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 […]
Notes from my first FinCon
It’s Monday and I have a mile-long to-do list from my first FinCon notes. If you’ve considered going to FinCon or are just curious about what it’s all about, read on! What is FinCon? FinCon is an annual conference for content creators in the personal finance space to come together for networking, learning and connecting […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Welcome, friends of Kristen The Frugal Girl!
Hi there! Kristen’s The Frugal Girl blog is one of my favorites. I’ve been a fan since the beginning of her blogging journey. So I was stoked when she published my interview. Instead of responding to the reader comments on Kristen’s blog, I thought I’d answer some questions here, and link to some articles that […]
Frugal Wins, trash picking edition
When a neighbor discarded some household belongings on the curb, my daughter-in-love and I decided to take a peek. Trash picking is the ultimate frugal practice. Not only is all the stuff free, but it helps keep good stuff out of landfills. We snagged a brand new dog crate, which is now Willie’s bed. We […]
Frugal Wins, May 26 edition
Sharing my frugal wins helps me stay accountable, and I hope you find benefit too! Feel free to share how you’re saving money in the comments. I packed lunches for work Due to a recent and fairly drastic change coming in my life, I got a part-time job. One of the reasons I applied with […]