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Table Of Contents
Issue #74 — January 2010

Simple Living News is edited by Fred Ecks and Ann Haebig and published by The Simple Living Network.

Copyright © The Simple Living Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.

The opinions expressed in Newsletter articles are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of The Simple Living Network, Inc., its owners, staff or volunteers. More...


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Bookstore Features

Transforming Your Relationship With Money Combo Transforming Your Relationship With Money Combo
The absolute best program for getting out of debt! Package includes Your Money Or Your Life, (Book), Transforming Your Relationship With Money, (Audio CD/Workbook Course) and A Study Guide for Groups or Individuals (PDF). Save $10.00! More...

The Garden Primer The Garden Primer
The completely revised gardener's bible — 100% organic! Provides the essentials of planning, planting, upkeep and much, much more. More...

What's The Economy For, Anyway What's The Economy For, Anyway?
Ecological economist Dave Batker questions whether GDP is an adequate measure of society's well-being and suggests workable alternatives in this humorous, factual, timely and highly-visual monologue about the American economy today. More...

Voluntary Simplicity Voluntary Simplicity
Revised 2nd Edition
A completely revised and updated edition of the bestselling 1981 classic that was hailed by the Wall Street Journal as the "bible" of the simplicity movement. More...

Less Is More Less Is More
An impressive collection of essays from wise authors who have known for years that the path to economic stability, environmental restoration and creating vibrant, healthy communities can be found by learning to do more with less. More...

The Self-Sufficient Life & How To Live It The Self-Sufficient Life & How To Live It
The ultimate practical guide for realists and dreamers alike aspiring to get back-to-the-basics. More...

No Impact Man No Impact Man
The adventures of a guilty liberal who attempts to save the planet and the discoveries he makes about himself and our way of life in the process. More...

In Cheap We Trust In Cheap We Trust
"Cheap" is almost a dirty word, an epithet laden with negative meanings. This is the story of a misunderstood American virtue... More...

Simplicity Parenting Simplicity Parenting
Using the extraordinary power of less to raise calmer, happier, and more secure kids. More...


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Celebrating 14 Years!
By Dave Wampler
Copyright © 2010

On this, the occasion of our 14th Anniversary, I am both solemn and celebratory. I continue to strive for that perfect balance that helps keep things in perspective.

Balance

Just a decade ago we were riding the tide of a booming economy. Now, three presidents and ten years later, we are all dealing (or not) with economic collapse and leaders who, for the most part, cannot seem to spew anything except fear, partisan politics and gridlock-business-as-usual. For those paying attention, there is even more worry about: the extremely urgent realities of unchecked consumption, overpopulation, mass species extinction, end of oil, global warming, and perhaps the end of life on this planet as we have come to know it.

Things are serious my friends. Indeed, we are at a turning point. We can no longer afford to be complacent. We must change our ways if there is any hope at all of creating a worthwhile future for the generations to come. We must learn how to take matters into our own hands and do things ourselves. (The politicians, economists and media certainly do not seem capable.)

After 14 years at the helm of The Simple Living Network, I still wake up every morning knowing that the work we do here is important — now more than ever before. Understanding that living simply does not equate with easy living, championing the lifestyle choice that is "voluntary" simplicity, (before it becomes mandatory), and rebuilding local communities and economies is the answer to the call.

Things have certainly changed since this movement first began (see the feature article, My How Things Have Changed"). We must all learn to do more with less — quickly! And, that is the why we are still here after all these years.

Not to be all doom and gloom. There are, indeed, many things to celebrate. It is our Anniversary, after all...

What do you think about our new website? We hope you enjoy the many changes and additions we have made! Here are some highlights:

Dave Wampler

Okay, these are just a few of the highlights. We hope you are as excited about the changes and additions as we are! Click around. Try it out. Let us know what you think.

Thanks!

I hope you will join me. Become a champion. Do not be afraid to stand on the mountain top and shout at the world: "Simplify! Simplify!"

Together we are building a community where like-minded folks can come together and share all the joys, frustrations and real life, day-to-day experiences of learning to live more simply.

Enjoy this edition of our user supported Newsletter and our new website!

