I tried to wear my favorite pair of Capri pants last week. Unfortunately, “tried” is as far as I got—I was unable to zip them up. (Apparently I’ve gained a few pounds since last summer!) I was stunned. No, it wasn’t that shocking that I’d gained some weight. What was shocking to me was how infrequently I’d worn the pants back when I could. I … [Read more...] about Use the Special Things
Frugal TIPbits: Give Haircuts at Home
Couples typically encounter a surprise or two when they create a budget for the first time after getting married. The biggest surprise for me was how much money my husband spent on haircuts. He prefers to keep his hair short, so this requires a monthly trim. At approximately $20 per cut, he was spending $240 each year for … [Read more...] about Frugal TIPbits: Give Haircuts at Home
Growing Spiritually With Your Spouse
Are you and your husband spiritually close? Are you growing in your faith together? Though marriage is touted as an environment that promotes spiritual growth, many couples—even those who attend church together regularly—don’t feel that spiritually close. As my husband and I have fallen into routines, we’ve noticed that stagnancy easily … [Read more...] about Growing Spiritually With Your Spouse
That It May Benefit Those Who Listen: The Harm of Doom and Gloom Advice
“Just you wait until…” I cringe when I hear those words. Why? The vast majority of the time they are followed by doom and gloom advice. Sometimes it’s the veteran wife to the newlywed: “Just you wait until you’ve been married for a few years. He’ll stop making romantic gestures and you’ll by annoyed by the quirks you think are cute now.” … [Read more...] about That It May Benefit Those Who Listen: The Harm of Doom and Gloom Advice
Rampant Reusing: Plastic Milk Jugs
When I was a child my family had milk delivered to our home from a local dairy. Every week a driver would bring milk in glass bottles and place them in the wooden box on our front step. The first cup of milk out of the bottle always tasted heavenly! Unfortunately, those days are long gone. I now live in a somewhat urban area. I don’t … [Read more...] about Rampant Reusing: Plastic Milk Jugs
Navigating the Nutrition Maze: Cereal Killers
When I’m hungry for a snack, few things can satiate my hunger like sweet, crunchy breakfast cereal with cold milk poured over the top. Unfortunately, many breakfast cereals that are rich in taste are quite poor in nutrition. In fact, many of them are so awful that it might be more apt to title this post Killer Cereals instead of Cereal … [Read more...] about Navigating the Nutrition Maze: Cereal Killers
Christmas in July: Ways to Save Money on Christmas Travel
Welcome to the final installment of Christmas in July 2013. You can read about the purpose of Christmas in July here. Links to the previous posts in the series are located at the bottom of this post. My husband and I spent some time this last weekend trying to iron out our travel plans for the Christmas holiday. Travel can be so … [Read more...] about Christmas in July: Ways to Save Money on Christmas Travel
Modern Lessons from Wartime Rationing
From 1941 to 1945, while the U.S. was involved in World War II, Americans experienced shortages of raw materials and consumer goods. To avert a potential economic crisis, the U.S. government instituted a rationing system. The government distributed impressive propaganda materials to garner compliance with the rationing and to bolster … [Read more...] about Modern Lessons from Wartime Rationing
