Recently I shared that we’ve been wasting far too much food around here. Groceries are my second-biggest monthly expense (after my mortgage). Therefore, avoiding food waste is one of the fastest ways a family can save money. I sat my two oldest still-at-home kiddos (19 and 17) down and asked them to help me brainstorm […]
How to stop emotional spending
I’ve avoided taking a close look at my spending recently, and this neglect has made me anxious.The stress of the last few months has made it impossible for me to focus on the details of my budget. In addition, I’m no longer doing a weekly or monthly budget meeting with my spouse. So when I […]
On Learning to Linger
I didn’t choose a “word of the year” as I have in previous Januaries. But if I had, my word should have been linger. (Hat tip to my fellow Gen-X readers who, upon hearing that word, conjure Dolores O’Riordon belting it out, may she rest in peace.) One of the things I work on with […]
Thankful Thursday, job edition
Going through a divorce is stressful, to be sure. Economic fears, routine changes, shifting expectations and relationships. They take a toll on the brain. During a challenging season of life, I think it’s crucial to take time for gratitude. It’s been a long time since I did a gratitude post. So here goes! I’m super […]
Recent frugal wins (and fails)
First, the frugal fail! Recently I’ve been guilty of throwing away too much food. (The horror!) Food waste, according to this study from Penn State, costs the average American family $1,866 annually. Ouch. I needed to get a handle on this, quickly. For a few weeks after we moved into the new house, I had […]
Meal Plan Monday
Because food is my biggest expense after housing, meal planning has been an important frugal habit. In order to keep myself accountable for meal planning and hopefully share some family friendly, frugal and fast (my ”name what matters” in Lazy Genius parlance) meals, I’ll start posting Meal Plan Monday each week. I have the day […]
Why I Quit the Personal Growth Industry
After a five-year near hiatus from blogging, I came back with a bang with two controversial posts. A few of the comments stung a bit, and I wasn’t quite up to publishing another article that might open me to more criticism. But I’m not going to back away from topics I’m passionate about, especially when […]
Recent Reads: April 2022
This month I discovered a new fiction genre I’m enjoying: swamplife. I picked up Where The Crawdads Sing so I could read it before the movie comes out (a personal rule I have!). I enjoyed it, but didn’t love the ending. If ambiguous endings are a deal-breaker for you, be forewarned. Otherwise, the story of […]
Misfits Market Review (and a coupon code)
Are you a fan of grocery delivery services? I’ve been using InstaCart for years and love it. I’ve also experimented with another: Misfits. Here’s my Misfits market review, along with a coupon code for you to use if you’d like to try it. What is Misfits market? Misfits Market offers seasonal, organic produce and claims […]
Why I Stopped Doing Trim Healthy Mama
More than a few readers find my blog by searching for keywords around the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan (hi!). I found THM after my 7th child was born. It helped me lose those final, stubborn pregnancy pounds. However, I’ve abandoned the plan for good. Here’s why I stopped doing Trim Healthy Mama. Diet Culture? […]