For the earth and future generations,

Dave Wampler
Founder
The Simple Living Network

Photo of Dave Wampler © 2009 by Brad Trent taken for Business Week. Used with permission.


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How Times Have Changed!
Introduction to the Second Revised Edition of Voluntary Simplicity.
By Duane Elgin
Copyright © 2009 by Duane Elgin. Reprinted with Permission.

There has been a seismic shift in public interest in simpler, more sustainable ways of living since the first edition of this book. This accelerating change is summarized beautifully in two introductions I was given to business audiences, separated by a span of nearly thirty years. In 1977, I gave a talk to an audience of business executives on an emerging way of life called "voluntary simplicity" and, on this occasion, I was introduced as a "Wharton MBA who had gone bad." Although intended with good-natured humor, it was clear that I was viewed as a renegade MBA, outside the business mainstream. Then in 2005, I was introduced to another audience of business executives, but this time as a "Wharton MBA who had gone green." On this occasion, I was viewed as a pioneering MBA on the cutting edge of a revolution in sustainability. Going from "bad" to "green" in those two introductions summarizes the transformation that I have been watching for nearly four decades. More specifically, here are a half-dozen fundamental changes in how simplicity of living is viewed by business, government, and the public.

Voluntary Simplicity

First, the public conversation about simplicity is shifting from complacency to urgency. In the 1970s, there was little public concern about climate change, massive famines, energy and water shortages, and more. Although these loomed on the horizon, the majority of people were focused on the "good life" in the short run. More than thirty years later, these are no longer problems for the distant future; they represent a critical challenge to the human community now. The more closely we look, the more compelling is the evidence that the human family has exceeded the ability of the Earth to support humanity’s current levels of consumption, let alone that projected for the future. There must be dramatic, global changes in our overall approach to living and consuming if we are to avoid a future of immense calamity. Simplicity of living, by whatever name, is moving from an easily dismissed lifestyle fad to an approach to living that is recognized as a vital ingredient for building a sustainable and meaningful future.

Second, as people’s sense of urgency has grown, interest in sustainable ways of living has soared, and simplicity has moved from the margins of society to the mainstream. Simpler or greener approaches to living are becoming part of everyday life and culture. Television programs on themes such as organic gardening, healthy cooking, and solar living are growing in popularity. Magazines with green themes for living are sprouting everywhere. College courses in green building and environmental management are blossoming. There has been an explosion in Internet websites and blogs concerned with restoring the Earth to health and building a more just and sustainable economy for the world. Overall, the "center of social gravity" is shifting rapidly and simpler, greener ways of living are of growing interest and concern to the mainstream of many societies.

Third, public understanding of simplicity has evolved from fantasy stereotypes to realistic examples and archetypes. In the 1980s, it was common for the mass media to characterize simplicity as a "back to the land" movement that turned away from technological progress (an inaccurate stereotype as the sustainability movement has generated a wave of technological innovation that is now recognized as vital to a green future). Several decades later, in response to growing economic and ecological crises, people are looking for resilient and practical approaches to living that are uniquely adapted to different settings. Pushed by necessity, a discerning social intelligence is emerging that looks beyond shallow stereotypes to a diverse garden of expressions that offer realistic models of change for diverse people and circumstances.

Fourth, simplicity has moved from being regarded as a path of regress to being seen as a path to a new kind of progress and social vitality. When I first began speaking about simplicity, it was often dismissed as a nostalgic desire to return to the past as an antidote to the impersonality of the fast pace of the city life. Simplicity was seen as turning back the clock — a life-way of regress not progress. Decades later, instead of a return to the past, simplicity is seen increasingly as vital for building a workable and meaningful future. To illustrate, where the traditional economic wisdom assumed that consuming less meant fewer jobs, a new economic wisdom says that consuming moderately, differently, and intelligently will produce both sustainable jobs and a healthy world for the long run.

