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An Easy Way To See Your Savings Grow (As Painless As Possible)

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Several years ago, Mr. Beaverelli ran across a money saving idea on Lifehacker.  We thought, hey, what is the harm in trying this? Nothing at all!  That’s when the Beaverelli $5 Fund was born.

Here’s the one and only rule:

If a $5 bill passes through your hands, you must put it in the fund.

But what if I break a $20 bill for an 89 cent item and they hand me back three $5 bills?  Too bad…put it in the pot!

You’ll be surprised how quickly it adds up.  We used to carry cash more often, but even though we almost strictly use cards, we still tend to slowly increase our dollars.  Over the past 5 years or so, we’ve managed to save a total of over $3,000.

An easy, painless way to save!

What do you want to save for?

  • Spending money on vacation – tips, gambling, street fairs…
  • Dig in during the holidays and have a little extra to spend on presents for your loved ones.
  • A new piece of furniture.
  • That cool gadget.
  • A larger flat screen.
  • A rainy day – you never know when it might turn into an emergency fund.
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What Is A Must-See In Every City You Visit?

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The local outdoor markets, that’s what.  Whether it’s an open market, farmer’s market, flea market or swap meet, it’s the place to go to find some local culture…and usually at a discount!  I always find that you can learn a lot about the region by doing this.  Not to mention delicious eats from pop-up vendors too.  I enjoy going to the swap meets and farmer’s markets in San Diego, so why wouldn’t I want to find them in foreign lands or cities?  My main focus is usually food and jewelry.

Here is a market we discovered in Florence, Italy.DSC07167-001With plenty of tasty treats.  Too bad we had just eaten and the cruise ship doesn’t let us bring food back.

DSC07160-001DSC07161-001 DSC07162-001Mmmm, mini crepes…

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The produce in Rome, Italy is simply amazing.  All of the colors and freshness.

DSC06976-001DSC06994-001 DSC06995-001 Free Grappa samples…don’t mind if I do…DSC06999-001Our new scarves.  Unfortunately, I think these were made in China.

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Tenerife, Canary Islands, SpainDSC07503-001

Lots of these charcuterie counters OUTSIDE.  There isn’t a lack of patronage here, that’s for sure.Outdoor Market Tenerife

I purchased several pieces of this volcanic rock jewelry…rock bottom prices!volcanic rock jewelry1 volcanic rock jewelry2

 

And right here in the good ol’ US of A, at the Portland Saturday Market.

IMG_20140810_143231_271-001Skip the shopping malls and get outdoors.  The exception, of course, is if you’re traveling during cold winter months, you’re probably not going to find these little spots of heaven.

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