Groceries are my family’s biggest expense. Even higher than our mortgage. Interestingly, we spend roughly what the government says is reasonable for a family of 9. So I guess it’s not terribly bad. Still, it’s a huge figure and I know I can do better. What I Won’t Do to Lower Food Costs In the […]
I KonMari’d my home (again!)
I first talked about Marie Kondo and the KonMari method (as explained in her best-selling book, The Life Changing Art of Tidying Up) back in 2015. At that time, I decluttered my entire house using her methods. And it stayed that way for the most part! I did, however, do the process again this week. […]
How a homeschooling WAHM does summer (without losing it)
So summer is here in full swing. (I do take a break from homeschooling in the summertime, in case you’re wondering.) The kids are spending their time pursuing hobbies deeply, splashing around outside with the hose and making arrangements to meet their friends at the pool. It’s all fun and good, but what about the […]
Favorite Cleaning Tools: 4 Homemaking Tools I Can’t Live Without
Since we’re talking about spring cleaning and avoiding “tool-shaped objects” syndrome, I thought it would be a perfect time to talk about favorite cleaning tools I can’t live without. For years, in the name of frugality, I cleaned with sub-par products. I wasted time, energy and money on homemade cleaning products and homemade laundry detergent […]
Spring cleaning: skip it and do this instead
It happens every February: everyone starts talking about spring cleaning. I’m going to take a slightly contrarian position and encourage you to skip it entirely. Here’s why, and what you might do instead that’s a more profitable use of your time. Where did spring cleaning come from? “When homes were heated with wood, coal or […]
Simple Healthy Cookbooks: my favorites for food on the table in record time
If you’re like me, you want three things. One, to feed your family healthy and delicious meals. Two, to not spend all day slaving over a hot stove. And three… self-cleaning kitchens. I can’t help you with the third thing! But I can recommend my favorite simple healthy cookbooks to help you with the first […]
Foca Laundry Detergent: 5 Frugal Uses Beyond the Washing Machine
Preview: The Foca powdered laundry detergent I bought is incompatible with my HE washer. To avoid waste, I used it for cleaning tasks around the house instead. Last summer during my no spend challenge, I scoured the internet for the cheapest, positively-reviewed laundry detergent. I discovered Foca. It comes in enormous bags (handy for my […]
Best mom sayings that will simplify disciplining kids
Disciplining our kids effectively can be exhausting at times. We want to impart our values to our kids, but we sometimes fail due to sheer overwhelm or fatigue. Here are some of my best mom sayings to memorize to make your life with kids easier. I also explain why they work so well. Read on… […]
Things I’m Enjoying Lately
Every once in a while I post things I am enjoying. It’s a sort of product review meets gratitude list. This list is for stuff I liked in February. I moved this month, so a lot of stuff will revolve around that (I’m talking to you chocolate, comfy shoes and Epsom salts!). Lily’s chocolate – […]
Drugstore game: why I don’t play
The drugstore game is a method of stacking store sales (especially BOGO deals) with coupons in order to obtain drugstore items for pennies on the dollar, or even for free. I learned how to do the drugstore game back when I was a single mom getting out of debt, and I did it for a […]