Fifth, there has been a dramatic expansion in the scope of simplicity as it has moved from a personal issue to a consideration vital to our collective future. Despite the media interest in alternative lifestyles in the 1960s and 1970s, the vast majority of early pioneers of sustainable ways of living were individuals and families. Many of these people felt alone and out of step with the consumer culture. However, with energy shortages, climate change, economic breakdowns, and more, the scale of public concern and attention has grown from the personal to the national and planetary. Now we are seeing the rapid growth of interest in eco-villages, co-housing communities, transition towns, state-level initiatives, federal programs, and global agreements. Simplicity of living is no longer a personal issue; it is a theme and concern woven into our lives at every scale.

Sixth, over the decades, simplicity is increasingly being defined by what it is for (connecting with and caring for life) instead of what it is against (destructive consumerism). In the 1980s, simplicity was seen primarily as "downshifting" or pulling back from the rat race of consumer society. Several decades later, there is a growing recognition of simplicity as "upshifting" — or moving beyond the rat race to the human race. Increasingly, the mainstream media and society are recognizing how people’s search for happiness is taking them beyond consumerism to a more balanced and integrated approach to living.

Overall, the world has changed dramatically since I wrote the first edition of Voluntary Simplicity in the late 1970s. To respond, I’ve completely revised this book and more than half of it is new material. It is my hope this new edition will extend the promising wisdom and healing force of simplicity to our imperiled world for, on the other side of the fast emerging planetary systems crisis is a future bright with promise.

Duane Elgin About The Author

Duane Elgin is an internationally recognized speaker, author, and social visionary who looks beneath the surface turbulence of our times to explore the deeper trends that are transforming our world. In 2005, Duane received the Japanese "Goi International Peace Award" in recognition of his contribution to a global "vision, consciousness, and lifestyle" that fosters a "more sustainable and spiritual culture."

His books include The Living Universe, Promise Ahead, Voluntary Simplicity, and Awakening Earth. With Joseph Campbell and other scholars he co-authored the book Changing Images of Man. In addition, Duane has contributed chapters to sixteen books, and has published more than seventy articles.

Duane's website is www.awakeningearth.org.

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In My Own Words
A Personal Journey To Financial Integrity
By Dan Ryan
Copyright © 2010

This is my humble attempt at writing. I wish I could do a drawing since that is playing to my strength.

My own journey to Financial Integrity began in earnest after reading Your Money Or Your Life back in 1994.

At the time, I was buried in a large mortgage, credit card debts, student loans, car loan, and house down payment loan to Dad. Needless to say, I was receptive to a new way of thinking and living.

I should have known better — I was part of the whole problem! I was a Senior Creative in the advertising machine. I created the ads which seduced people into a lifestyle of endless consumption. I hated the industry, my job, the hours, and the whole mess! After a few reads of Joe and Vicki's classic, I got it. (I am a slow learner!)

Fast forwarding to this cold December day in 2009, I am 100% debt-free. I am now a full-time artist. I'm avowed cheapskate and proud of it! My cars are ten years old and will run for another ten if I can make them. I'm even selling one to my brother, real cheap.

There are thousands of people out there living like I was in the '90s. They are up to their eyeballs in debt, trapped in a lifestyle they resent. They have done nothing wrong. Heck, they were seduced into the idea that Bigger is Better! Treat yourself, you deserve it! Drive this! Smell like this!

There are never-ending new and improved gazingus pins (read the book or website). Everybody I talk with, if they ask, gets my highest recommendation of that little paperback. It worked well for me (and it will for you, if you work with it). It's like I tell my son: You can have whatever you like...

...just pay cash and buy it used.

Dan Ryan About The Author

Dan Ryan is a 50-year-old former Mad Man Ad Executive who now works as a full-time artist. He lives in Toronto, Canada with his wife of 20 years and two sons. He loves camping, hiking, and all outdoor activities. His website is www.danryanfineart.com.

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Financial Integrity — The Writing Competition
The New Road Map Foundation

FinancialIntegrity.org (The New Road Map Foundation) is holding a writing competition.

The New Roadmap Foundation Anyone courageous enough to strive for integrity has stories to tell. In this economy, anyone striving for Financial Integrity has stories to tell with unique points of view. Whether you started the journey before the turmoil or were inspired by it, we'd like to hear about you, what's worked, what hasn't, what made you laugh, and what hurdles you've hit whether you crossed them or not.

