Setting Manageable and Measurable New Year's Resolutions {FrugalLivingNW}
{With our friends over at FrugalLivingNW today…}
We sat on her couch as I recounted my parenting woes. The more I dumped the more I felt overwhelmed. Little things, seemingly unrelated, heaped verbally into the air until I sat in a thick fog of my own creation. I shook my head and looked at her, Where do I start?
Her simple response became my guiding principle for resolutions since.
Pick one thing and the rest will fall into place.
Pick one thing. She explained that usually all behavioral issues have the same – or at least a similar – root. By simply picking one thing you create a manageable plan, and as you conquer one particular area you inevitably notice many others falling in line as well.
Of course. We’ve heard this so often in different ways. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. Baby steps. Tsh Oxenreider’s simple suggestion of limiting your to-do list to three Most Important Tasks each day. A few things successfully completed is far better than a list as long as your leg of things still left undone.
But aren’t we optimists always tempted to take on the world? Or, we realists, to just kick the whole goal-game to the curb. Really, why try? Because trying leads to failure … which leads to success.
That’s why simply quitting isn’t the answer – the answer is simply setting manageable and measurable goals for 2012. A few reachable goals that will give you the momentum to tackle even more.
Not sure where to start? Since we’re frugal-enthusiasts here, ask yourself some questions to narrow down what exactly you’re hoping to accomplish by your frugal living goals?
Are you wanting to save for a vacation? Pay off your house? Get out of debt? Teach your children money-management? Give more? Contribute to a college or retirement fund? Simplify your life?
Once you’ve figured our your big-picture goal, you can figure out some manageable and measurable resolutions for 2012. Think of these as steps toward your big-picture goal. Here are a few frugal ideas.
- Shave $50 off the grocery budget.
- Cook four meals at home each week.
- Eliminate one eating-out meal each week.
- Choose one non-essential item to go without this year.
- Reduce by one the number of times you visit Starbucks each week.
- Switch to cash-only for at least one budget item (e.g., groceries)
- Three times this year practice going one full week eating only what’s already in your pantry.
- Switch-out one convenience-food item for a homemade item (e.g., whole chicken, homemade bread, homemade mac-n-cheese)
- Make yourself, kids, or husband (if he wishes) a brown-bag lunch one day a week.
- Try to save $25/month in a jar or separate savings account, then give the $300 you save to a worthy cause next December.
The key is manageable and measurable. Remember the power of momentum. If you can make one reasonable goal and reach it you’ll be far more likely to continue your forward momentum. Who knows, you might be amazed one day to see how far all those baby steps can take you over time.
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Your turn! What are your manageable and measurable frugal-living goals for 2012? Please share so we can encourage and inspire each other. Thanks for reading!
"How do you do it all?" (3)
You don’t!
I love this quote from Jared Wilson,
“We all know we could use more Bible, but we often forget we could use less of everything else.”
Isn’t it true that making time for what matters is often simply a matter of what we choose not to do. So, here are a few of the things I purposefully don’t do. NOTE: None of these things are bad, they might be the very things you’re trying to make more time for! That’s great! But for me, these are the things I limit, in order to make time for writing and playing.
- I don’t spend much time on Facebook. (A couple minutes at the most, every few days.)
- I don’t surf the web.
- I don’t watch TV.
- I don’t cook elaborate meals.
- I don’t have a spotless house. (love that muddy footprints pic above. That’s my house!)
- I hardly ever shop. (I do a monthly Winco trip/Trader Joe’s trip and use Amazon Prime (free shipping) for gifts, books, etc. Other than that we just don’t shop much.)
- I don’t read lots of blogs. (I know, awful! I totally don’t blame you if you don’t have time to read mine. I consistently read a few, and periodically check others of people I love.)
The secret to doing it all is just NOT doing it all, right?
Living purposefully. Choose wisely. Laying out our days before the Father and asking Him what He would want for our minutes, our moments. We’ll only learn how to “do” when we learn how to “don’t.”
Now, am I 100% satisfied with my daily routine? Of course not! Always in progress. There’s another list of things I DON’T do but this isn’t on purpose, it’s just the things that inevitably slip to the wayside. I really would love to make more time for these things … perhaps you can help by sharing YOUR ideas? I don’t …
- Exercise. That is, during the winter. I love running when the weather is nice. But how to schedule in winter-time exercise? It’s just not working right now. Would love to fit this in.
