Category: Featured

20 Mar, 2020

How We Can Help Out During A Global Pandemic: Resources, Ideas, and Encouragement

I hadn’t planned on writing about the Coronavius again, but when I sat down to write what I’d previously planned on my editorial calendar (don’t be impressed, it’s just my regular calendar, but “editorial” sounds so, well, editorial), I realized I had no enthusiasm or energy for “regular” topics. We’re all feeling the impact of the Coronavirus in some way, or we will soon, and we should all be preparing for what’s almost certain to...

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Coronavirus Pandemic / Featured

18 Mar, 2020

How We’re Managing Our Money During the Coronavirus Pandemic

As COVID-19–the disease caused by the novel Coronavirus–ravages the world, I feel fear and helplessness. My children’s school–and every school in our state–is closed until April 6th (or later). Bars and restaurants are closed. In neighboring states, everything save grocery stores and pharmacies is shuttered. The NBA, NHL, MLS and MLB all cancelled their seasons. Broadway is closed. Disneyland shut its doors. The stock market is spiraling down. Things are not looking good, folks. So...

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Featured / Frugalwoods Philosophy

26 Feb, 2020

Environmentalism, Frugality, and Minimalism: The Triumvirate That’ll Save You Money and Simplify Your Life

Environmentalism, frugality, and minimalism are intertwined. They form a complementary, interconnected system that goes something like this: Need less, buy less, use less, consume less, spend less, deplete less…. and finally, want less. Today, I want to discuss how these three values can work in concert to save money, reduce stress, and inform choices. Much of frugality, environmentalism, and minimalism is encapsulated by doing less. It’s more compelling to buy into expensive “solutions” engineered to...

Featured / Frugalwoods Philosophy / Uber Frugal Month

31 Jan, 2020

How to Create Sustainable Money Habits

Today’s goal: Make it easy to do the right thing with your money. The January 2020 Uber Frugal Month Group Challenge* ends today. Congratulations to everyone who participated! A major focus of this month-long challenge is enshrining healthy money habits for the longterm. It’s not good enough to do good with your money one month, you’ve got to do good with your money all the months. That’s the only route to true improvement. Frugality can...

Demystifying Personal Finance Series / Featured / Our Finances / Retirement

29 Jan, 2020

How We Manage Our Money: Behind The Scenes of The Frugalwoods Family Accounts

Today, by popular demand, I bring you a comprehensive rundown of how my husband and I manage our money. Before we dive in, I want to point out that your money management strategy will likely differ from mine, and that’s ok! Your financial situation will also likely differ from mine, and that’s ok too! There’s no one right way to do money, although there are definitely some wrong ways. What I hope is that by...

Credit Cards / Featured / Kids / Travel

22 Jan, 2020

Travel Rewards, Flying With Two Toddlers, And A Free Hotel Stay

This is the story of flying with two toddlers on a plane, a free hotel stay, and why credit card rewards are a good thing. Here’s a boring (but important) explanation of how Frugalwoods makes money. Air Travel With Two Toddlers: How Bad Can It Be? In November, we flew to North Carolina to celebrate Thanksgiving with my in-laws. Two kids, two adults, and 45 individual boxes of raisins. Being four years old, Kidwoods got a...

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Featured / Reader Case Studies

13 Dec, 2019

Reader Case Study: Questioning The Financial Future With A Partner In Debt

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. Advertiser Disclosure: Frugalwoods...

Featured / Frugal Homestead Series / Smart Buys / This Month On The Homestead

22 Nov, 2019

How We Evaluate Expensive Purchases: Why We Bought A Generator

I reached the limit of my desire to re-enact Little House On The Prairie every time our power goes out. So, we bought a generator. Today I’ll discuss why, what type of generator we got, how to assess a range of price points for the same product, and perhaps most importantly, why we waited four years to make this purchase. The 1870’s: Not For Me I’ve tried living a la the 1870’s and, I’ll be...

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Featured / Frugalwoods Philosophy

30 Oct, 2019

How I (try to) Align My Time and Money With My Highest Priorities

I’m ruthless about how I use my time and money. They’re both limited resources and how I deploy them dictates the type of life I lead. That doesn’t mean I never waste money and time. In fact, it was two recent failures–a $78.59 shopping spree at the co-op grocery store and a dirty upstairs bathroom–that prompted today’s reflection. My Priorities = How I Use My Time and Money When I analyze how I spend my...

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Cars / Featured

25 Oct, 2019

Why Buying A Low Mileage Used Car Is The Worst Of Both Worlds

Low-mileage, relatively young used cars are often a bad deal. Today we’ll explore why and what you can do to save yourself and your money. The Frugalwoods Fleet-O-Vehicles Let me start with a quick rundown of what my husband and I drive our two kids around in: 2010 Toyota Prius: purchased in April 2016 for $8,995 at 96,854 miles For comparison, had we instead bought a brand new 2016 Toyota Prius, we would’ve paid circa...