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My eldest daughter had the best idea, so we’re starting a new tradition here: Secret Santa. Because kids should learn how to give — how to think about someone else — especially during this season. Don’t you think? They get so much joy out of picking things out. Watching them quietly observe, plan, and get…
By The Real Frugalist Every now and then, life gives you one of those moments where you stop, breathe, and say, “Look at what she did. Look at who she became.” Today is one of those moments for our family. For the last four years, my daughter Nicole Renelick — mother of four, chaos coordinator,…
My Great Aunt Esther didn’t just drive a car—she commanded it like a treasure-hunting pirate ship on wheels. Forget fancy purses or emergency makeup bags. In the trunk of her sedan? A shovel, a bucket, and a pair of mud-stained boots. That’s it. That’s the kit. If you were ever her passenger, you knew to…
Every family has that person — the one who somehow just knows what’s going on, what needs to get done, and when it has to happen. In our family, that person isn’t me. It’s Mr. Frugalist. He is the walking, talking family planner — our very own human calendar. The Keeper of Appointments Doctors appointments?…
This week’s grocery run started with a fridge clean-out — and let me tell you, I was not proud of the haul that went straight to the chickens. Wilted lettuce, forgotten leftovers, mystery containers. They had a feast, but for us? It was a reminder that even the most frugal households slip up. Food waste…
Guardian of the Checking Account™ — Defender of the Dollar In this house, there are a few universal truths: Seriously, I watch that thing like it owes me money. (And technically… it does.) ☕ Always on Alert I check our checking account more often than most people check the weather app. It’s my little morning…
Today we sauntered—yes, sauntered—our frugal little selves right up to East Wind Farm in Strafford, because my tomatoes are taking their sweet time, and I’ve got a squash casserole dream that just can’t wait until harvest season decides to show up in my yard. Let me tell you, their tomatoes? Gorgeous. Grown in a greenhouse,…
Today was one of those “let’s do all the things” kind of days. You know, where you start with a single goal and somehow end up scrubbing shower grout like it insulted your ancestors. It all began so innocently. I made my garden reel first thing this morning (because content is queen and vegetables wait…
Every frugal journey has a beginning. Ours started somewhere around Date #3 or #4, when my now-husband looked me in the eye and said something that most people would be too awkward, too proud, or too full of excuses to admit: “I don’t have the money to go out again right now. We probably shouldn’t…
