February 2015 Expenditures
The month of February can best be summed up by the following word: snow. And furthermore, snow. This was a rather expensive month by Frugalwoods standards, which I’m not thrilled about. And, none of it was even for fun stuff like travel! Uninterestingly, we simply had a slew of boring, semi-annual bills hit this month, including: car insurance (paid…
The Privilege Of Pursuing Financial Independence
Achieving early retirement isn’t something everyone can do. I wish I could say that if everyone would just save a little more, and live a bit farther below their means, and avoid buying an SUV, they’d be able to quit their jobs and live the life they crave. But that’s not the reality. There’s structural privilege inherent…
January 2015 Expenditures
A Classically Frugal Month January was a superbly cheap month for us, which is what we anticipated given our weeklong trip out to California to visit my family. Any month with non-mortgage spending below $1,000 ($989.05 this month), is ideal for us. It balances out slightly pricier months (ahem, looking at you, December 2014). We’ve…
Why We Don’t Meal Plan
Today I’m participating in a grocery cost comparison study with a number of other bloggers hailing from different parts of the country, led by the fabulous Kayla of Shoeaholic No More. Our goal was to evaluate prices for the same grocery items in our respective regions. Reporting in for the Boston area, I did my price checking at a…
December 2014 Expenditures
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a frugal and fabulous start to 2015! Mr. Frugalwoods and I* managed to stay up until 10:30pm on New Year’s Eve, so I’d count that a roaring success. *Frugal Hound was out by 9:30pm, so don’t be impressed with her. December Was Expensive (by our standards) December was…
10 Shockingly Expensive Things We Own
The Frugalwoods home is primarily outfitted with discount Craigslist deals, garage sale goodies, and of course, great trash finds. If you’re a regular reader, please sit down before continuing to read. Brace yourself: there are a few things Mr. Frugalwoods and I have purchased brand new and, in some instances, not even on sale. GASP. Everyone still…
Great Trash Finds: The Kitchen Edition
Welcome to the kitchen edition of my recurring analysis of trash–more specifically, items salvaged from the trash by myself and sundry members of the Frugalwoods family. Last month, we viewed my sister and brother-in-law’s trash and the month before, we were treated to the refuse discoveries of my parents. We’re going back to our roots this month with…
Weekly Woot & Grumble: No Heat, No Fire
Woot Report: we are unheated. September, October, and perhaps an optimistic dash of November, are glorious months where we get by without heat or air conditioning. These delightful respites from climate control save us mega bucks in the ol’ utility bills region. As avowed frugal weirdos, Mr. FW and I stretch the seasons on both ends. And, as I shared…
Travel Cheap: Went to Paris, Skipped The Louvre
We went to Paris and didn’t go to the Louvre. Yep, it’s another edition of Travel Cheap with Mr. and Mrs. Frugalwoods. I’ve talked about our courageous palates and willingness to travel at unusual times in the past. Today, I’m sharing my cheapo sightseeing tips. Use Your Feet Walking a city is equal parts frugal and…
Weekly Woot & Grumble: That Time We Were Mistaken for Through-Hikers
Woot To continue the hiking theme we started earlier this week with Mr. 1500, I thought I’d regale you with a little Frugalwoods family tale. Once upon a time (like two weeks ago), Mr. Frugalwoods and I were mistaken for through-hikers. What is a through-hiker you might inquire? A through-hiker is a crazy amazing person who hikes the…
Great Trash Finds: The Sister Edition
In my never-ending pursuit to deliver rigorous financial information in a very dry and straightforward manner, I bring you the third installment of the ongoing investigative series: Great Trash Finds. Today I am publishing the research I conducted into my sister’s trash. Specifically, the stuff she’s pulled from the trash. As you may recall, the last…
August 2014 Expenditures
Hey, guess what? No vacation = low(er) summer spending! We like this though we are somewhat saddened by our lack of travel. But on the bright side, plenty of time to clean the house, embark on epic home improvement projects, go hiking, teach Frugal Hound how to high-five (success rate = sporadic), and hunt for great…