Tag Archives: frugality

Bringing in the New

Every Christmas Day, I clean my house. From its consistency in my life over the past twenty years, you might think that this is a sort of profound ritual. It is not. Rather, it is the motion of a guilty conscience. You see, we have so much. We probably have too much. Even though we’ve cut down a lot on the gifts that we give and receive, it still feels like a lot to incorporate the new into our lives. It’s also a New Year’s ritual of sorts: evaluating the old in our lives and bringing in a little bit … Continue reading →

The Cost of a Cloth Diaper Stash

The costs begin to grow long before a baby is even born. For parents who are expecting a new baby, the initial outlay of cash for cloth diapers can seem substantial and overwhelming. Even the most expensive ordinary diapers do tend to be worth it in the end, but in the beginning those costs are daunting. What will it cost to create a cloth diaper stash? The wonderful thing about cloth diapers is that they are so diverse. You can choose cloth diapers that are handmade by artisans, with covers that are embroidered or hand painted. These will likely run … Continue reading →

How Big Should Your Diaper Stash Be?

If you’re cloth diapering for the first time, information about fabrics and types of cloth diapers is important. However, many of the diapering decisions tend to come down to the big questions: how many diapers will I need, and how much is this going to cost me? How many diapers will you need? That depends on a number of factors. If you have thick diaper liners and don’t plan to change for every pee, you will need fewer diapers. Are you doing elimination communication, even part time? If you’re doing elimination communication or infant potty training and going diaper-free part … Continue reading →

Find Free Cloth Diaper Patterns Online

I am not the best seamstress. Like my daughter, I tend to craft free-form, without a pattern and without measuring or pinning a lot of the time. However, occasionally I require help. Since I like to turn to the good old Internet for help when I am seeking crafty inspiration, that’s where I turn for simple sewing patterns. If you are thinking about sewing your own diapers, there are sources of free patterns online. Here are a few places that you can look for all-in-one, pocket diaper, or prefold patterns. If you’re just getting started in the world of sewing, … Continue reading →

Frugal Living Week in Review: July 28th Through August 3rd

Do you want to save money? Check out the past week’s articles about frugal living. July 28th Frugal Living Week in Review: July 21st Through July 27th We have a lot of articles on food this week, from saving money on cereal to the best time to grocery shop. Please check them out and let me know if there are any particular topics or knowledge that you would like to read about. Ways to Avoid Fruit Waste Do you want an easy way to reduce your food budget by half? Stop wasting food. Believe or not, the average American household … Continue reading →

The Princess of Frugal Has Returned

Having always been known amongst my family and friends, neighbors and sometimes even strangers as the Queen of Frugal, what’s the deal with the sudden change in name? I’ve taken a step down in my title. I realized that while I can be frugal in many areas of my life, there are just some areas I am not compromising on. My friend commented that I was dethroned and now apparently I am the Princess of Frugal. I’m perfectly okay with that. Really. Anyway, the Princess of Frugal has returned. After a short hiatus, where I had another large project in … Continue reading →

Don’t Believe Frugality = Happiness? Try This!

I really believe that living frugally can make you happier. You might have seen my reasons in earlier blogs, so I won’t reiterate them here. But if you are skeptical about living well on less, I have something that you can try. Pick a time period that you are comfortable with and live modestly during that time. A month will work, but ideally, you should try it for at least six months to a year. This is a great opportunity to try on a frugal lifestyle without worrying about drastic changes. If you do have a life change coming up … Continue reading →

Soup–a Single Parent’s Best Friend

This isn’t really an article about how to make great soup, and I won’t be including any recipes–instead I just wanted to remind all you single parents out there what an amazing blessing a big pot of soup can be! As most of us are always looking for ways to stretch our budgets, nurture and feed our children, cut back on work lunch expenses, and manage our time well–soup can be a way to tackle all those issues. Making a big pot of soup on a Sunday afternoon can serve as a bonding meal for the entire family on Sunday … Continue reading →

Frugal Living Week in Review for September 10-16, 2007

The weather changed drastically here over the past week, and we even had to pull out the fall clothing. It was fun, and I enjoy this weather because it means a much more comfortable outside experience. Plus, the fall and winter months seem to save us money, and I am on a mission to figure out why. Here is what we have been up to in the frugal living blog this week. Frugal Seasonal Clothing Switch This weekend is the weekend where we pull out the fall clothing and pack away the tank tops and flip flops. It is always … Continue reading →

Sharing Your Frugality With Your Family

Getting your family involved or even semi-interested in your frugal ways, or in saving money, can be a huge challenge. Most of the time, significant others don’t tend to see things the same way we do. And children usually have no concept of the value of money or what saving money can mean. This can really put a kink in your plan to save money, but there are some things you can do. Put it on paper Put it down in writing. Try keeping track of your savings for a couple of weeks. Write down the money you saved by … Continue reading →