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 […]
Tuesday Gratitude
Yesterday I got a text from my daughter-in-love (who lives in the apartment downstairs) sweetly asking if I was up. When she awoke, several rooms downstairs were underwater. There’s nothing quite like starting the day with a flood! It’s a yucky, helpless feeling. As a new female head of household, I find this especially stressful. […]
The One Question That Will Change Your Life (and Finances)
(Post contains affiliate links. More info here.) One of the most important, life-changing books I’ve read is Playing with Fire: (Financial Independence Retire Early). There’s a simple exercise in the book, where you’re challenged to answer this question: What are the top 10 things that make you happiest on a weekly basis? Pretty simple. 10 […]
Simplify Back to School Season (+ a free 30 day meal plan)
School started in our county last week. It’s a busy season. Our routines get turned upside down. The kids have all the feels! Ahh! To help myself (and my kids) ease into this transition, I think about ways to simplify back to school season. Here’s what I did this year. If you scroll down, you’ll […]
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 […]
How I Stop Anxiety Attacks with Mindfulness
I’m happy to say that my anxiety has gone from an “8” to a manageable “2” intensity, in just a few months. Why? What changed? It wasn’t my life’s circumstances. I didn’t wrap myself in a cocoon and avoid all triggers. I learned how to stop anxiety attacks with mindfulness. I’ve had anxiety all my […]
Five Frugal Things, Self-Care Edition
One: I redeemed a $10 reward from ThredUp (that I’d earned through referrals) to get two summer shirts. ThredUp is a huge online consignment shop. I’ve been consistently pleased with my purchases from them. Their inventory is massive, and the search filters make it easy and fast to find what I need. One of the […]
The Incredible Book Eating Boy
Is it just me, or is this summer flying by? It feels like I blink, and another week has passed. I’ve learned that one way to make time slow down is by having new experiences. Travel is one way to do this. I also love exposing my kids to the arts. Last year, two of […]
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 […]
Summer Vacation with Kids (Like a Lazy Genius™)
Summer vacation with the kids feels like a lot this year, for a few reasons. One, I’m now working outside the home, so child care is a concern. Two, my kids have a wide age range, so it’s challenging to meet everyone’s needs. Three, I’m only one little person, with limitations of time, money and […]