September 13, 2019
Property Tax And Other August 2019 Expenditures
August 2019 Every August, the tax gender neutral person cometh. We paid our annual property tax bill in full last month, which accounts for $8,634.29 of our August spending. This covers our 66 acre property, including the house and barn. And I have to say, while it’s a lot of money, it’s money I’m happy to spend because…
September 11, 2019
Reader Case Study: A Baby, A Freelancer, And A Marketing Manager
Mary and John live in a coastal town in northern Massachusetts with their one-year-old daughter. Mary wants a more flexible career that would allow her to spend more time with their daughter. John recently transitioned to freelancing and the couple is trying to figure out how to account for his variable income. Additionally, they’d love…
September 5, 2019
How I’m Learning To Love My Body, Find A Middle Ground, And Buy Clothes Without Regret
I was pregnant or breastfeeding for four years. Starting in March 2015, when I got pregnant with Kidwoods, straight through to April 2019, when I weaned a 14-month-old Littlewoods. There was a one-month hiatus in 2017 after I weaned Kidwoods and before I got pregnant with Littlewoods. Other than that, my body’s been in full-time…
August 23, 2019
Hedonism, Hard Work And Other July 2019 Expenditures
July 2019 Summer, apparently, is expensive. I think we set a record high for spending in a single month. On the upside? We had a lot of fun. July continued our summer-of-visitors and my in-laws, who were here all month, were generous with their offers of childcare. We took them up on those offers. Every…
August 7, 2019
Reader Case Study: Grandparents In Michigan Contemplate Moving
Debbie and her husband Dan have been married for 32 years and are planning for retirement. At this point, they’re trying to decide if they should sell their current home. The pros and cons look equally matched, so let’s help them out with this choice today! Case Studies are financial (and life) dilemmas that a reader…
July 31, 2019
How I Try To Balance Minimalism With Frugality
I have a complicated relationship with stuff. My grandfather grew up during the Great Depression and instilled in his children–my mom included–the ethos of never throwing anything away. Of reusing, of finding good deals, and of making do with what you have. These were valuable lessons for me and they form the basis of my…
July 19, 2019
Reader Case Study: Artfully Building a Solid Financial Future in Southern Maine
Lynn is an art teacher in southern Maine, where she lives with her husband Lucas, a carpenter, and their ten-year-old son. Lynn loves teaching art but loves creating art even more and would like to have more flexibility and balance in her life. Case Studies are financial (and life) dilemmas that a reader of Frugalwoods sends…
July 12, 2019
A Vacation And Other June 2019 Expenditures
June 2019 A time of idyl and pleasures, summers in Vermont are hedonistic romps through finally-thawed ground. For two months, maybe three, we denizens of the Northeast are made ecstatic by green grass and ripening gardens. Then we get hot, retreat to the porch, and complain that it’s only 10am and already 75 degrees. We…
July 8, 2019
My Frugal Cell Phone Service Trick: How I Pay $10.65 A Month
I used to pay $81 a month for my cell phone service. Now, I pay $10.65 a month. It’s rare that there’s one weird trick to saving money. Usually, saving entails hard work and sacrifice. Today, I bring you an exception. Today, I bring you a way to save money every month that’s easy and…
July 1, 2019
The July Uber Frugal Month Group Challenge Starts TODAY! Last Chance To Sign-Up!
It’s the first day of the Uber Frugal Month Group Challenge! If you haven’t signed up yet, there’s still time to join us. Put your email address into the box below by 11:59pm EST tonight (July 1, 2019) and you’ll be on track with the group: Note: you can take the UFM Challenge at any…
June 28, 2019
Reader Suggestions For Frugal Vacation Ideas, Hacks, and Savings!
It’s summer vacation time!!! Or at least, it’s summertime. I’ve traveled frugally and not-so frugally. I’ve vacationed with my kids and without them. Although with them, it’s more of a trip and less of a vacation… I polled the Frugalwoods braintrust to see how you all travel and what you advise. Per usual, I learned…
June 19, 2019
Reader Case Study: Medical Student and Software Engineer Dream of a Homestead
Melissa is a medical school student who lives with her husband Gabe in a small city in New England. They’d like our help planning for a future that’ll allow them to pursue their dream of living on a homestead while Melissa establishes her career as a physician and Gabe works remotely as a software engineer….