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From Cath's Desk
Hello Cheapskaters,
And happy birthday month to you!
Every year around this time I go back through my notebooks and files and I realise once again what a wonderful community we have.
When I first had the idea to start a Cheapskates Club I didn't even have a computer! I had no idea how email worked (technically I still don't!). The world wide web was beyond this ordinary wife and mum's comprehension (it still is!).
I just knew that I wanted to share how we lived such a great life on such a tiny income. Back then our gross yearly income was $20,020. That paid our mortgage, bought our food and clothes, allowed us to have electricity and gas, water and phone. It allowed us to celebrate birthdays, Christmas, Easter and our anniversary. And if there was anything left then we put some into our savings and used some to have a family holiday.
That we were living such a good life on such a small income didn't go unnoticed. Friends and family wanted to know how we were doing it. Some thought we were in a whole lot of debt (we weren't, except for our mortgage). Some thought we were earning money quietly (we weren't). Some didn't believe we truly lived as well as we did on that income.
The one thing they all had in common was they wanted to know how we were doing it.
I had the idea to put out a newsletter for a while before we created the website. Back then though, it meant typing, printing, stapling, folding, addressing labels, and finally posting the newsletter out. I didn't have the time or the money to do that, so I put the idea on hold.
It simmered away though. Every day I'd think of some other way to save money, time and energy and I'd jot it down in a notebook.
Then one day I caught up with a friend. She had started her own online business and excitedly showed it to me. I'll confess that most of it went over my head, but her enthusiasm was contagious, especially when she kept telling me a website was what I needed to start my newsletter.
So I created a website. Well, I paid someone to create a website for me. And to teach me how to use it. Then I put my talent for writing our Church bulletin to use and started writing a free weekly newsletter and a bigger, more detailed, monthly Journal. And the rest, as they say, is history.
I'm so grateful that 17 years ago I plucked up the courage and took the plunge into the great unknown to start the Cheapskates Club. I'm grateful that I didn't put my idea aside, thinking that little ole me could never write a newsletter or build a website.
And happy birthday month to you!
Every year around this time I go back through my notebooks and files and I realise once again what a wonderful community we have.
When I first had the idea to start a Cheapskates Club I didn't even have a computer! I had no idea how email worked (technically I still don't!). The world wide web was beyond this ordinary wife and mum's comprehension (it still is!).
I just knew that I wanted to share how we lived such a great life on such a tiny income. Back then our gross yearly income was $20,020. That paid our mortgage, bought our food and clothes, allowed us to have electricity and gas, water and phone. It allowed us to celebrate birthdays, Christmas, Easter and our anniversary. And if there was anything left then we put some into our savings and used some to have a family holiday.
That we were living such a good life on such a small income didn't go unnoticed. Friends and family wanted to know how we were doing it. Some thought we were in a whole lot of debt (we weren't, except for our mortgage). Some thought we were earning money quietly (we weren't). Some didn't believe we truly lived as well as we did on that income.
The one thing they all had in common was they wanted to know how we were doing it.
I had the idea to put out a newsletter for a while before we created the website. Back then though, it meant typing, printing, stapling, folding, addressing labels, and finally posting the newsletter out. I didn't have the time or the money to do that, so I put the idea on hold.
It simmered away though. Every day I'd think of some other way to save money, time and energy and I'd jot it down in a notebook.
Then one day I caught up with a friend. She had started her own online business and excitedly showed it to me. I'll confess that most of it went over my head, but her enthusiasm was contagious, especially when she kept telling me a website was what I needed to start my newsletter.
So I created a website. Well, I paid someone to create a website for me. And to teach me how to use it. Then I put my talent for writing our Church bulletin to use and started writing a free weekly newsletter and a bigger, more detailed, monthly Journal. And the rest, as they say, is history.
I'm so grateful that 17 years ago I plucked up the courage and took the plunge into the great unknown to start the Cheapskates Club. I'm grateful that I didn't put my idea aside, thinking that little ole me could never write a newsletter or build a website.
