These past few weeks have been filled with family fun, side hustling, doing home improvements, and saving money. It feels like we’ve crossed many things off of our to-do list. Life feels busy right now, but it’s nothing compared to the daily busyness in store for us when my maternity leave …
My Facebook feed recently was invaded by little girls in brightly-colored dresses. Many of my “dance mom” friends were posting pictures from “recital weekend.” Tornado will be turning three years old next month, so it’s about time for me to sign her up for dance lessons, because that is considered normal for little …
We received a last minute invitation to a cookout back on Memorial Day. I brought some ordinary Rice Krispie treats and sliced watermelon, because they were cheap and easy to prepare. With the Fourth of July coming up, I’ve compiled a list of recipes that are a bit more impressive for a …
It’s that time of year again. I need to start planning Goofball and Tornado’s birthday party. Their birthdays are about one month apart so we have one party right in the middle. Combining the two celebrations is just one way that we save money on birthdays. We did a great job …
It’s been a couple of weeks since my last update on our progress and plans. We’ve been having a lot of frugal family fun and working hard towards achieving our goals. Some of our money-saving strategies required time and preparation, but we’re finally seeing results from our diligence. Maternity …
Do you reward your children by buying them toys or giving them money? A while back, I read this article that advocated for giving your children extra attention as positive reinforcement, in comparison to extrinsic rewards that reinforce materialistic tendencies. While I don’t believe good behavior needs to be expensive, …
Frugality is about more than saving money, it’s also practiced by using what you already have at your disposal. Upcycling (or refashioning) my closet is a fun way to get creative and save money. I tend to get sentimental about clothing. As a result, my wardrobe includes a significant amount …
Memorial Day, one of those scarce three day weekends when Americans try to pack as much living as possible into time off from their routine workweek. As for me, the kids are playing outside with Dad and I am inside with a napping baby. I could relax and watch television or read, …
My brother-in-law, who is several years younger than me, is on the verge of retiring. He is one of the inspirations to my new goals and lifestyle. His ability to retire so early is largely due to the fact that he is in the military. He is very frugal, but …
Maternity leave is definitely not a vacation. But while caring for a newborn is demanding, you still have a considerable amount of relatively free time at your disposal. I am choosing to be as productive as possible to take advantage of these few months without the demands of a full-time …