I do not hate Valentine’s Day. I’ll be honest with you right now, I’m rather a sucker for adorable little holidays like Halloween and V-Day. Ok, being totally honest, I like big holidays too. Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays… I’m smitten! What I do hate is the rampant commercialization of these holidays. But for my part, I choose to tune out the endless prompts to buy more stuff. Instead, I focus on the love that springs forth when we don’t get...
Although my husband and I aren’t frugal weirdos per say, we do try to keep things as frugal as possible in our household, especially around the holidays. Part of our interest in frugality stems from the period of time when we lived in Grenada so my husband could attend medical school there. During that time we learned to be wise with our money, and we even paid off all of our credit card debt because...
I am one of those rare people who delights in sending paper greetings through the postal service every Christmas. It’s an antiquated practice to be sure, but it’s something I greatly enjoy. Of course, it’s far less frugal to mail paper cards than it would be to transmit the modern e-card equivalent, but I find this analogue approach a soothing counter-balance to our otherwise entirely electronic lives. Plus, don’t you think I’m doing the world a favor...
I typically don’t take a militant stance on anything because we all have different goals, circumstances, backgrounds, and financial situations. However, there is one thing about which I am a vehement, diehard evangelist and I’ll rage on if given half the chance. This lightening rod issue that’ll cause me to shed my otherwise accepting, egalitarian self? Leftovers. There is only one appropriate way to deal with leftovers: by eating them. You can freeze them, store them, save them, or...
As the holidays near and I spring around with glee because I love–LOVE–Christmas, the question of gift giving and receiving is in the air. Presents are often a divisive topic amongst the frugal cadre as we, by our inherent frugal weirdo nature, can’t abide seeing money wasted on worthless stuff. However, as people who are equal parts frugal and Christmas adorers, Mr. Frugalwoods and I have staked out a middle ground with holiday gifts. We don’t...
The first hesitant tendrils of fall are filtering through the air. Frugal Hound is sniffing the cool breeze expectantly and thus far, one leaf hath crunched underfoot–it was either premature in its falling or just a dead leaf, but I’ll take it! Autumn is, without contest, the most favored of seasons for the Frugalwoods. It’s a time rife with frugal opportunity and its natural beauty is unparalleled. Fall, though an unassuming calendar event at first blush–nestled as...
Happy 4th of July to our US readers! What do frugal people do to celebrate independence day? Why, they run through the streets waving the flag of the frugal weirdo of course. Although, come to think of it, that would be no flag at all since we’re all too frugal to buy an actual frugal weirdo flag… But I digress, frugal weirdos just do free stuff like fear for their lives while watching their neighbors and...
We don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day, which I’m sure surprises no one given our status as chief frugal weirdos. I could rant about how dumb of a holiday Valentine’s Day is (very dumb) and how terrible of a deal it is to eat out on February 14th (rather terrible indeed). But what I really want to talk about is why my relationship with Mr. Frugalwoods doesn’t need Valentine’s Day. Here’s the thing: every convention of Valentine’s Day has...
Frugalwoods is my manifesto. I’ve never felt so passionately about a project nor poured so much energy into any single venture. As 2014 comes to a close, I want to share how grateful I am to all of you for reading along as Mr. FW and I navigate our journey to financial independence. Thank you for being here with us! What Frugalwoods Means to Me I published my first post here on April 9th and felt...
We spent $104.17 on Christmas this year. Yes indeed, yet again we’ve managed to frugalize what is possibly the most consumeristic holiday of the entire year. Mr. Frugalwoods and I routinely disappoint retailers and let down the economy, but it’s particularly egregious during this season of revelry. Basically, we’re a menace. But, despite this meagre amount, we’re not skimping on the mistletoe or giving used dental floss as gifts. Nope and nope. We’re having a lovely Christmas while still...
