name stuck so I decided to really start living it. A few years ago, I registered the domain name “thefrug.com” but never got around to starting the blog as I was too busy dealing with, you guessed it, “stuff.” I think when most people hear the word frugal they think of a penny-pinching coupon clipping recluse. I’d like to redefine the term.

Let’s start with the Wikipedia definition of frugality:

Frugality is the quality of being frugal, sparing, thrifty, prudent or economical in the use of consumable resources such as food, time or money, and avoiding waste, lavishness or extravagance.

I like to think of it this way Frugality = Less and Less = More. So this blog is really about enjoying life more by consuming less. Especially less stuff.

The formula is pretty simple, by consuming less we free up time and money to spend on life’s experiences, instead of stuff. And if we can develop lean spending habits for travel, for work, and for life in general, everyone benefits. I’ve been working on this for years and I want to encourage people to join me in the War on Stuff . I also want to share everything I’ve learned in my long journey towards a lean lifestyle.

So, what am I going to be talking about? Mostly, this blog will be about improving your personal economy and enjoyment of life through living lean, working lean and traveling lean. Many personal finance blogs spend a lot of time focused on the economy, the stock market and the general insanity of the day-to-day world of finance. That’s not for us. We know we have no control over that and most of the advice is contradictory or flat out wrong.

My goal is to guide you towards financial independence so you can be free from worrying about the news, the market and your 401K balance.

Let’s get started.