May 29, 2015
Strategic Frugality and The Tale of Stormzilla
Sometimes, the most frugal option is to spend money. Don’t fall out of your chair or topple over your standing desk–it’s true! Indeed, it’s rare that I advocate for forking over cash, but there are instances where avoiding the cheapest choice translates into frugality in the long run. And that, my frugal weirdo friends, is strategic frugality–also…
May 27, 2015
Frugal Hound Sniffs: Messy Money
A note to new readers: while we often delve deeply into financial topics (such as The Privilege of Pursuing Financial Independence and 11 Ways To Be A Frugal Weirdo And Love It), we also like to keep it irreverent and downright silly. Because hey, who doesn’t need an investigative interview series conducted by a dog?! And so, I…
May 26, 2015
How A Year Of Extreme Frugality Changed Us
Last March, Mr. Frugalwoods and I got serious about frugality. You could even say we become hardcore frugal weirdos. To prove it, we launched our Uber Frugal Month experiment. We slashed our already meager spending and started saving more money than we’d ever thought possible while still, you know, eating and bathing (even we have…
May 22, 2015
12 Shocking Frugal Hacks (You Won’t Believe #2)
Are you looking for that one weird trick to catapult you to epic frugality and an early retirement epiphany? Do you want to know the super secret tactics Mr. Frugalwoods, Frugal Hound, and I employ to attain our sky-high 71% savings rate? Have you been prowling the internet for “hot frugal tips”? I know I…
May 20, 2015
Why I’m Grateful For Morning Sickness
Ok so the title may have scooped me a bit, but I couldn’t help myself. Mr. Frugalwoods and I are thrilled to announce that we’re expecting our first baby, a girl, this coming November. Babywoods and I (not to mention Mr. FW and Frugal Hound) are doing well, despite some entertaining first trimester food cravings, aversions,…
May 18, 2015
How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Embrace The Future
“Just start and do it now.” I repeat that incredibly simple little phrase to myself all the time. It’s my reminder that it’s within my own power to accomplish whatever I want. It’s my cue to tackle big projects and not worry about the fact that I haven’t started them sooner. It’s my impetus to…
May 15, 2015
The Surprising Benefits Of Not Turning On Your Air Conditioning
We’ve entered the most wonderful time of the year. No, not Christmastime, but the shoulder months betwixt winter and summer when we can coast by without the use of heat or air conditioning. This climate control-free period provides the perfect opportunity to save money and breathe fresh air. It might seem like a minor shift in…
May 13, 2015
Frugal Hound Sniffs: Gen Y Finance Guy
A note to new readers: while we often delve deeply into financial topics (such as The Privilege of Pursuing Financial Independence and 11 Ways To Be A Frugal Weirdo And Love It), we also like to keep it irreverent and downright silly. Because hey, who doesn’t need an investigative interview series conducted by a dog?! And so, I…
May 11, 2015
Frugal Advice For New College Graduates
May always makes me nostalgic for the day nine years ago when Mr. Frugalwoods and I graduated, hand-in-hand, from college. Ahh, we were young, in love, jobless, broke (though without debt), and blissfully happy. We were reminiscing about our early post-college days this weekend and it inspired me to share all the stuff that I wish…
May 8, 2015
Is Frugality Sustainable Without A Goal?
Mr. Frugalwoods and I had a conversation last night about how much more frugal we’ve become since formalizing our plan to retire in 2017 to a homestead in the woods of Vermont and it got us thinking: could we–or anyone–be this frugal without a destination in mind? I’m fond of saying that when you’re working towards a goal,…
May 6, 2015
Our 12 Tips For Visiting Open Houses: We’ve Been To Over 270
It’s open house season! You perhaps thought these balmier temperatures and tulips indicated a season called spring, but no, tis the season of house buying. The inspiration for today’s post comes from a reader who recently sent me a fantastic question about one of my favorite things… open house etiquette! Before Mr. Frugalwoods and I slapped down the money to…
May 4, 2015
April 2015 Expenditures
While April didn’t bring us warm weather, it did at least melt our Snountain and yield a month of extremely low spending. Our most significant purchases were two round-trip flights to North Carolina to visit Mr. Frugalwoods’ family in June to celebrate his youngest sibling’s high school graduation. This is a perfect example of spending on our…