About

Greenpiggy is about saving money and resources (which in turn leads to saving more money), getting out of debt, and last but certainly not least, having a little (frugal) fun while doing so.

Needless to say, not all of the topics or advice on this site will appeal to everyone, so use what applies, and spread the word to others.

A Little Information On Greenpiggy:

Fairly recently, a job change forced me to relook at my (then) current spending habits. It was a matter of money vs quality of life. Sure, it always feels good to earn more money, and then spend it all rather frivolously, but a lot of times, it comes with costs that one cannot even begin to measure, such as increased stress levels, loss of job satisfaction, and more often than not, an insatiable desire to exterminate fellow coworkers who were causing the gene pool to reflect a negative IQ status. It also resulted in a lot more debt than I imagined possible.

After a little (ok ok…very little) deliberation, and weighing up of options, I made the decision to revert back to a substantially lower paying position at a company I had worked for previously.

Needless to say, I am already reaping the rewards with regards to a lot less stress, which in turn has resulted in a lot fewer sick days (which 9.9/10 times were stress related), as well as a lot less office politics. A lot can be said about being the only woman in an all guy department. No such thing as office gossip or backbiting. It’s amazing!

The past few months have been a roadtrip of personal discoveries and learning things about myself that I never even knew existed.

It is possible to live and exist on less than you are used to, and still feel so much better. Much can be said for simple living. It’s far less stressful, and the rewards are far reaching. In fact, speaking from personal experience over the past few months, it is possible to still make substantial headway with regards to paying down debt, in spite of earning approximately half of what I was earning before.

Life is all about what we make of it, not how much we earn or spend. In fact, those who earn and spend more, think they have it all, but in fact, they are also more of something else than those of us who have chosen the frugal aka simple lifestyle – they are also more unhappy. Many of them determine their net worth in life by the possessions they have, the car they drive, or the size of the home they think they own (which they actually do not own until the very last bond payment or car loan instalment has been made!).

People often ask how I am able to ‘survive’ on what I currently earn, and my reply to them is really quite simple – spend less than you make. There really is no magic formula to it. Spend less than you earn, set aside a little each payday for a rainy day, and you will have far more peace of mind than you ever imagined possible.

I am currently in the process of paying down credit card debt, and have found many ways to cut back on what I used to think was necessary spending. As I find ways to save, and in general, use less of everything, I will add posts to share the ideas.

Just a little background info on me…

I am currently learning as much as possible with regards to managing my own finances, instead of leaving it to the ‘professionals.’ The reason they are called brokers, is often because one is broke after allowing them to deal with your finances!

I do a little photography in my spare time, and enjoy the outdoors, especially cycling, and am a self confessed internet a holic, which is probably what led to me starting this blog – all the more reason to spend more time online!

I value friendships a lot. Even though at times, it seems like others don’t value them as much. People often see compassion and genuine friendship as a foreign concept these days. Mind you, it is rare to find genuine friends nowadays. A lot of people are simply out to see what they can glean from a friendship or relationship, without stopping to ask what they can give along the way.

It has been a year of personal growth and discovery for me. Friendships have been made, and lost. Many lessons have been learned along the way, and will not be forgotten. As a result, I am now able to share with others who are in need of advice or encouragement in various areas of their lives.

Feel free to drop me a mail at thegreenpiggy(at)gmail(dot)com if you have any frugal tips or advice, or even something humourous that you’d like to share. Or alternatively, feel free to post comments right here on the site. Please note though, that any comments pertaining to spam, abuse, or lack of netiquette, will be promptly removed from the site.

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