- Thoughtful gift-buying. I do love buying people gifts but often don’t take the time to really invest in something special. I’d also love to hand-make gifts … Would love to take more time for this.
- Service-volunteering. My “ministry” is heavy on teaching, leading, mothering, etc. but lower on the down-and-dirty service type things. Again, this is a season, but would love to make more time for serving in those ways.
- Decorating. I kinda gave up on house-decorating. In some ways it’s freeing, and I actually love our simple lifestyle, but in some ways it’d be fun to spend more time sprucing things up. It’s just not the season. Someday.
So… What are the things that you purposefully DON’T do and the things perhaps you don’t but really wish you did … Thoughts?
*For the record, no I don’t have a housekeeper or anything like that. BUT, if I became extra busy with a book or speaking engagements (or if I worked full-time like many of you!) this would be the first thing I’d do. Paying a hardworking, honest housekeeper can be an excellent use of finances, if you have the ability, but that’s another topic. For now, I don’t have one.
And by all means I don’t have it all figured out! Would you share with me your own “do it all” and “don’t do it all” tips and thoughts? I would love to hear!
{Thank you for sharing, reading, and giving me moments of your precious time! I take your time seriously and pray not to waste it! By grace, Kari}
PS, Keepin’ it real: Last night before my mentor meeting I felt totally overwhelmed, like I hadn’t had enough time to prepare for the girls, we also had community group in our home while I was gone, and I felt bad for leaving them all because I had two commitments at the same time, I tucked my children into bed at 9:30PM (!), and this morning I woke up to dirty dishes in the icy cold water in the sink. Ha — see when we juggle many balls we inevitably drop them all on the floor and it’s ok! 🙂
"How do you do it all?" (2)
Yesterday we talked about the oft-thought (though not oft-spoken) question, “How do you do it all?” We looked at the comparison trap, but also at how helpful it can be to really share the nitty-gritty how-we-git-er-done details of daily life. As promised, my thoughts: First, very simply — call it good, bad, hugely helpful or completely inapplicable, here’s the nitty gritty of what I do:
- Blogging/Writing/Speaking: I “work” from about 2-4 each day and then sometimes on Fridays. Heidi naps and Dutch has “quiet play time” during this time, so I curl up on the couch and write. It’s not a long enough chunk of time to really work on the book, but I can usually write a post, or at least get caught up on email, plan my study-times, etc. Jeff is off on Fridays, so I try to work Fridays until 4pm. This gives me a longer stretch of time to study or work on the book. For the past few months, though, these Fridays have been hard to come by. Hence the previously-mentioned tears. 🙂 Come January they’ll be reinstated for good. {Note: This is the same habit I’ve had for 5 years, through seminary, etc. It’s morphed with infant sleeping-schedules but always the general afternoon was mommy/quiet time.}
- Quiet times: In the mornings I need Jesus! Again, this is harder now that the kids share a room and get up earlier, and since it’s too cold in their rooms for them to play. So we let them sit in front of the fire and read books or play quietly until 8am. From 6-8am is my own time. Bible, prayer, sometimes shower. Yes, sometimes they’re crawling on me, or asking for a snack, but as they become more independent (can get an apple from the fridge, for example) this is getting easier. {Note: No, there’s no rule that quiet time comes in the morning, but I just have to have to set my compass straight on Jesus first thing or the rest day will be off-course!}
- Reading: Reading is sacred! I save reading for evenings. I try not to blog or write at night since the screen-light isn’t good right before bed (although right now it’s 9pm so go figure), but reading is the perfect wind-down activity. Lately Jeff and I have been reading together at night, even better! {Note: Whether or not you like to read, make time to feed your soul with good input!}
- Meetings & playdates: I really try not to overdo these. Because I’m an introvert (who loves people!) I have to have plenty of alone/downtime or else I get cranky. 🙂 So I’ll have 1-2 meetings and/or playdates a week. Since my kids are in “church” twice a week and we have two community groups with kids each week, this gives them 5-6 interactions with other children (plenty!) and ensures I don’t lose my mind. If I need to meet in quiet, without kids, I’ll just do it during that 2-4 rest time in my home. My kids also cooperate and behave much better when we have plenty of time just us, at home.
