Category: Smart Buys

Holidays and Special Occasions / Reader Suggestions / Smart Buys

8 Nov, 2019

Reader Suggestions Of A Frugal Holiday Gift Guide (aka Staying on Budget the Non-Grinchy Way)

There you are, frugaling through the year, with your money on your mind and your mind on your money when, BAM, it’s the holidays and all the cash you saved and scraped is siphoned off into an endless swirl of gift buying, wrapping paper, holiday party hosting, and Christmas tree be-decking. Ahh well, better luck next year, you think as you start January broke, deflated, and feeling ever-more Grinch-like. BUT NOT THIS YEAR! The Frugalwoods...

Smart Buys

23 Oct, 2019

How Many Vacuums Should One Person Own? I Endeavor To Find Out

“You know you’ve made it when someone sends you a free vacuum.” -said no one ever. Until now. Now, I’m saying it, you guys. Because by this calculation, I’ve made it. I am someone in this world. I am someone who receives free vacuums (well, one free vacuum to be precise). The Dyson V7 Motorhead to be even more precise, which is a cordless, lightweight, super powerful stick vacuum. How This Free Vacuum Came To...

Clothes / Great Trash Finds / Smart Buys

4 Oct, 2019

How to Thrift Like a Rockstar: Plan Ahead, Buy Ahead and Focus on Depreciation

I’m a known thrifter. Unlike known grifters, this is a good thing. Since becoming Mrs. Frugalwoods, I’ve tried to buy everything second-hand. This doesn’t always work out and sometimes I choose to buy things new (such as my mattress), but on the whole, my household is awash in used goods. Today, I want to talk about three aspects of my buying used strategy (oh yes, it’s a strategy): Focus on things that make the most sense to...

Featured / Smart Buys

25 Sep, 2019

How My $279 Amazon Mattress Is Holding Up After Seven Years

Oh yes, it’s Internet Mattress time. I bought this king-sized mattress from Amazon for $279 back in September 2012 and on this, the month of its seventh anniversary, I bring you a progress report. In summary: Internet Mattress is still going strong I would buy it again, which means I recommend it It’s still under $300 (currently $289 for the king size) Before buying this thing, I assumed that mattresses are expensive. That there’s no...

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Clothes / Featured / Frugalwoods Philosophy / Smart Buys

5 Sep, 2019

How I’m Learning To Love My Body, Find A Middle Ground, And Buy Clothes Without Regret

I was pregnant or breastfeeding for four years. Starting in March 2015, when I got pregnant with Kidwoods, straight through to April 2019, when I weaned a 14-month-old Littlewoods. There was a one-month hiatus in 2017 after I weaned Kidwoods and before I got pregnant with Littlewoods. Other than that, my body’s been in full-time mama territory. Today is an exploration of how my relationship with my body–and by extension, with clothes–evolved as a result...

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Featured / Smart Buys

8 Jul, 2019

My Frugal Cell Phone Service Trick: How I Pay $10.65 A Month

I used to pay $81 a month for my cell phone service. Now, I pay $10.65 a month. It’s rare that there’s one weird trick to saving money. Usually, saving entails hard work and sacrifice. Today, I bring you an exception. Today, I bring you a way to save money every month that’s easy and painless. Today, I introduce you to the world of MVNOs. I know, you’ve been thinking about your Moonbeam Vector Newt...

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Featured / Frugalwoods Philosophy / Smart Buys

22 Mar, 2019

When Spending Money Equals Happiness: Why I Bought A Roomba

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 love to clean my house; 4) I have two kids (who I love!). Lots of love here. I’ve balanced these...

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Featured / Kids / Smart Buys

15 Feb, 2019

How I Saved Tons Of Money During My Baby’s First Year

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, baby transitions out of baby-ness, I’m nostalgic. I can’t say I’m sad because I don’t love the newborn phase. Neither...

Featured / Home Improvement / Smart Buys

1 Nov, 2018

Why We Went Solar: The Economics, The Environment, and The Energy Produced

This is the post you’ve all been waiting for. This is the answer to your prayers and the deliverer of miracles. That’s right, I’m finally writing about our solar panels. I know you’re thrilled. Actually, I think ten of you are, in fact, thrilled and the rest of you will read along just to see hot panel pics. I know I would. As everyone in the world knows (or at least, everyone who follows along...

Frugal Homestead Series / Smart Buys

17 Oct, 2018

How We’re Preparing To Make Maple Syrup

Today we’re going to learn about making maple syrup! But first, I must regale you with a story (far be it for me to get to the point quickly… ): One of the reasons my husband and I chose to move to a 66 acre homestead in Vermont three years ago is that we knew nothing about homesteading. Yep. We both felt conversant in city life–to the point of boredom–and wanted a new challenge. I...