March 27, 2019
February’s spending reflects the endless wintertime we find ourselves mired in. Nearly everything we bought is in some way seasonal, which is a lovely way of reminding myself that this snow, this winter, this cold is temporal. It’ll melt, it’ll move on, and spring will rush in, making us question if there ever really was…
March 22, 2019
I bought a Roomba. Yes indeed, I am the owner of a $259.98 robot vacuum (affiliate link). And I’m pretty happy about it. Let me tell you why. I have competing passions in my life: 1) I like to save money; 2) I love a clean house; 3) I love to write about money MORE than I…
March 18, 2019
My credit card strategy has been, heretofore, unoptimized. Woefully unoptimized. It’s been less of a “strategy” and more of a “doing what we’ve always done because it’s easy.” Mr. Frugalwoods and I decided to (finally) do some research and–wonder of all wonders–sign-up for the credit cards that make the most sense for us. We landed…
March 11, 2019
Georgia and her husband Seb live in a French village along with their darling baby daughter. All is wonderful, except that they’re not quite sure what to do next! Case Studies are financial and life dilemmas that a reader of Frugalwoods sends to me requesting that Frugalwoods nation weigh in. Then, Frugalwoods nation (that’s you!), reads through…
March 8, 2019
Our beloved greyhound, Gracie (better known as Frugal Hound), passed away a year ago and I thought it would be a fitting tribute to devote a Reader Suggestions to the topic of frugal pet care. I miss everything about Frugal Hound. Compiling your advice and seeing your adorable pet photos was a wonderful way to…
February 28, 2019
January 2019 What is there to say about a month like January? It’s the doldrum of a season. Winter persists. Fall is a memory. Spring is an elusive promise that seems more like a maybe than a definite. Snow engulfs everything: trees, cars, garden fences, porches, small mammals, a box of tissues I accidentally dropped…
February 22, 2019
Our kitchen faucet joined the ranks of the no longer living. As you might recall, Mr. Frugalwoods put in a herculean effort back in October to keep this faucet among that which is operational in our home. His plumbing fix worked. Until it didn’t. The valve in the faucet broke again–yielding a mind numbing drip,…
February 15, 2019
In honor of Littlewoods turning ONE YEAR OLD this month, I’m enshrining my ideas on how to be frugal with infants. ALL of my ideas. Seriously, I don’t think I left anything out. You’re welcome and/or I’m sorry. Waxing Nostalgic With Littlewoods’ first birthday, I finally understand the feeling “bittersweet.” As my second, and final,…
February 8, 2019
Katie and Arden live on beautiful Cape Cod in Massachusetts and have a passion for travel, spending time on the water, renovating their home, and enjoying life. Katie has Cystic Fibrosis and would like our advice on how to plan for retirement while still living it up with her husband, friends, and family in the…
January 31, 2019
My husband and I have had a lot of things over the years: 10.5 years of wedded bliss, two darling children, endless conversations about grocery lists, vacations abroad, tears, exhaustion, and joy. One thing we didn’t have? A frugal wedding. Yep. You heard it here first: the Frugalwoods did not get married frugally. Mr. FW…
January 25, 2019
It’s appropriate that I spent $34.25 on a 20lb tank of C02 because quite a few of you are participating in my bi-annual Uber Frugal Month Group Challenge (UFM) this month. And this tank of C02 is the perfect illustration of an overarching theme of the UFM: Frugality isn’t about depriving yourself, it’s about being…
January 18, 2019
December 2018 Most of what happened in December related to our Christmas fiasco festivities, which I detailed earlier this week in Laugh So You Don’t Cry: What It’s Really Like to Celebrate Christmas With Little Kids. Other than that whole situation, I can report that it is still winter on the homestead. We’re still covered in…