We don’t have a budget. For anything. Ever. When I first shared this, folks were mildly shocked. After all, Mr. Frugalwoods and I are all about saving money, so how on earth do we skip this most basic of financial conventions? Through habitual frugality. Mr. FW and I have been living frugally for so many years that it has become our modus operandi. We’ve programmed ourselves to see the world through a frugal lens such that it’s...
Woot On Monday, I made the poignant remark that I craved marshmallows. The crisp weather meant I had mallows on the brain. Upon arriving home from an after work yoga class on Tuesday, I was delightfully tickled to discover Mr. Frugalwoods in the kitchen making marshmallows. This guy is a keeper. I’d never even heard of making marshmallows yourself, but turns out, totally possible! Updated 9/27/14–due to popular demand, here’s the recipe Mr. Frugalwoods based his marshmallows on: www.kvalifood.com/recipes/homemade-marshmallows He notes...
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 the best way to truly experience the local culture. A decent map, a willingness to get lost, shoes (optional), and...
I cleaned the house yesterday morning. And I was not happy about it. At least, not at first. I was a grumbly grumps on hands and knees scrubbing the toilet. Frugal Hound was stealing my cleaning rags and Mr. Frugalwoods was out of town for the day on business. Blerg. Who wants to clean at 8am on a weekend? Why am I doing this? Why does dust get stuck between my toes when I clean? How did dog hair...
Woot There’s always something to woot about in our frugal woods and this week, I’m delighted to regale you with 12 random facts about the Frugalwoods fam. These facts come to you, dear readers, courtesy of The Versatile Blogger award, which was lovingly bestowed upon Frugalwoods by three of our awesome blogger buddies. A big thanks to Alicia from Financial Diffraction, Shannon from Financially Blonde, and Kara from The Daily Wisk, who gets extra props for her nomination...
It’s not every day you read a personal finance book that’s approachable, friendly, filled with great advice, and doesn’t make you feel guilty about prior financial missteps. Shannon McLay’s “Train Your Way to Financial Fitness” (affiliate link) accomplishes just this feat. I had the pleasure of interviewing Shannon about her recently published book, which helps readers identify where they are on their financial journey. Strategies for concrete improvement plans for each level of financial fitness (skinny, fat, and fit) are outlined...
Hello Internet. Frugal Hound here. Today I have the distinct honor of sniffing the first ever dinosaur here in my Frugal Hound Sniffs interview series. While all of my other interviewees have been, uh, living, Frugalsaurus really tested the limits of my journalistic capabilities since he’s, well, plastic. Turns out, he had quite a few intriguing responses even if he didn’t actually smell like much of anything interesting. Gentle readers I introduce you to Frugalsaurus from 1500 Days. 1) Who are...
I know you all spent the weekend just hoping I would publish a post this morning about how Mr. Frugalwoods and I manage our money. Right? Right?!? I know I did. I’ve received a number of comments and emails lately asking for greater illumination of our financial mechanics and so today, I will oblige. I’d especially like to thank Emily from Evolving Personal Finance for her excellent questions after my August 2014 Expenditures post as well as a...
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 Appalachian Trail (AT) or the Long Trail or some other ludicrously lengthy trail from start to finish without stopping. This would...
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 edition featured my parents’ epic trash discoveries, so we’re trying to keep it in the Frugalwoods family. I’ll have to...
