Frugal Travel Begins Before the Trip: Vacation Preparation Checklist

Merriam-Webster defines the word “vacation” as “a respite or a time of respite from something”. Well, if that “something” from which one is taking a respite is “peace and quiet” then I would have to agree with the definer. Otherwise, gathering from my 2 recent “vacations” (one to Disneyland, one [working] vacation to Las Vegas [...]

Frugal but Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gift Suggestions

While gifts are a great way to show that you care, an important thing to keep in mind is that most mothers and grandmothers would probably prefer to spend quality time with their families on Mother’s Day rather than receive a fancy and expensive gift. The most frugal and meaningful gift would therefore be a [...]

Discerning Luxury from Necessity

I’ve seen several threads on forums where individuals in debt have posted a general plea for help in reducing their debt and most people simply respond by telling them to cut spending. But how to cut spending and decide what to cut and what not to cut? This is where you have to discern luxuries [...]

The Frugal Literate’s Guide to Affordable Reading

Reading is one of the most frugal hobbies in existence, and is something, in my opinion, that everyone should do. Not only is it entertaining, but it can be beneficial and educational in many ways. In fact, reading is (along with watching period films based on classic literature) Madoline’s and my favorite hobby, and when [...]

The No-Budget System

Back in the day when Madoline and I were concerned (or maybe obsessed is a better word) with weight loss and weight control, we would set restrictions for ourselves - daily caloric limit, no fat, no sugar, no carbohydrates, no wheat, etc., depending on the type of diet we were on. We were never really [...]

“Shopaholic” Books: Entertaining Lessons on Financial “Don’ts”

Not all our book recommendations are about finance and frugality (in fact most of them won’t be), but we thought this a good time and a good series kick off our book recommendations. The Shopaholic books by Sophie Kinsella and published by Random House are among my favorite light reading matter, and I have actually [...]



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