- Hubby & Kids: Thursday is date-night with my man. We only go out once a month, but since we’re both homebodies we prefer staying in anyway. This is usually popcorn, scrabble, a movie, or a good book together. Usually just time to talk uninterrupted is the best part. For my kids, because I’m a stickler on my “morning time” and “rest time” space, I really do try to give them my undivided attention the other times of the day. We play, do school, clean together, etc. during the mornings and late afternoons. I don’t check my email or facebook during those other times (unless they’re really engrossed in something or playing together and have forgotten about me. 🙂
- Housework/Cooking: I list this last because it is last! No, I do housework and cook but not elaborately. I clean a bit each day, mid-morning, and have the kids with me or helping. We do laundry together. We make beds together, straighten up together, clean out the fridge together. Today we sorted all the toys together, giving some away. I cook 3-4 times a week, between 4-5:30 and then rely on leftovers the other nights. {Note: Perhaps it’s pathetic how simple our meals are but it’s a HUGE time-saver and my hubby & kids are happy so it works. Today I made potato vegetable soup at noon and ate it for lunch and dinner. Pathetic? Maybe. But it was yummy, filled our tummies, and gave me an afternoon free!}
- Involve the kids! I do almost everything I do with my kids. Sure it takes twice as long, and sometimes I want to tear my hair out, but I really do believe it will pay off in the long run. This year Dutch wrote our Christmas card front, Heidi colored the back, they both helped with stamps. I addressed them while they did that part. We clean up together. Dutch has chores. Even when I “work” I always sit near where Dutch is playing because then he feels like we’re together. Again, it’s not perfect, but I do try whenever possible to involve them in whatever I’m doing.
- Always have tea in the cupboard and cookies in the freezer. Instant hospitality. 🙂
- Always go to bed with a clean kitchen. Nothing worse than waking up to dirty dishes soaking in icy cold water. And, it’s SO much easier to keep a house clean than try to overcome a mountainous mess, right? My friend says just always run the dishwasher at night and always unload it first thing the morn. Another said she wipes down the counter and toilet every time she uses the bathroom. Little habits.
- Establish the five things that fill your cup.
- Work together. I am so blessed to have friends who help a sister out when she’s in need. Friends who pick up carrots and green beans at Costco and drop them on my front porch, friends who watch my kids for 45 minutes while I’m at a baptism, friends who exchange babysitting for datenights. I receive way more than I give, but I am THANKFUL. Figure out some “live life together” friends and help a sister out! There’s no reason why we ALL need to go to Costco every week!
- Ditch the people-pleasing. Certainly not cured of this one, but truly have found that we can get SO much more real stuff accomplished when we quit being paralyzed by trying to impress. My house, kids, and appearance are not perfect. Surprise! 🙂 I can’t tell you how much more productive I am when I remember Who it’s all for. And you know what God sees when He looks at us? He sees Jesus. We are perfect in Christ and being perfected in Christ. As we strive to live lives of wholeness, peace, order, beauty, we do so simply so that we can reflect our glorious God, amen??
"How do you do it all?" (1)
“How do you do it all?”
Apparently I wasn’t the only one with this question in my mind. The well-known speaker and author was live, taking questions from women in the audience on spiritual-life. But interestingly, by far the most common question had nothing to do with “spiritual” life at all. It was this, the echo of my own heart:
“How do you do it all? Raise kids, keep house, be a wife, write books, travel, speak?”
I leaned forward in my chair. What would she say? I must admit I was weary myself. While not even in the same realm as this popular speaker, I was in the midst of a full schedule, attempting to write a book, keep up a blog, move households, and be a wife-mom-friend-daughter-neighbor-disciple-ah! Yes, Mrs. Mom-Wife-Author-Blogger-Speaker, pray tell: How do you do it all?”
Can I just be terribly honest? I felt a little disappointed at the answer. She said something about finding that quiet space in her own heart so that she could be still amidst the chaos and hear from God, in order to write.
Not knocking this. I totally agree. Quieting our hearts to hear from God–yes. But perhaps I wasn’t the only one who wanted to know really, no, really, how on earth do you find the minutes in the day to actually, physically do those things?
You know what I mean?
Another honest confession: I actually cried right after that. I really wanted a fellow mom-writer to share how she really does it. Like, um, who is watching your kids while you’re on TV? You know, those kind of questions. Does she have a housekeeper? Does her mom help her? During what time of day does she write? Would you, just for a moment, open up the windows of your house and let me have a peek at the nitty-gritty?
