The Brady Bunch Guide to Saving Money

It seems as though everyone is talking about the new memoir book that has come out by Maureen McCormick in which she tells everyone her life story, including how she survived being Marsha Brady. I haven’t read the book myself, but I hear that she had a very difficult life, including having to overcome a drug addiction. For a while, the Brady Bunch was America’s favorite family. The basically good kids got in to just enough trouble to give mom and dad something to do. There were always good lessons to learn in each episode. I started thinking about this … Continue reading →

Pouring Money Out the Door

I am the morning person in the family. I wake up before everyone else, so I can get the household started. I get out of bed, make lunches, lay out clothing, unload the dishwasher, do some light cleaning, do some freelance writing and wake everyone else up, all before taking a shower. My husband, on the other hand is a night owl. He tends to stay up late paying bills, taking out the recycling and doing small handyman projects before bed. It is not unusual for me to pad downstairs in the morning to find things little things that he … Continue reading →

Saving Money is a Never Ending Process

Frugal living is all about saving money, and finding new ways can be challenging. It is a never ending process that requires creativity and much constant thought. Summer is always a time when I have a lot of problems saving money. Children are home from school full time and I have lunches to make everyday, activities to keep them occupied with, and clothing and other items that seem to crop up at this time of year. I spend half the spring considering how to save money over the summer, sometimes even starting a separate savings account just for summer activities. … Continue reading →

Garage Sales – Three Big Pet Peeves

Yet another post I am starting with a disclaimer. If you are looking for garage sale tips, advice, strategies..or anything remotely useful from this post stop reading and read these wonderful posts instead… Pricing Items at a Garage Sale Garage Sale Season Has Arrived Why Should I Have a Garage Sale? However, if you would like to commiserate with me a bit while I vent about my biggest garage sale pet peeves….you will probably appreciate my little temper tantrum this evening. If you haven’t figured it out yet, I went garage sale’ing this morning. Normally, I love garage sales. I … Continue reading →

My Forks Runneth Over

Have a bunch of mismatched old forks, spoons and knives lying around or just want an excuse to upgrade your current set? Here is how you can put that silverware to good use, to avoid waste and be very frugal. For some reason, we wound up with various mismatched sets of forks, knives and spoons. I am not sure how this happened, but it probably went something like this: Boy moves out on his own and is gifted with silverware from friends and relatives: a fork here, a knife there, until he has enough pieces for everyday life. Meanwhile, girl … Continue reading →

You Know You’re Really Frugal When…

Whether you need a quick laugh or some more ideas on how to be frugal, check out this list of signs that you are really frugal. You look forward to ironing just so you can warm up your hands on the ironing board when you are done (free heat). You look forward to the day you’ve save up enough for that big ticket item at the thrift store. You make do with newspaper until the price of toilet paper goes down. You check the coin star machine at the grocery store to see if anyone left any extra money in … Continue reading →

The Frugal Light Revolt

How many people does it take to turn off a light bulb? Apparently just one. You see, my family is under the incorrect assumption that lights simply turn themselves off. When I raise the issue of leaving the lights on, my family just shrugs. My husband says,” but I was going back in that room next week.” My oldest child says,” I thought we had robots that turned them off.” My middle child says,” I can’t reach. (Hmm, then how did they get on in the first place, and why is there a pink plastic chair near the light switch … Continue reading →

Friday Frugal Funnies: Making Mashed Potatoes

We’ve been sharing personal accounts of frugality as our normal Friday funnies. The reason why? Most people who are super frugal have at least one funny story of something that has happened, or something they have done to save money that will get a giggle from the rest of us, and a nod from others. Why? Because we’ve all done it. From buying too much, using something you bought for an unintended purpose that warranted disastrous results to general strange frugal habits, there is something to entertain and delight any frugal minded individual. So with that said, I’d like to … Continue reading →

Friday Frugal Funnies: A Coupon Mishap

I’m not sure why, but reading other people’s mishaps and disaster stories that revolve around our nutty frugal behavior make me laugh harder than even some of the funniest jokes. Of course not all situations are bust a gut funny, some are merely “Oh my gosh I can relate” funny. Thus is the case with this story brought to you by my friend Cara who in her family is known as the frugal fanatic though I still think that title probably could best fit me. Cara shares here funny story: “Ok, well mine has little do with frugality and more … Continue reading →

Friday Frugal Funnies: Several Great Laughs

It has been quite sometime since I’ve posted a Friday frugal funny. I decided it was high time I started getting back into it, but after this week there will be a slight twist. Occasionally you will still find a budgeting, frugal living or saving money joke thrown in here and there, but you will also start to see personal stories. Not mine, well maybe some of mine, but others personal trials and tribulations with frugal living. Everyone who has experimented with frugal living and is still learning the ropes is well aware that there are mishaps that happen. Most … Continue reading →