My husband and I both work freelance and so our income fluctuates widely. Sometimes I can afford to buy new, and sometimes I can’t, but either way I still try to buy used first. Being a non-consumer isn’t just about being frugal. It’s also about simple living, green living, and taking care to tread as […]
Continuous Small Treats
The following is a reprint of a previously published post, from Easter 2009… Our dear sweet neighbor gave us this Easter basket. He baked the ginger cake himself. I can’t wait to enjoy it with tea tomorrow afternoon. It will perfectly embody the concept of Continuous Small Treats. By the way, the flag reads “Joyenses […]
Frugal and free
It occurred to me recently that I haven’t been spending much money lately. In fact, I tend to keep a $20 bill in my wallet for weeks sometimes, when a few years back I could easily breeze through $80 in cash per week. So I thought I’d write about what I’d been up to that […]
Staying Sane During the Holidays*
*a manifesto I feel the need to make a disclaimer right away: I am not advocating that you do as I do or suggesting that this is the best or only way to approach the holidays. This is what works for me, and I’m only speaking for myself. If you’re the type of person who […]
Sentimental Hoarding
You may not be able to tell from this photograph, but this tub of margarita salt was 18 years old when my husband and I finally agreed that it needed to be replaced this past summer. Neither of us had had the heart to toss it, even though it was split and cracked, and the […]
Support your local museum and get back more than you put in
Over the past few years, my husband and I have become members of two area museums and the experience has become such an integral part of our lives I wanted to tell you about it. Initially, we were given memberships as gifts, but now I can’t imagine letting the relatively small yearly cost stop us […]