Frugal Babe had this post the other day which detailed “The ABCs of Me.” Every once in awhile, I think it’s fun to do these things. They just go well with procrastination and coffee. A – Age. I’m 33 B – Bed Size. Queen. C – Chore I dislike. Dusting … I have no clue why I don’t like to dust, I just don’t – I’d rather clean the bathroom. D – Dogs. I do not consider myself a dog … Continue reading
I am susceptible to suggestion. This comment means a multitude of things to me, whether its following the vampire craze and reading the Twilight books in one weekend or going to those damn catalog parties and finding myself the owner of jewelry that I rarely wear. Then there was that time that I became a vegetarian for a year because I was honoring River Phoenix. Oh yes – I did that, just ask my poor mother about that one and … Continue reading
Technically, there are still some days left of summer, but on this September day (even with 80 degree weather), I can feel fall in the air and I’m happy to greet it, because … well. Fall means blue jeans, crockpots of soup, crisp weather, my favorite sweater, quilts and even MORE coffee. Fall also means a bit of slowing down for me … during the summer, my husband and I spend a lot of weekends traveling to see friends and … Continue reading
“Good fences make good neighbors.” – Robert Frost The end of August will mark four years that my husband and I have lived in our house. To the east of our house, is a rental home that has had a dubious run of tenants until Katie, an emergency room nurse and single mom of two girls, moved in. To the west is Bonnie – Bonnie means constancy and today, a shopping bag full of onions from her nephew’s garden, as … Continue reading
I’m going to stop short at saying that I’m obsessed, but I’m going to throw this out there: I enjoy reading stories about the British royalty. I am especially charmed by Prince William and his lovely wife Kate, erm, Catherine. (And I would love to hit a pub with Prince Harry – I’m just going to throw that out there …) Anyway – I chalk these stories up to slow news days, but I am particularly delighted when the media … Continue reading
I think that one of my biggest struggles with frugality is that when I want something, I wanted it yesterday. Patience has never been my strong suit as a person and while I’m aware of that and try to temper that in my life, it doesn’t make it easier when temptation strikes. Luckily, temptation doesn’t come in the form of new TVs for me, expensive handbags or the latest technology. No – my vice is pure and simple: Books. I’m … Continue reading
The New York Times Magazine ran an article the other day called “The Dollar-Store Economy” which talked about the influx of dollar stores throughout America. It’s an interesting article, because it talks a little bit about the “theory” behind these various stores are set up, the people who are shopping there and what they are going to need to do in the future to keep relevant and keep consumers’ attention. I am neither a fan or a detractor of dollar … Continue reading
First and foremost … wow. Where did August go? My friends on Facebook are writing posts on their walls, talking about how its their kids’ first day of school and I sit here blinking, wondering where this summer went to. Moving on! My husband is the math/computer whiz of the family and he recently cobbled up a spreadsheet showing our income, expenses, etc., stretching out into next year. And my, oh, my – those numbers are looking mighty good, but … Continue reading
I’m about to ask an obvious question: Why does it seem to be easier to save money when you finally have more of it? For most of my adult life I’ve lived paycheck to paycheck. Don’t get me wrong – this isn’t something I’m wearing like a badge of honor. It was just a fact of life. I remember a conversation I had with a coworker when I was in newspapers. Her: “I saw an article the other day about … Continue reading
I’m going to admit it … I’ve spent way too much money this summer on iced coffee from Starbucks. In my mind I have justified it as such … it’s cheaper than my usual venti caramel macchiato and because it’s simply coffee and ice, it has to be better for me. Right? Righ – erm, not so much. Let’s go back to one of the things that I wrote: “Because it’s simply coffee and ice.” And there you have it … Continue reading
