My husband and I live a frugal lifestyle, and our children request some things that I say no to because they are not essential or because they are too expensive. However, I can bend our budgeting rules at several children’s resale shops in the metropolitan area where our family lives. In these places, often I…
I am an Aldi nerd. When I was in middle school, an Aldi opened in my hometown and my mom began shopping there for many of our grocery staples. When I grew up and got married, I began shopping at Aldi myself. I now buy about 90% to 95% of my family’s groceries at the…
There are a lot of gurus out there advertising total money makeovers and financial freedom through radical life change. There’s a place for that, but not everyone is ready for a total lifestyle change. Or, in some cases, not everyone needs a total lifestyle change. Sometimes just a few small things can start to add…
The following is a list that most people would say are good things. Putting your children in organized sports. Volunteering to coach organized sports. Attending PTA meetings. Volunteering to be the president of the PTA. Serving on a church committee. Volunteering to teach a church study. Volunteering to work at a church function. Volunteering to…
On a cold Saturday morning, my first grade daughter set out to spend some money. She’d come into a decent haul from grandparents during her recent birthday, and she’d decided she wanted to put it to use at Build-A-Bear Workshop, a popular place where children can assemble and accessorize their own stuffed animals. My daughter…
We are typically a two-car family. My husband drives a small sedan to work daily, and I’m a stay-at-home/work-from-home mom who drives a small SUV for errands and to get my kids to extracurricular activities. A few years ago, a maintenance truck hit my husband’s sedan while he was leaving his employer’s parking lot at…
I’m all about using what you’ve got and taking advantage of all resources available. This includes certain “hidden” resources such as services your tax dollars pay for. In my family’s case, last year we had part of our lateral sewer line repaired, and our city paid for 90% of the work. In the fall…
A wise man once said, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” And, in life, this is true. While receiving things from others is a nice feeling, there is something truly meaningful about helping another person in their hour of need. In fact, one of the reasons that helping others is meaningful is…
When I was a kid, I heard stories about “Tupperware Parties,” where people would gather together and experience the joy that is Tupperware, all while cooking and doing other stuff. As a boy, I didn’t know much about them, since these parties were predominantly hosted and attended by women. I also remember my mom talking, with…
When I published my first novel back in 2016, I had more than a few people tell me that they wished they could write a book. Many of them said they had ideas in their heads but could never make a book out of them. This story plays out to other authors every day; author…
