It started when I shoved everything I had into a personal-item sized backpack. The most cumbersome items were my shoes. My hiking boots were heavy duty, waterproof, and great for the trails. But when in transit, my feet roasted with them on. If I took them off, I tied them to my backpack where they […]
From Skeptic to “Ah hah!”: A Review of The Show ‘How To Get Rich’ with Ramit Sethi
I have to admit, I was skeptical about Ramit Sethi’s main message when I first heard him speak. However, with his recent podcast and new Netflix special How To Get Rich, Sethi completely blew me away.
A Personal Item For 6 Months Around The World
After moving abroad to Amsterdam, I had the opportunity to travel a lot around Europe. With each trip, I perfected my packing game. European budget airlines have started to charge for carry-ons, so I worked to fit everything into a personal item. Little by little, I’ve managed to trim down what I carry to a […]
I’m 50 And Ready To Quit – A Reader Case Study
In this reader case study, a woman wonders if she’s saved enough to exit the rat race.
How Much I Spent Living in Amsterdam This Autumn
As Christmas music plays in the background and mist descends over the boat-lined canal in front of my window, I think it’s a good time to do a tally of my autumn (and part of winter) spending. Each month passes by so quickly that a monthly expense report has been much more difficult to do, […]
The Results of My Anti-Frugality Experiment of 2021
I had a unique New Year’s resolution this year for a frugal financial blogger. While many people vow to get their spending under control, create budgets, or start investing (all very noble goals), I thought I could try something new. After living extremely frugally for years, I wanted to try something totally different: spending more. […]
Decorating Our New Home With Thrift Store Finds
My family was always thrifty. My winter coats came off the rack of the local Goodwill, my shoes never cost more than $10, and any time I wanted new clothing as a teenager my mother took me to the thrift store (to my horror). As a teenager, I hated it. I wanted the hottest fashions, […]
How Much I Spent in a Month Of Solitude – February 2020 Expenses
I’m so curious to see what a month of (mostly) solitude did to my spending in the month of February.
How I Spent Just $15,000 Last Year
It’s the time of the year for reflection, and looking back on my expenses for the year reminds me of all of the adventures I’ve had. This year I said goodbye to friends and family in Portland, Oregon and moved with Mr. Mechanic to upstate New York. Note: some links in this article are affiliate […]
11 Gift Ideas For Someone Who Just Adopted A Cat
As recent adopters, we kept finding things we wanted to buy for our cat. We put each thing on our holiday wishlist, and I thought I would share the result with you. Each of these 11 items are things I would buy myself, but if they mysteriously ended up under a Christmas tree, I wouldn’t complain!