The final stages of the Fit & Frugal Fitness Challenge are upon us!

Recap of Week 3 Fitness Challenge

I don’t know about you, but I enjoyed changing it up a bit with those panther planks. I felt super strong getting through that set! Holding planks are so beneficial for both muscle activation and strength building but sometimes it can get monotonous. I hope those panther planks spiced up your normal plank for you while challenging you to get stronger.

Didn’t feel difficult enough? Awesome! You’re in pretty good shape.

Too hard? It’s totally ok! Start again, this time a bit slower and really aim to do a single repetition to the best of your ability. Good form is better than lots of reps with bad form!

Regardless, you tried it! And that is sometimes what matters most: you stepped outside of your comfort zone and tried something new. If you want to keep working at it, don’t get down that last week didn’t work for you, just get back up and try again. Don’t beat yourself up about what didn’t happen or what you didn’t accomplish. Lift yourself up with what did go right, what you tried, and what is possible.

Week 3 Financial Challenge Recap

As for the financial piece of this challenge, did anyone calculate their savings rate? I know it can be an intimidating task. Not because the math is hard, but because you are afraid of the answer. Our overall savings rate is about 16%. We are happy with that for now. Our financial goals are aligned with me working a part-time schedule, trying to incorporate frugal strategies, and keeping a savings rate that will keep our future goals of retiring a bit early in reach.

We are big followers of all things about Financial Independence and early retirement. In all of these podcasts, blog posts and videos, we hear people with savings rates of 50% or higher. That’s not where we are right now and we accept that. We are also fortunate enough to not be at a less than 15% savings rate.

I was with a group of 20 or so women last year listening to a talk by a financial advisor and when she asked the group who had a savings rate of 15-20% or more, roughly 3 people raised their hands, myself included. (That is not a brag, that is my why. WHY I am sharing some personal stories about finance and challenging others to take a look at their health and their wealth).

Are you disappointed in your savings rate? Hopefully, this math will perk you up a bit. Whatever small efforts you do to pay your future self, they are worth it – keep at it! For example, if you are 40 years old and you start with investing and saving $150 a month, in 20 years you could have over $70,000 by age 60. If you are 30 years old and save $100 a month for 30 years, you may have over $100,000 by the age of 60. Don’t believe me, check the math on this savings calculator.

Now, those numbers aren’t exactly enough to retire on, but it does show you that saving an extra $100 + each month can make a difference. So even if all you can afford is that $100, start now, and add more as you can. Don’t think because you can’t save a BIG amount means you shouldn’t save at all. Keep chipping away.

Enough small talk, on to the challenges!

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Fitness Challenge:

• 60-second forearm plank (for an extra challenge, make it a rocking plank for the last 20 sec)
• 2x 10 push-ups
• 45-second side plank (for an extra challenge, add in 5 – 10 hip dips on each side)

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Finance Challenge:

Do one thing that saves you money every month.

• Shop around for a cheaper cell phone plan or cable service (or just call your current one and ask about any deals going on)
• Sign up to be a mystery shopper and save expenses on restaurant visits
• Compare car/homeowner/pet insurances and switch to a lower rate, etc.

You can get creative here. You can do more than one, but the challenge is just to do ONE. We would also love it if you shared what worked for you!

Our go-to savings is to mystery shop and enjoy dinners out for free. There are a ton of different companies to research and find one that matches your style. This month we enjoyed a $90 dinner out at one of our regular establishments and we will be reimbursed for the entire $90. It does take time to fill out the survey and do a complete and accurate job, but in our opinion, it is worth it for the free night out.

This month, mystery shopping also help me save $150 to get my cracked screen on my iPhone fixed. Deals like that don’t always come along, but I got my cracked screen fixed for free with completion of the survey. Can’t beat that.

Good luck this week and please share your insights – we want to build a community where we all share what works and lift everyone up!

Missed a week of the Fit & Frugal Challenge?

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Hi, I’m Carly.

I’m a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor based in Cherry Hill, NJ! I teach spin, barre, and megaformer classes throughout the week. Check out my schedule and where I teach.