December, with all its merry festivity, is naturally the month we contribute to our daughters’ college funds. Ah yes, just what every four-year-old and 22-month-old want for Christmas: well-funded 529 savings plans. Don’t worry, in addition to putting $5k into each of their 529s, we did give them actual Christmas gifts (most of which were either hand-me-downs or purchased at garage sales last summer… ). Save On What Doesn’t Matter: Spend On What Does...
December 2019 December is a dormant month. By December, we’ve completed our fall wrap-up tasks: all food from the garden is preserved, the apple cider is pressed, the tractor is switched over to the snow blower and chains, the snow tires are on the cars, the firewood is stacked on the porch, and snow obviates all homesteading labor save its removal from our driveway and walking paths. In December we turn inward and embrace the...
Ann and Leo are both tenured community college English teachers in Seattle, WA. They have a three-year-old daughter, a baby due in March, and an adorable Corgi keeping them busy. While Ann and Leo appreciate the life they’ve created, they feel they’re at a turning point and want our help determining what’s possible, and prudent, given their financial situation. Case Studies address financial and life dilemmas that readers of Frugalwoods send to me requesting advice....
Mini Mittens One clothing item I’ve failed to find used, or receive as a hand-me-down, are winter hand coverings for my children. These are also known as mittens. There seems to be one–and only one–brand of mittens that’s truly warm enough and truly stays on enough for toddlers: SnowStoppers. We bought a pair for Kidwoods a few years ago and she’s still rocking them (I got her the size medium). Here’s a boring (but important) explanation...
What’s not to love about a potluck? You make food, other people make food, you bring that food together and then you eat! Potlucks are a bedrock of frugal living, of community-centered living, of family-oriented living, of social living, and of living for people who like to eat. How could something so inherently frugal–so inherently about food–not be talked about on Frugalwoods until now? We cite the oversight and seek to remedy. To all you...
It’s New Year’s Day, which can only mean one thing: the Uber Frugal Month Group Challenge starts today!!! Like, right now! The UFM is my free, 31-day money management bootcamp. It will transform how you think about, spend, save, earn, and manage your money. It’s designed as a spending detox, but it goes beyond mere frugality and delves into almost every aspect of money management. There’s still time to join the thousands of fellow frugal...
I know, I know, you were probably hoping for a cookie recipe-laden, holiday happiness-filled, jingly, bell-y Reader Suggestions this month; but alas, we must look ahead to 2020 and its attendant goal-setting imperatives. Plus, we did a really festive rundown of excellent frugal holiday gift ideas last month. So, hey, we are in the holiday spirit around here! How To Actually Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions I’m less interested in what my (or your) New...
November 2019 November ushered in our first snowfall and the seasons replaced, exchanged and subsumed each other. I’m never quite ready for this transition, even though I know it’s coming, even though I love the snow. It’s hard for me to let go of my preferential feelings for fall. By November 8th, we were in full winter regalia and nestled beneath the white blankets that’ll cloak the earth until spring. There’s a relief that accompanies...
Olivia recently bought her first home in the DC metro area and she loves her neighborhood and bike commute to her job at a nearby university. However, her boyfriend was fired from his medical residency program last spring and she’s trying to help him figure out his next steps while weighing her own financial goals. Olivia has requested our help in sorting through the complications that have recently arisen in her life. Here’s a boring (but...
November 2019 Pants, a kettle, brake parts, and 150 trash bags: a sampling of what we purchased this month. Let’s start with the kettle, which is something of a woeful tale. Here’s a boring (but important) explanation of how Frugalwoods makes money. The Frugalwoods Electric Kettle Longtime readers have been briefed on our adoration of our electric kettle–our erstwhile electric kettle, I should say. We bought this kettle for $93 back on October 12, 2012 and...