Hence this post. Now please understand: For goodness sake I’m not saying that I’m some big author-speaker-lady. I have a teeny tiny blog and am struggling to string words together into a book. You who know me well are not impressed. But at least five times this past week I’ve heard, “I don’t know how you do it all…” And because whether we’re writers or volunteers or full-time career-women or full-time moms, we’re all attempting to “do it all” in some capacity. So let’s talk about this. Two things:
1. Beware the comparison-trap. Oh, oh friends — aren’t we so tempted to compare? The truth is we’re all doing a lot. Some of us work more, some have special needs children (I think I qualify, Dutch is quite a character!), some of us homeschool, some of us spend hours quietly counseling others, some volunteer at their children’s schools, some knit shawls by the dozen for the sick and needy, some devote much time to housework because we know it blesses our husbands, some make meals to take to others — we’re all “doing it all” in some capacity, it’s just that some things are more visible than others. We’re each simply responsible for the “good works prepared advance that we should in walk in.” (Eph 2:10) Our own specially-prepared works. That’s all we need attempt.
That said, it can be helpful to share the ways we “do all” we’re supposed to in our own life. Practical things. I personally found it hugely helpful when Angela Davis wrote about her laundry routine on FrugalLivingNW (and shared that she pays someone $5/week to run her loads!). So, take it or leave it, tomorrow I’ll share my own personal “do it all” thoughts. Whether you’re trying to blog or volunteer or make time to read your Bible, perhaps this can help.
{And please, consider sharing with us your own helpful “do it all” tips. I’d love to glean wisdom from the nitty-gritty in your life! I’ll see you tomorrow … thanks for reading.}
What To Wear For The Holidays
{With our friends over at FrugalLivingNW today … enjoy!}
One fabulous holiday outfit is really all you need.
That is, that one thing that always looks right. That always makes you feel like a million bucks, that makes you stand a little taller, walk a little surer, the one that gives you the confidence to enter a room and handle whatever it brings.
Because what we wear really does matter, doesn’t it? And sometimes something that seemed like a good idea at the time can later make us want to burn all the holiday photos of that year: The year we wore more ornaments than the Christmas tree. The truth is, we don’t want to look like Christmas trees, but we do want to wear something festive, something that feels good, looks good, and reminds us that this is a time to celebrate.
And, of course, because we’re frugal enthusiasts, it needs to be inexpensive.
I know just the thing. (And it’s free!)
It’s the one thing I try to wear every single year. Every time I slip it on things begin to happen. My kids are happy and behave better. My husband can’t take his eyes off me, insisting that I’m gorgeous. Strangers smile at me, men and women alike. The cashier at the grocery store greets me cheerfully. I half expect the neighborhood cats and dogs to start following me down the street.
You know what it is, right? A smile.
It won’t cost you a dime, and it always fits. It’ll never go out of style or gather moths over time. You don’t even have to take it to the dry cleaner. And yet, it’s hands-down the most attractive thing we can wear.
Yet it’s during the hectic holiday season that it’s often the first thing to go. The crowds, lines, expectations, and stress can sometime leave us desperate for some real holiday cheer.
We know joy came to the world, but then where on earth did it go?
It’s closer than we think. In fact, by changing our faces we actually change our hearts. The same way that a fabulous outfit can transform the way you feel, slipping on a smile can actually change the way you feel.
Don’t buy it? Try it. Joy might come to your world.
{Thanks for reading, and smiling!}
How houses are built (and how they fall apart)
Sometimes all we need is one verse.
Ya’ll know by now that I love my Bible. I’ll blab ’til I”m blue in the face that we all need to be reading our Bibles. But lately I’ve been camping on the fact that we don’t need to know much to “get” this life of faith. In fact, at a recent conference we looked at this:
Our aptitude for God’s word matters less than our attitude toward God’s Word. The most important thing is how we approach His Word. If you know one verse of Scripture you can obey that verse and memorize that verse and ask yourself what does this verse tell me about God? And then hold up that verse and look through it every single day and let it clarify the world for you. Let your world come into focus based on what that verse tells you. Sometimes we got so many verses rattling around in our brains we’re not using any of them. Whatever it is that you’ve got hold it up and look at it. Do it. Obey it. Pray it. Think about it. And look through it.