The more that people share their stories, the better. So, to encourage more stories, we are conducting a writing competition. Any story uploaded to the web site (FinancialIntegrity.org) by the end of February 2010 that also meets some basic standards will be entered. No entry fee. No word limit, though shorter is usually sweeter (under 500 words is best). No subject restrictions, though the story should be about financial integrity. A few hundred words about financial integrity that others will find entertaining and useful is what we have in mind, but feel free to surprise us too. Poems are welcome also.

There will be three awards and a member of the FI community is contributing cash prizes for each!

It will be possible to win in multiple categories. So, a poem could sweep the competition if it was the best poem, the most useful, and the most engaging.

Remember that content is more important than style. What will appeal to people striving for Financial Integrity?

This year's judges will be the New Road Map Foundation board members. Next year's judges will include this year's winners.

All stories will be owned by the author, but the New Road Map Foundation and FinancialIntegrity.org will have rights for use on the web site, and in any communications, advertisements, and fund raising literature. The use of Creative Commons Copyright is encouraged.

Winners will be announced the day after Tax Day 2010.

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Welcome To Postconsumers!
Get Satisfied

Postconsumers We're happy to announce that as of January 1, 2010, our Get Satisfied campaign has a new home at www.postconsumers.com. Postconsumers is an educational company helping to move society beyond addictive consumerism. One of our primary new offerings will be a companion "how-to" interactive web module called "Get Satisfied: How to Find the Satisfaction of Enough," produced in cooperation with the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. Other offerings will include an ever-growing Get Satisfied Cartoon Gallery, a Community Blog (all contributors are welcome to join Randy Gold and Michael Beck) and a unique Help Define Postconsumers public contest/vote. For example, The Center For A New American Dream has great ideas at www.newdream.org/consumption/rights.php that can be used to help define this cool term: "No longer content to be described as consumers, nor to participate in the world mainly through our buying activity, we the post-consumers of the world claim these unalienable rights..." Let's share our visions for this key word and ways to advance mindful consumption.

In addition, our current Get Satisfied book is being republished for Postconsumers on January 1st by Easton Studio Press in Connecticut, with new marketing outreach by Cubitt, Jacobs & Prosek in New York and new web magic by Ripe Media in Los Angeles. Underscoring all of these fresh plans is the "Exploratory Research on Materialism" study recently conducted for us by The Pollux Group market research firm. So as Simple Living America concludes on December 31 after 13 years, I want to especially thank the Center for Transformative Action at Cornell University for its terrific anchor and all of you for helping to spread the word about visiting www.postconsumers.com often after launch. See Michael Beck's column there for much more about Postconsumers and call me at 1-877-Unstuff with any questions; it's always fun to talk. Lastly and most of all, there are numerous excellent simple living organizations to turn to anytime you like, such as the Simple Living with Wanda Urbanska national public television series at www.simplelivingtv.net and The Simple Living Network.

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Green Purchasing — What Is Best?
The Non-Consumer Advocate
By Katy Wolk-Stanley
Copyright © 2010

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from Katy Wolk-Stanley's Non-Consumer Advocate weblog at thenonconsumeradvocate.wordpress.com, reprinted with permission.

The Non-Consumer Advocate Want to start living the green life?

Retailers would have you believe green living is all about organically grown hemp sheets and sustainably harvested bamboo living room sets.

Wrong!

The best green purchase you can make is the one not taken.

Every time you purchase a brand new product you make a dent in the environment. Even when you're making a green choice. That product had to be produced by materials that had to be shipped to the point of manufacturing. They were then shipped to the place of purchase, to be taken home by you, the consumer.

If there's something you feel you just can't live without, consider buying it used. Whether it be a book, clothing, appliance, toy or gift. Most anything can be found used.

A second hand regular item is better for the environment than a brand-new green product.

It's already manufactured, the damage has already been done.

I'm part of a world wide non-consumer group called The Compact. (Buy nothing new.) Since joining in January 2007, I've only bought a few new items here and there. I went into it thinking I would try it for a month, but I doubt I'll ever stop. The things I thought would be difficult, (gifts, family acceptance) have been a cinch. Really, a non-issue.

