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…]
One Facebook friend shopped for eight hours on Black Friday last year. Another took three friends and filled one shopping cart a piece. I looked at photo after photo as they flooded social media. There were a lot–and I mean A LOT–of shopping hashtags and not a single #OptOutside on my Facebook feed. The Black … [Read more…]
In what can only be described as a Herculean effort fool’s errand, I announced to my family that I wanted to finish Christmas shopping this year by the end of November. The fallout was mighty. However, the most unexpected consequence of my hubris came from my mom. Namely, she met my request with one of … [Read more…]
You probably thought the definition of insanity was doing the same thing twice and expecting different results. That is…until you read the title of this post. Then, maybe you reworked your definition, huh? But we actually purposefully make the choice to take our toddler grocery shopping. Every. Single. Week. And we like the results! In … [Read more…]
Does money ever just feel like it’s burning a hole in your pocket? If I’m being honest, that’s a big reason why I don’t carry cash. It’s too easy and too tempting to spend. But even when I’m budgeting, tracking my expenses, and tucking paper bills out of sight and out of mind, I still … [Read more…]
Jeans seem like lifetime investments to me. Not just because they can have a steep price point ($1,200+…gasp!), but because it’s such an ordeal to find the perfect pair. So when I do find a pair, I want to wear them forever. Unfortunately, forever only lasted twelve years, and then my favorite pair was done … [Read more…]
In the name of science this blog, I attempted a thing: I recycled my shoes. More specifically, I tried recycling my shoes at DSW. I’ve learned a lot of lessons decluttering. One of the most important lessons is that sometimes things are just garbage. But sometimes things aren’t. That’s how I felt about these shoes. … [Read more…]
For some people, frugality comes naturally. I. Am. Not. Some. People. But I have adopted a fairly frugal lifestyle for the past few years, and I like it. I really do. We are much more intentional with our spending. The constant influx of of stuff has stopped. I wreak far less havoc on the environment. … [Read more…]
‘Tis the season to be… I know. Christmastime is over and there’s probably nary a carol left stuck in your head. Until now. You’re welcome. While there’s a good chance this next season is all about being grumbly over the gray weather as we all wait for spring, I’m actually using it as time to … [Read more…]
Peanut butter and jelly. I eat it every day for lunch. After a recent interview on the FIRE Drill Podcast, that seemed to be the sound bite that stood out to most people. I could practically hear people’s sighs laiden with pity. Rather than write an ode about that the deliciousness of that simple sandwich … [Read more…]