Latest Blog Posts
Genius Ways to Celebrate Halloween When You Have No Money
Halloween is right around the corner and you know what that means! It’s a fun holiday to celebrate, but it can get quite expensive. From Halloween party admission fees and overpriced costumes to pricey décor and expensive treats, it all adds up. My husband and I are...
20 Stunning Fall Decor Ideas You Can Snag for Less Than $20
I LOVE fall. I love cozy sweaters, hot cocoa, cooler weather, and beautiful fall colors. It's my favorite time of the year! Fall doesn't last very long in Minnesota (winter often starts in late October), so I have to make the most of it while I can. I adore fall...
Is it Ever OK to Travel While in Debt? Frugal Musings + Updates
If you're new around here, I post an update every quarter that shows how we’re doing on our debt snowball and other goals. This helps to hold us accountable and to keep track of our progress. We're getting close to debt freedom and I'm SUPER excited! July, August,...
What Does the Bible Say About Money?
You're reading a frugality blog right now, so you've probably heard of personal finance guru Dave Ramsey. If you haven't read any of his books (I highly recommend reading The Total Money Makeover), you might not know that Dave Ramsey's seven step plan for financial...
8 Secrets to Saving Thousands on Home Renovations
My husband and I have been watching HGTV a lot lately, and I'm always amazed by how expensive the home renovations are! I can't help but wonder how any average person can afford to pay tens of thousands of dollars to remodel. I did some research and discovered that...
How I Lost 35 Pounds While Completely Broke
When I was in high school, I only weighed 110 pounds. During college, grad school, and my early 20's, I continually put on more and more weight. Eventually my weight hit a number I never thought I'd see. I was scared. I knew if I didn't make some major lifestyle...
4 Surprising Minimalism Myths You Need to Stop Believing
My husband and I are both minimalists, but you might not guess that if you didn’t know us very well. Our fridge is completely covered with photos, I will gladly accept free t-shirts, and my husband has at least 20 different towels that he uses to clean his car. These...
Why You Shouldn’t Pay Off Your Mortgage Early
If you aren’t familiar with Dave Ramsey, you probably haven’t heard of his “seven baby steps”. Dave’s seven step financial plan has helped millions of Americans to break free of debt and achieve financial freedom. The seven baby steps are: Save 1,000 emergency fund....
Keep Overspending? 5 Genius Tips for Sticking to a Budget
The first step to getting your financial life together is to create a budget. Many people have no idea where their money is going. How can you reach your financial goals if you have no clue what you're spending your money on? A budget is "telling your money where to...
25 Ways to Live Intentionally & Design a Life You Love
When I was younger, I didn't live with intention. I didn't put a lot of thought into my decisions. Instead, I did things because "that's what everyone does". Doing what was considered "normal" led me on a path toward accumulating $75,000 of student loan debt. When I...
Am I an Extreme Cheapskate? 9 Things I’ll NEVER Do to Save Money
I’m VERY frugal, and my husband would probably even tell you that I’m an extreme cheapskate. I’m currently on a three year spending ban, I drive an 18 year old car, and I live in my parents’ basement. There are plenty of crazy things I’d be willing to do in the name...
10 Money Saving Grocery Hacks You Haven’t Thought of
Frugality comes naturally to me, so I generally save money pretty easily. The one area where I tend to overspend is grocery shopping. I hate cooking and eat a lot of microwaveable/prepackaged meals. As you can imagine, this is not cheap! I've been working on...