February 9, 2016
Career Management: How We’re Reaching Financial Independence On Two Nonprofit Salaries
I devote most of my time here on Frugalwoods to discussing the power of frugality: how it’s enabling Mr. Frugalwoods and me to reach financial independence, how its application has made us happier, and how it can transform one’s relationship with our consumer-driven culture. But the very necessary other side of the frugality equation are earnings….
February 5, 2016
Snowshoeing! And January 2016 Expenditures
The first month of 2016 was a great little frugal month for us. Our aim is always to spend around $1,000 or less in any given month and so January’s $1,013.32 is right on target. One helpful boon is that its been a particularly mild winter thus far, which keeps our heating bill on the…
February 1, 2016
Every Once In Awhile, We’re Less Frugal
We’re not using cloth diapers for Babywoods. Cue the gasps of shock and mild horror! I fully realize this is anathema to most mainstream frugal and environmental philosophies, but you know what? It’s what I have to do. A crucial element of our successful and joyful frugal existence is knowing our limits. We can’t frugalize every…
January 28, 2016
Before We Were Mr. and Mrs. Frugalwoods
Exactly nine years ago, I was on foodstamps and my husband-to-be was unemployed. I was living in Brooklyn, New York with two roommates in Crown Heights–a neighborhood that no one would describe as “safe” in 2006. Mr. Frugalwoods had just finished up a contract job in Kansas and was furiously applying for every position on the East…
January 25, 2016
The Danger Of Comparison
We all have to live our own lives. It seems patently obvious to say this, but I find that I often measure my own successes/failures in relation to other people. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing unless I let it escalate to comparing in a way that makes me feel inadequate. Avoiding this comparison trap isn’t…
January 20, 2016
Why We Ignore The Stock Market And You Should Too: Demystifying Personal Finance Part 4
Apparently the stock market is doing terrible things right now. But I don’t care. Monitoring the market like Frugal Hound stalks squirrels is a patently useless waste of time, energy, and brain capacity (same for FH as she’s tethered to a leash and, uh, the squirrels are decidedly not). There’s simply nothing to gain by…
January 18, 2016
The Unexpected Circumstances of Babywoods’ Birth
Babywoods’ birth turned out to be rather surprising and unexpected–and not just because it was my first time having a baby. Remember that one time when I overshared about our challenges with getting pregnant? Well, get ready for another overshare of a similar variety. There are a number of topics that people shy away from…
January 13, 2016
You Can’t Frugalize What You Don’t Earn
I’ve always regarded my frugality as a means to afford the things I truly value. Being mindful of spending that doesn’t serve my priorities has been a critical part of enabling my life of passionate pursuit – specifically, my career as a professional actor. But what if what you value in and of itself isn’t…
January 11, 2016
A Parking Ticket (And Other December 2015 Expenditures)
Our first month of parenthood–aka the last month of 2015–turned out to be abnormally, nay astonishingly, inexpensive. In fact, it was our cheapest month on record by far. But fear not we haven’t unlocked a new frugality potion, rather, this was due to several extenuating circumstances that all converged in December. How We Only Spent…
January 8, 2016
The Ultimate Guide To Frugal Diapering
While expecting my first child, I made a big mistake. I typed “cloth diapers” into a search engine, and thus unwittingly entered an emotionally charged feud between Cloth and Disposables. Apparently how I chose to separate my baby’s bum from his onesie was supposed to reveal my adequacy as a parent. So much seemed at…
January 6, 2016
How NOT To Pursue Financial Independence
You wouldn’t think there’s a right or wrong way to pursue financial independence (FI), but I definitely did it wrong. Hopefully you can learn from my story and not make the same mistakes I did. While Mr. Frugalwoods and I enjoy/attempt to survive our first few months as parents to our daughter, Babywoods, I have…
January 4, 2016
How To Be Frugal: One Month At A Time
Thinking of making money-related New Year’s resolutions for 2016? Well, I’ll save you the hassle: don’t do it. I’m delighted to poke my head up from parental leave to issue a challenge for the new year, written with a Babywoods snuggled to my chest in her sling (which seems to be her preferred mode for writing blog posts)….