If you follow me on Twitter, it’s no secret that I hate paying for cable. Yet, in the great compromise* that is marriage, I’ve continued to shell out for cable since those two glorious weeks when we had no TV or Internet at all when we first got married and a certain someone may or … [Read more…]
Last week, Yahoo Food ran a Refinery 29 piece entitled “What It’s Like to Feed a Family For Less Than $20 a Day”. It was widely read, and if the 3,510 commenters are any indication, it was also widely misunderstood. In a lot of ways, I blame Refinery 29 and Yahoo. Their sexy headline was … [Read more…]
Once I finished my victory lap around the kitchen table to celebrate lower our car insurance premiums, I dashed over to dutifully input the new numbers into our budget spreadsheet* with a smug smile scrawled across my face. I had spent the better part of two weeks soliciting quotes via phone, email, and carrier pigeon. … [Read more…]
Couponers love to brag. In fact, there are entire databases and websites set up to allow couponers to share their triumphs. Rightfully so, because couponing can help people score major deals. I’m not talking about 50% savings. Couponing brags usually include drastically discounted items, freebies, and moneymakers. Still, I’ve been in the couponing world long … [Read more…]
Cleaning your home is not as simple as it might originally seem. Just consider the amount of money it costs you each month! Store shelves are overflowing with all sorts of cleaning tools, detergents and solutions. There’s a product for washing your windows, another for polishing wooden surface,s and yet a third one for cleaning … [Read more…]
One of the most fascinating aspects of personal finance is the fact that it is comprised of individual stories, goals, wisdom, and opinions. I have read certain bloggers state unequivocally that if you have not experienced debt, your authenticity as a personal finance blogger is questionable at best. I’ve also seen readers lambaste bloggers in comment … [Read more…]
Did you hear the flurry of personal finance bloggers simultaneously clicking unfollow on Twitter? I just admitted to owning a $700 pair of shoes, and I had the gall to say that purchase wasn’t wasteful. Someone take this blog away from me, right? I know that designer shoes aren’t for everyone. I’m also confident that I … [Read more…]
“Wine is a grocery, not a luxury.” No, Richard Betts, you’re wrong. Last week, I was in the midst of catching up on my favorite podcasts, when I stumbled across that sound bite courtesy of Richard Betts on the Tim Ferriss Show.* While I most certainly understood his point — in his experience, the table … [Read more…]
It started with a spice cabinet. In my desperate attempt to free my kitchen of all its clutter last month, I found a jar of Cajun seasoning that had been gifted to me along with other spices when I got engaged. I had used the Cajun seasoning exactly twice in two years. In my flurry … [Read more…]
On most days, I have the perfect excuse for not going out for lunch: I do cafeteria supervision. That’s right. I eat walking around in the company of 400 preteens. Still, there are some occasions that find me out of the building for full-day meetings, in-service trainings, and whatnot. Sure enough, when the noon hour … [Read more…]