I’m always on the hunt for new prefab home ideas. I enjoy searching for new designs, eco-friendly options, and alternative housing options that cost less than buying an existing home. This makes sense since my goal is to be a homeowner within 5 years and I’d like to stay within a very meager budget.

I had an epiphany yesterday: to truly save what you need for the future, you need to visualize it clearly and realistically. Now maybe this had something to do with my 40th birthday, or maybe it had something to do with the weather, or perhaps a Forbes article I was reading; either way, all of a sudden had this clear vision of what I want my life to be like in 10 years from now and a rough sketch of how I was going to get there.

Making the decision to downsize your planetary footprint and live in a smaller, compact or even downright tiny home has proven successful for many, many people. It has become a more earth-friendly (and less possession based) life for people who want a more simple living environment.

A tiny, small, or little house may not be for everyone, but there’s definitely a trend towards downsizing from the McMansions of the housing boom to a more simplified and streamlined abode.

A few months ago, I was asked to test a new website that encourages saving called SaveUp. Similar to a rewards program for spending money, SaveUp rewards their members for saving money. I created a profile, added a bank and credit card account, then earned points that I used to play for prizes.

The beginning of April means a time to recap my goals. I like things in three, therefore my goals were to save money ($6,000 for the year), continue to grow my blog (375 readers daily), and ride my bike (1,000 miles this year). So how am I doing at day 90?