Sam and Riley are a married couple living in Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada along with their dog Bisky and two cats, Theodore and Greta. Sam works as a plasterer and Riley is a social worker at a local college. The couple, both age 36, hope to have a chi...
One of the driving forces behind the birth of Frugalwoods was our desire to leave the city and buy a homestead in the woods. That happened in May 2016 and let me tell you, we had A LOT of preconceived notions about what it would be like to live rurally...
Jane and her husband Joe live in the midwest with their two teenaged children and one parrot. Recently, Jane retired from her 24-year-long career as a college professor and loves the new lifestyle she’s carving out for herself. Joe works from hom...
My husband and I are committed to learning new things. It’s a goal of ours to consistently make ourselves beginners in different capacities. Putting ourselves in a beginner mindset enables us to keep our brains limber, opens us up to creativity a...
May is Mental Health Awareness Month May happens to be Mental Health Awareness month and April marked the ninth anniversary of Frugalwoods! Given that confluence, it seems like the perfect time to reflect on my 2018 post, “How A Diagnosis Of Post...
Johanna is a veterinarian, her husband Matt is a physician, and they live with their two young children on a small island off the coast of the Northeastern United States. The couple previously lived on the Navajo Nation Reservation and greatly enjoyed ...
Neko and her husband Jerry live in Toronto, Ontario with their dog and two cats. Everything about Neko’s life sounds perfect on the surface–a loving marriage, engaging work, fun hobbies, a close-knit family living nearby–but she’...
The kids had the last week of February/first week of March off school, so we went on a few local family day trips! First up: Skiing at Burke Mountain We’d never been to this ski area before and figured vacation week was the perfect time to try it...
Aurelia is a high school teacher at a public school in Boston who recently bought her first condo and is thrilled to be a homeowner at the age of 27! Tempering that enthusiasm, however, are her new competing financial demands of house maintenance costs...
As I shared last week, April is the NINTH anniversary of Frugalwoods! To celebrate, I’m typing down memory lane with reflections on some of my most influential old posts. Nine years is a long time to do anything and I’m curious to see if I ...
April is the ninth anniversary of Frugalwoods! Hard to believe I’ve been doing this for so long yet am still invigorated and excited to type words at you and help people with their money!!!! This is–by far–my longest tenure at a job a...
Jess is a single mom of two young daughters living in northern California along with their opinionated four-year-old Siamese cat. Jess works for herself as a freelance writer/public relations consultant, which is a job she loves. After getting divorced...
I promise I will talk about what we spent last month in a moment, but first I want to tell you that you can now… Schedule a Free 15-Minute Call with Me! If you’ve been thinking about hiring me to do a financial plan for you, if you’re curious abo...
Holly is a music therapist living in Virginia with her husband, Josh, their three young children, two guinea pigs and one dog. They love hiking and spending time together as a family. Josh is a stay-at-home dad, which suits their family perfectly. Holl...
In 2022, my family of four spent $10,209.68 on groceries. That averages out to $850.81 per month, which is $212.70 per person. We are two adults (ages 39 and almost-39) and two kids (ages 7 and 5). Today I bring you an expose, a deep dive into what we ...
Ann is a 47-year-old home health aide living in Southern California. Her four teen/young adult sons live with their dad 10 minutes away, which enables her to spend time with them regularly. She is also newly married to her soul-mate, Robert, who is ser...
My $5 yard sale bread machine got upgraded to a $40.91 yard sale bread machine with the replacement of its dough blades. Who doesn’t love starting the new year with new dough blades?! These small, blade-like objects snap into the base of the brea...
Rebecca and Robert are newlyweds living with their two cats in Washington, DC. Rebecca works in environmental sustainability and Robert is in donor relations at a non-profit. Their ultimate goal is to buy a home in a rural area with lots of natural bea...
Ahhh decadent December! Filled with food, wine, life-sized penguin stuffies and dog booties. December always promises to be a high-spend month, but that doesn’t have to spell crisis. If you plan for expensive months, if you calculate what you spe...
Your money can control you or you can control it. Take charge of your money during the January Uber Frugal Month Group Challenge. There’s still time to join me–and thousands of other frugal devotees–for our month-long journey to financial wellness. Whi...