I got 80,000 bonus points on my credit card. I sometimes open a new card with a really sexy opening bonus. This time it was the Chase Sapphire Preferred Rewards card. I used it for automated bill payments and was rewarded with 80,000 bonus points (value: $800). Credit card “churning” is a fun option for […]
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How to pack a personal item for Spirit airlines
To save the most money on your Spirit flight, only bring a bag on board that’s 18x14x8 or smaller. Called a “personal item”, it’s the only bag you can fly with for free. Here’s how I packed my personal item for Spirit airlines for a recent 3 day weekend trip. What frugal person doesn’t respect […]
Five Frugal Things
I like to share how I’m saving money. It inspires me to read these posts by other frugal bloggers, and keeps me accountable. I got a $7 Starbucks gift card and a cute glass water bottle from Women in Money, a FinCon conference. Of course, my ticket wasn’t free. But since the information and networking […]
Five Frugal Things, Fun Edition
When it comes to my finances, I ask myself two crucial questions. One, “what do I need (housing, food, healthcare) and how do I pay less for that?” and two, “what do I want (travel, fun, books) and how do I pay less for that?”. That’s my frugality philosophy in a nutshell. Even a frugalista […]
Five Frugal Things, Travel Edition
For the first time in 14 years, I got a tax refund rather than a tax bill this year. I would not recommend giving the government interest-free use of my money, and will make adjustments this year so I don’t get a refund. But it was unexpected, so I decided to use it to treat […]
Dumb Reasons I Spend Money (and how I plan to fix it)
If you’re like me, most of your purchases consist of necessities: housing, transportation, food. Those feel good because they mean I’m caring for my loved ones. Even the fun expenditures are meaningful because they’re intentional and create memories. But every month as I look over my spending, I notice silly purchases that add little or […]
Five Frugal Things
I love finding ways to save money. Not because I want to live an ascetic lifestyle, but so I can budget my money in alignment with my values. As an example, I bought tickets to an upcoming Liz Phair show for myself and my two oldest daughters. Experiences and making memories gives me more happiness […]
Frugal Wins, September Edition
Pardon my metablogging for a moment, but expect to see more content here focused on women + finances. Frugality for me is a way to redirect more money into investments, and the frugal choice is almost always more environmentally sound. And I know September is over. This post is about what I did last month […]
Frugal Wins, July edition
Hi! If you’re new here, welcome! I share frugal wins periodically, both to keep myself accountable and to share good ideas with others. Here are some recent ways I’ve saved money. Note: this post uses affiliate links, please read more about that here if you’re curious! Thanks to a post by MoneySavingMom.com, I got 3 […]
Uber Frugal Month: join us?
I’ve done “no spend” months and even “no spend” summers before, and documented my experience here on the blog. This month, I’m joining the Frugalwoods for an uber frugal month, community style. Why do a spending fast? The point isn’t to produce suffering. It’s the opposite: to maximize happiness. For me, the most important reason […]