So here’s what I’ve been looking through, still trying to “get” it:
A wise woman builds her house, but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands. (Prov 14:1)
I love this word-picture. I remember, when I was 10-years-old, we built a house. My dad did the building, but we all contributed. I carried 2×4’s and swept up messes and my brother drove nails and my mom did whatever Dad asked. I can still picture my mom holding up plywood while Dad shot it full of nails. (I also remember, on a freezing cold morning, when he nail-gunned his hand to the plywood. That was a day.)
But my mom was always there holding something up.
Can you imagine if she’d been doing the opposite? If she’d been walking around the house tearing down fixtures or taking a sledgehammer to whatever work Dad had just finished. Or now, can you imagine if I walked around our house with a baseball bat smashing windows and knocking over furniture?
A wise woman builds her house.
It doesn’t say “A wise woman builds her business” Or “a wise woman builds her church” or “a wise woman builds her friendship-base” or “a wise woman builds her blog.” All those things are wonderful, but our first order of business, ladies, is building up our house.
There’s a reason God’s put this verse on my heart.
Because I need to be reminded.
Why is there such a constant temptation to build up everything except our homes? Perhaps because our homes are so mundane, so ordinary. The home is a humble kingdom, to be sure. It needs a queen who is small in her own eyes.
So if the woman’s not building, what is she doing?
Tearing down. How? With her own hands.
How sobering is this? Woman, we have so much power. The words we speak, the attitude we embody, the choices me make a thousands times a day. Everything we do is either building up or tearing down our house. With our own hands.
Am I creating order and beauty or chaos and confusion? Am I building up or tearing down?
A simple question to return to each day: Does this activity benefit my home and the people who live in it?
There are myriad reasons why houses fall apart. But this verse highlights the most important factor:
Our hands. We can blame society, peer pressure, culture and bad TV. But our hands are what build up or tear down our homes. Our words, our attitudes, the work we do each day. So the question for us:
What are my own hands doing today? Am I building up or tearing down?
{Friends, blogs, and businesses come and go. I want my house to stand. You too? Thanks for reading.}
PS In the middle of this post, Jeff and the kids said, “Mommy will you play with us?” You better believe I shut this laptop and we, all four, went outside for some serious playing! Dutch dressed the kids — it was Beaver football in our front yard! Here’s a peak:
F is for Frugal (and fragrant!)
The past month has felt like a holy hurricane. Between teaching Bible study, other speaking engagements, moving (fast!), getting sick, and flurry of church functions, it has been a wonderful mess of activity. I love it, but needed to discover a way to ensure my soul didn’t get trampled along the way. Yes, times up early with the Lord, yes stopping to pray and remember His grace, yes, practicing gratitude along the way. But you want to know something else that’s been helping?
Mixing beauty in with my household chores.
Unpacking boxes, scrubbing floors, stocking shelves, cooking meals, sometimes my list of daily to-dos is void of much creativity or inspiration. But I keep finding that if I take 5 minutes, in the midst of a task, and create some beauty in my midst, I find myself refreshed, energized, able to continue in the sacred mundane routine.
Today my beautiful creation? Making frugal, fragrant, and beautiful laundry soap.
So, in all my frugal frenzy I’ve tried almost all of Tsh’s homemade cleaning supplies and toiletry products. I’m not a fan of the homemade dishwasher determent (my dishes were so cloudy it was embarrassing to give someone a glass of water) but the one homemade household item I LOVE is the home-made laundry detergent. Here’s how I make it and why I love it:
- Take some random bars of soap (Confession: here’s what I do with all those little bars of soap you use in hotels. You know how you usually use them once and then leave them in the shower? I keep them in a baggy, bring them home, then keep them all in a big ziplock and make laundry detergent!) So take some plain, mild (DRY) soap bars and toss them in the blender. Pulse until it’s a grated/powdery. You’ll want about a cup of grated/blended soap.
- 1/2 cup Borax (very cheap at Winco)
- 1/2 cup Washing Soda (very cheap at Winco)
- 1 drop essential oil (optional). I used Rosemary oil and then I use Mrs. Meyer’s Basil-scented dryer sheets (they were a gift). The laundry scent is heavenly and the cost even better!
