I’m blessed to live in Southern California. The shiny brochures advertise it as the land of the sun, sand, and surf. That’s true – in the summer. For those of us who live here, winter is cold. Visitors from say, Iowa, may be content to walk around in shorts in January, but Southern Californians are …
Call me a Scrooge, but I hate Black Friday. I’ve only ventured out once, to a mall that wasn’t attractive to the hoards, but I’ve seen the news coverage and the whole thing is horrifying. The holidays are supposed to be about family, not about trampling people while saving masses of money on consumer crap. …
The last time I bought a Christmas tree was six years ago. The five-foot tree cost me nearly $70. That’s when I decided my days of fresh trees had come to an end. Now that I live in a different apartment, I don’t have room for a tree anyway. I do have ornaments to hang …
Yes, I’m going to be one of those cloth-diapering, breastfeeding, baby-food making moms. Not only are all three better for the baby and the environment, but they’re cheaper, too. Seriously, mash up a fresh banana instead of spending 79 cents on a single jar of baby food! But that baby food will be another post, …
Most first-time brides look forward to the bridal shower, but the person charged with hosting it probably isn’t looking forward to the costs it entails. I’ve been to big showers, and small showers, and come up with a few ideas for hosting a bridal shower on a budget. Rest assured, these bridal shower tips won’t …
The bride’s dress is often one of the most expensive components of the wedding, especially when you consider what you get for your money – a dress that will be worn once for 12 hours and then put in the closet. Frankly, wedding dresses are total rip-offs. So, if you’re a frugal bride, your dress …
How to Save Money on Your Wedding: Cheap Wedding Dresses Read More »
I’ve been wearing the same winter coats for several seasons. Of course, I’m in Los Angeles, so there’s no snow or sleet and barely any rain to wear them down. If you need to replace your winter coats every few years, it’s tempting to do it at the start of the season when you’re looking …
My husband and I aren’t very big on anniversaries (or birthdays). We’re very open to time-shifting them, skipping gifts, or holding one combination celebration for all our anniversaries and birthdays together. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to recognize our marriage, though. So here are ten frugal yet romantic anniversary ideas you can do. 9 …
9 Frugal Anniversary Ideas (That Are Also Romantic) Read More »
This year I’ll be doing nearly half of my Christmas shopping online. Last year that number was probably closer to 75%, but this year I found some of the gifts I needed at Costco. So far I’ve only needed to visit two online stores to get many of my gifts: Amazon and Red Envelope. Red Envelope specializes …
Last weekend, summer arrived early in Los Angeles. It’s gone again, but the brief appearance caused thousands of air conditioners to be fired up for a few days. Even if summer hasn’t arrived where you are yet, now is a good time to check your system or develop a plan for energy efficient air conditioner …
Save Money with Energy Efficient Air Conditioner Use Read More »
