July 31, 2015
Updates On The Lives Of Some Frugal Weirdos
I don’t just write about extreme frugality and the awesome lifestyle it enables, I actually live it. Often, folks ask me how I devise my article concepts and the answer is that I simply draw from our daily lives. Everything I write about is either the articulation of an idea I’ve been mulling over or the result of something Mr. Frugalwoods…
July 29, 2015
The False Choices That Steal Our Future
I’ve been reflecting quite a bit lately on the various facets of my life that go against the grain. In many ways, I disagree with the fundamental notions of what our culture says ‘the good life’ is all about. Whether it’s my disavowal of the theory that all new parents want (and should buy) only brand-new baby…
July 27, 2015
Less Makeup, More Confidence: My Frugal Beauty Manifesto
I’ve stopped wearing makeup entirely. Well almost entirely–I still don mascara and the occasional lip gloss, but otherwise, my face is makeup free. While undeniable that it’s frugal not to buy makeup, this decision wasn’t solely motivated by my desire for the extreme frugality lifestyle. This choice is more about my drive for a simpler, less…
July 24, 2015
Fighting Back Against The Baby Industrial Complex
Expecting a baby, we’ve discovered, is an experience rife with the expectation of consumption. And not just any consumption–the newest, shiniest, safest, cutest, most top-of-the-line consumption. There’s a perception in our culture that babies are expensive as a rule and that new parents will shell out hundreds if not thousands in order to adequately prepare for bringing…
July 22, 2015
Frugal Hound Sniffs: The Daily Whisk
A note to new readers: while we often delve deeply into financial topics (such as How A Year Of Extreme Frugality Changed Us and 11 Ways To Be A Frugal Weirdo And Love It), we also like to keep it irreverent and downright silly. Because hey, who doesn’t need an investigative interview series conducted by a dog?! And so,…
July 20, 2015
Six Things We Never Buy At The Grocery Store
While on our customary jaunt to Market Basket (hat tip to our local discount grocer) last week, it struck me that today’s grocery store is presented as a one-stop shop. There’s food sure, but also a plethora of household accoutrements: toilet paper, spatulas, slip-n-slides*, diapers, dog chow, and everything in between. *Sidenote: I wonder how Frugal Hound would do on a…
July 17, 2015
Weekly Woot & Grumble: A Very Frugal Day Trip
Woot So what do us frugal weirdos do for entertainment? I think people assume we just sit at home in the dark, reading library books, and eating food out of the trash. But we only do that sometimes, I swear;)! In truth, Mr. Frugalwoods and I live a life of frugal luxury and engage in a plethora of…
July 15, 2015
Our Guide To A Very Frugal (Yet Still Awesome) College Experience
If you graduated high school and are headed to college next month–congrats! Mr. Frugalwoods and I enjoyed that path just a few (ok more than a few… ) years ago and it truly is a magical time. Life is unfolding before your very eyes, you’re about to leave the nest, and the possibilities for your…
July 13, 2015
Perfection Is The Enemy Of Frugality
I’m not perfect. Far from it, my friends. And frugal weirdos, by our very nature, are imperfect creatures. In fact, I’d go so far as to wager that perfection is the enemy of frugality. The more perfect I want something to be, the more expensive it’s going to be. This doesn’t apply in every single instance, but…
July 10, 2015
Hike More, Spend Less: Our Tricks For Frugal Hiking
It’s no secret Mr. Frugalwoods and I are hiking devotees. We’d hike every day (ok, maybe every other day) if we could and hey, we will once we live on our homestead of wooded land! But for the present moment, we’re relegated to hiking on the land of others, which is a wonderful experience all…
July 8, 2015
Frugal Hound Sniffs: Mindful Riot
A note to new readers: while we often delve deeply into financial topics (such as How A Year Of Extreme Frugality Changed Us and 11 Ways To Be A Frugal Weirdo And Love It), we also like to keep it irreverent and downright silly. Because hey, who doesn’t need an investigative interview series conducted by a dog?! And so,…
July 6, 2015
How We Broke Our Eating Out Habit In 9 Steps
In the past 15 months, Mr. Frugalwoods and I have eaten out exactly twice. To be precise, we’ve paid to eat out exactly twice. We’ve eaten out a handful of other times on someone else’s dime, like work, our generous parents (thanks mom and dad!), or once with a friend who kindly bought us dinner…