So what’s the part that’s beautiful? Well if lovely-scented laundry soap for pennies isn’t beautiful enough … here’s where I had fun today. I covered my hot chocolate tin with beautiful paper from an Anthropologie catalog. Now my little tin of laundry soap looks beautiful sitting on my shelf, and makes me smile every time I toss in a load.
F is for our Farm {What it represents for me.}
Our kids were the first to call it a farm. When the appraiser came to our door, right after our other house sold, he opened the front door and announced, “Our house sold! Now we’re moving to a farm. And we’ll have cows and chickens and horses!”
Um … not quite.
Some of you know how much of an animal-lover I am. 🙂 There will be no horses or cows grazing in these pastures. I might concede to getting a goldfish but that would be a stretch. Maybe chickens down the road because I’d love the fresh eggs but that would be a ways down the road. I’m in no hurry to add more daily chores to my plate.
I do have aspirations for a garden. We already have four large fruit trees, and the neighbor has an enormous, lush, plentiful garden I can see from my bedroom window, and I daydream of one for us too. However … yesterday while I studied for 3 hours for an upcoming women’s conference, I noticed that my neighbor spent those entire three hours weeding her garden. Hmm… a garden that big may need to wait a few years. Like 50 years. Until I’m retired.
But despite our decided lack of corn or wheat or jersey cows, we’re set on calling it our farm anyway. What are our hopes for crop yields this year?
We’re simply hoping to grow some godliness and raise a small crop of kids.
Certainly we can do that anywhere. It doesn’t take acreage to get those results. But for us, I must say it is a refreshing change to have a spot of earth and breathe deep and run hard and track a little mud into the house every once in a while. I don’t know exactly what it is but the moment I walked in this place I could feel my soul expand. Like, Oh, I didn’t realize I was choking to death until I finally was able to breathe. Maybe it’s the fresh air or room to run or maybe it’s just walking in grace and simply and unapologetically being Jeff and Kari Patterson: Children of God, made in His image, and imperfectly reflecting His glory in all our lovelimess.
Because I’ll confess: I know what it’s like to walk in shoes that don’t fit. Haven’t we all had those moments when we looked down at our painfully pinched toes and wondered, “Whose are these and why am I wearing them?”
Certainly walking in the freedom of grace and simply being who God made you to be does not always require a new address. Probably never. But oh my is it fun to tune down all the other voices and turn His up real loud. His voice brings peace, clarity, calm.
His voice stilled the disciple’s raging waters. And it stills ours too.
For me, this farm represents the peace and calm of surrendering to His will, following His still, small voice, walking in the unique path hand-created for me. This farm, my little treehouse that rises above it all, represents God my refuge. In all the chaos and conflicting voices of our world, He lifts us up, calms the storm, silences the cacophony, and whispers His love, His grace, His simple instructions.
{Where, friends, is your place of refuge? Can you find a closet where you can crawl up onto His lap, wrap yourself in His Word, and hear nothing but His voice alone? Any ways today that perhaps you might slip off shoes that don’t fit? We’re much more effective for the gospel when we slide into a pair hand-crafted for us, amen? Thanks for reading…}
Simple, Frugal, Joyful
Welcome back! Yesterday we talked about the key to making frugality last: Live Simply. By simplifying and streamlining we can gain more than we drain and leave a legacy of gracious giving, not irritable exhaustion. Here are a few practical ways: {Find the rest here … thanks for reading! Back to our regular Sacred Mundane posts tomorrow.}
The problem is not the grouchy cashier
Yesterday we looked at my humdinger of a frugal failure. Today let’s think big-picture. If you have ever felt frustrated in your pursuit of frugality, you’re not alone. We’ve all been there. And, while I’ve heard many complaints about the grouchy cashier who turns up her nose at our coupons, our real problem isn’t the grouchy cashier. It’s us. Some of us are swimming in the sea of coupons, discounts, sales, and specials and still not achieving the frugal life we’re striving for. The deal’s not working. We’ve got all the coupons but the register is beeping and nothing’s going through.
And we’re frustrated.
We’re saving our pennies but losing our joy. We’re gaining a dollar here and there, but spending so much energy we wonder if it’s worth it. Perhaps there is some frugal fine-print that can save us from spinning in frustration and from overspending. We might even discover some joy in there as well.
So what’s the frugal fine-print? What do we need to squint our eyes and make sure to see if we’re going to make this deal go through, this lifelong deal of making our dollars count? … {read the rest here — thanks!}