Not only do I feel good that my possessions did not have to be manufactured specifically for me, I've also saved a ton of money!

So next time you're about to buy a brand-new product, pause a moment to think whether it could be found used.

Or maybe even not bought at all.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

"Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."

About The Author

Katy Wolk-Stanley Katy Wolk-Stanley writes a daily weblog as "The Non-Consumer Advocate." She works part-time as a labor and delivery nurse and full-time figuring out the minds of her pre-teen boys. She is a library patron, Goodwill enthusiast, utility bill scholar, laundry hanger-upper and citizen. You can read her thoughts on living a responsibly fun and frugal life at: TheNonConsumerAdvocate.wordpress.com.

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Introducing Carbon Covenant
Interfaith Power & Light
By Sally Bingham
Copyright © 2010

I am bursting with news about our new program: Carbon Covenant. This program links up congregations and people of faith in the U.S. with faith communities on the front lines of climate change in the developing world and offers a way to help out.

Carbon Covenant The four projects featured are faith communities in the developing world taking the initiative to mitigate climate change and protect their communities. All of the projects address the number one source of greenhouse gas emissions in the developing world: deforestation. In Cambodia, Buddhist Monks aim to protect a remote community forest from illegal logging by ordaining trees and patrolling the area. In Ghana, the Presbyterian Church is teaching alternative, sustainable livelihoods, from snail farming to bee keeping. In Cameroon, an interfaith project is fighting desertification through tree planting. And on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, a Lutheran bishop is making tree planting a condition of confirmation in the church.

I've always believed that protecting our climate is not just about curbing industrial pollution. It's about rebuilding our relationship with the natural world in communities all over the world, and inspiring a sense of the sacred and respect for God's Creation. That's a role uniquely suited to the faith community. And that's what we are working toward at Interfaith Power and Light.

Protecting the climate will require international as well as interfaith cooperation and solidarity. One country, or one religion, can't do it alone. We in the U.S. must reduce our own oversized carbon footprint — as I know so many of our congregations have done — and we must also step up to help vulnerable people around the world be part of the solution. That's why we call this project Carbon Covenant.

By working together, we can make a difference.

Rev. Canon Sally Bingham About The Author

Sally Bingham has brought widespread attention to the link between religious faith and the environment through her work on The Regeneration Project and the Interfaith Power and Light campaign. As one of the first faith leaders to fully recognize global warming as a core moral issue, she has mobilized thousands of religious people to put their faith into action through energy stewardship. Sally serves as the Environmental Minister at Grace Episcopal Cathedral and chairs the Commission on the Environment for the Diocese of California where she was installed as Canon for Environmental Ministry. Sally is the lead author of Love God Heal Earth, published by St. Lynn's Press in 2009. She is pictured here with her dog, Obi.

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Climate & Consumption
The Story Of Cap & Trade
By Annie Leonard
Copyright © 2010

Editor's Note: This article is an excerpt from Annie Leonard's weblog at www.storyofstuff.com.

If you're like me, an increasing amount of your worries these days focus on the rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere and the resulting potential for devastating climate chaos.

The Story Of Cap & Trade Years ago, when I first heard about climate change, I figured someone else would work all that out while I kept plodding away with my work on consumption, pollution and waste. Well, guess what? They didn't work it out; in fact, the climate situation is far worse today than even recent scientific predictions. And guess what else? It turns out that climate and consumption are actually the same issue.

You see, most of the greenhouse gases countries emit come from our materials economy: the way we make, use, transport, and throw away all the stuff in our lives. As Boston College professor (and one of my favorite authors) Juliet Schor said "Global consumerism devours resources like there's no tomorrow. And unless we address how much we consume, we won't succeed in averting disastrous climate change."

A majority of scientists now say we need to significantly reduce carbon levels in the atmosphere if we want the planet to resemble something close to what it is like today, supporting the kind of life that it does today. To do this, we simply have to use less Stuff — especially oil and coal. We have to rethink, redesign and rebuild a lot of things. We have to figure out different modes of transportation, growing food, building buildings, and having fun that don't require endless new Stuff. It's very possible to make these changes, but they won't happen on their own. We need to get started.

