Last week was weird. It alternated between feeling like a typical February in the classroom (Children climbing the walls! Teachers climbing the walls!) and something totally atypical. Between worries on Wall Street and people bracing for the possibility of a pandemic, things just felt strange. Still, saving and earning took priority over worrying in our … [Read more…]
Do you do that thing before bed each night where you refresh your account balances? No? Maybe it’s just me. I’m not entirely sure what it is I think I’ll find, but I suppose on some level, I’m checking to see whether or not I still need to set my alarm clock for work. Of … [Read more…]
I tend to prioritize saving over earning more money. It’s worth noting *why* I do this. Obviously, if you have a big mountain of debt to move, the best way to move the needle is to make more money. However, we don’t have an income problem so much as a spending problem. Or at least, … [Read more…]
If you followed my quest for a stress-free Christmas last year, you know I’m a big fan of phone apps. More precisely, phone apps that promise me riches a few dollars in PayPal and a few dollars to Amazon. I know a lot of people write them off as a waste of time, but for … [Read more…]
There’s a scene in the movie Clueless where Alicia Silverstone’s character is accused of being aimless. She insists that she has direction, and is promptly chided, “Towards the mall!” That, friends, was me in a nutshell for years. Decades really. I didn’t have any concrete financial ambitions or direction. And I shopped like it was … [Read more…]
The holidays can be costly. That’s no secret. But there are plenty of ways to save on celebrating without turning into Mr. Scrooge himself. Here are our five favorite frugal ways to enjoy the most wonderful time of year. Deck the halls with gifts. Are you doing some gift giving this holiday season? Good. Me … [Read more…]
Summer is my favorite season. It can also get a little costly. OK, fine. Summer can be downright expensive. As much as we’re trying to keep an eye on our money, I can honestly say that a lot of what I’m seeing is it leaving my accounts. While the Internet and this very blog runneth … [Read more…]
Are kids expensive? Are kids cheap? No one knows and everyone claims they do. The only thing I actually know is that there are plenty of ways to be frugal when it comes to having a toddler. It’s not just about learning to say no to their wants. It’s also clearly about learning to say … [Read more…]
“But what’s the point of not really buying anything all the time if we don’t do this?” A comment my husband made while we were mapping out our summer plans stopped me in my tracks. Once again, I forgot the why of frugality. We were knee deep in the middle of ideas–literally. Our dining room … [Read more…]
Kids are really expensive. But what if you can get cheap toys? Cheap toys when they’re babies, toddlers, and kids. OK, never mind cheap. What if you learn how to get free toys? Kids are expensive anyway. But that doesn’t mean that learning how to score toys for less isn’t important. It is. In fact, it’s become … [Read more…]