Unfortunately, most of the world's leaders and big businesses are instead promoting policy approaches that don't bring us anywhere near the level of change that climate scientists say is needed — let's call these "false solutions." And there's another problem with these policy approaches: the details are so technical and policy wonkish that it's often hard to figure out what they are even talking about.

I wondered if it would be possible to explain the leading false solution, Cap and Trade, in a clear compelling way so that more of us are inspired to join the conversation. Working with Climate Justice Now!, the Durban Group for Climate Justice and Free Range Studios, we produced our new short film, The Story of Cap and Trade, to do just that.

We hope you like it. And more importantly, we hope it inspires you to get involved in the most important conversation of our lives.

About The Author

Annie Leonard is an expert in international sustainability and environmental health issues, with more than 20 years of experience investigating factories and dumps around the world. As Coordinator of the Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption, a funder collaborative working for a sustainable and just world, Annie communicates worldwide about the impact of consumerism and materialism on global economies and international health. Annie's earlier project, the Story of Stuff, explores the global materials economy and its impact on economy, environment and health.

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Gems Of The Discussion Forums
Do It Yourself Edition
By Ann Haebig
Copyright © 2010

Looking through the forums recently, I was struck by how active our members are. We do a lot of things for ourselves, whether for reasons of frugality, self-sufficiency, or the simple pleasure of a task well done. Here's a sample of some of the things we're doing:

What a fascinating and dynamic bunch of people! These folks truly are making the changes the world needs. This collection of topics demonstrates how many things we can do that benefit our finances, our health, and the environment.

We also have two success stories this month, one by a participant whose retirement fund just hit six figures for the first time, and another of a couple in their mid fifties who just retired. These folks credit Your Money or Your Life (see also www.FinancialIntegrity.org) for teaching them the methods they used to achieve their goals. There's a forum devoted to discussion of the methods in Your Money or Your Life — this is the forum that first drew me to this website over eight years ago. If you're working on creating your own success story, be sure to visit. Let's learn from each other!


If you've never been to the Discussion Forums before,
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE INTRODUCTION
to our on-line community. Then join the fun!

About The Author

Ann Haebig is a part-time geek, part-time bicycle advocate, and dedicated follower and promoter of the Your Money Or Your Life program. She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her partner, cat and guitar. Ann can be reached at ahaebig@pobox.com.

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Why New Year's?
The Dollar Stretcher
By Gary Foreman
Copyright © 2010

Editor's Note: This article is an entry from The Dollar Stretcher, reprinted with permission.

The Dollar Stretcher Have you ever wondered why we celebrate the new year? It's just an arbitrary date that acknowledges that the earth has circled the sun one more time. As an excuse to party it's really unnecessary. People who like parties really don't need more than the rising or setting of the sun to throw one. So what's the big deal about New Year's day?

Clearly the attraction is not just limited to the United States. Societies have been picking a date to celebrate the new year for thousands of years (think of the Jewish and Chinese new years). And, today the new year is celebrated at one time or another in very many societies around the globe. Why is that?

I think there are two reasons that people mark the new year. One is that we instinctively know that periodically it is good to have a time of reflection. A time to evaluate what has come into our lives and how we handled it. A time to compare what we've done to what we hoped to do. A look at the road that we've traveled.

I think we also know that sometimes we could use a fresh start. An opportunity to put the past behind us and mentally look at today as the starting line. A new starting line. That's probably why so many people make New Year's resolutions. They want to say that today is a new day and a new chance to be who they were meant to be.

So even though I'm not a big party person, come midnight on December 31st I'll raise a glass in a toast and kiss my favorite girl. And then I'll spend a little time the next day looking forward to what I want to accomplish in 2010.

Hope that your New Year is a happy and prosperous one!

Gary

About The Author

Gary Foreman is a former financial planner and purchasing manager who currently edits The Dollar Stretcher.com website and newsletters. You can also follow Gary on Twitter or on his weblog.

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