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I made a quesadilla to use up some elderly tortillas. We had two tortillas that had been sitting around for a while, unloved and unwanted. So I made a quesadilla for lunch, and I added a sliced jalapeño. We DIYed some closet shelving for Zoe. MORE
A reader left a comment on my post about my washing machine breaking , with the suggestion that her questions could be a post topic. In part, she wrote: “I am struggling with coming to peace with the fact (?) MORE
This week, I am thankful: -that my window installation is going to be finished soon. before the window install, obviously! I had anticipated it would be done by now. But it rained Monday, which was our original install date. MORE
What I Spent. I did finally drag myself out to the grocery store. FINALLY. And yikes, I spent a lot of money: $254 , to be specific. This is what happens when you put off actual grocery shopping for several weeks in a row; you need to buy all of the things! MORE
Earlier this summer, I poked around Facebook Marketplace to find a small table for Sonia. There was an old black dresser there (from Mr. FG’s bachelor days!) and she wanted something smaller and more beautiful to replace it. So, I found this table. MORE
I thought perhaps lice would not be such a problem right now because of COVID-19, but a reader just let me know today that she’s been fighting a persistent case with her daughter who is doing in-person classes. MORE
The other day I was thinking, “Wow, I’m really thankful that all my appliances have been working well.” ” And then two of them needed help within 24 hours. Luckily the stove wasn’t the culprit this time! MORE
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; a (frugal and free) exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. My washing machine is currently broken. MORE
Updated November 2020 because I thought brownies might be just the thing today. I always am hesitant to make a chocolate recipe that calls for bars of unsweetened chocolate (and many brownie recipes do). MORE
I did one of these posts mid-August when I was short on time to write a post, and multiple readers emailed me and said, “please do more of these!” ” So, here you go. Lately, I’ve been: reading. Cost: $0. All library books.). When Breath Becomes Air. MORE
I got a free milkshake for Zoe. A previous milkshake; I didn’t get a photo of Zoe’s yesterday! Yesterday was a braces-tightening day, and she asked for a milkshake on the way home. MORE
I helped Sonia find a pair of clearance shoes. We had a small funeral to go to, and she needed a pair of black shoes. Sonia does have a massive collection of shoes, but exactly zero of them were black. MORE
I picked up a free bookshelf for Sonia’s room. Which means…I have a new painting project. The original owner started to do chalk paint, so I’m gonna have to remove that. I am a glutton for punishment. And also I cannot say no to free, paint-able furniture. MORE
Since you all have been along for my whole stove saga, I figured a little post about my new one would be in order. In case you’re new, or you’re coming across this post in the archives one day: I broke my cooktop by doing something stupid with a lid that got stuck. MORE
I have a 5 month old and am finding it hard to connect with my husband. How did you and Mr. FG maintain your relationship and marriage when your kiddos were young? Reese. Oh man, I feel totally not qualified to give marriage advice since I’m a frugal blogger, not a relationship blogger. MORE
As you probably know if you have read any recent blog or Instagram posts, we recently had two windows installed in a wall that previously windowless. Some of you had asked for a post with more details, so I’m gonna do my best to provide all the pertinent info in this post. MORE
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; an exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. MORE
2020 note: This post, originally published in 2009, is related to the one I’m publishing tomorrow. I went back to the archives and discovered it could really use some cleaning up. So, here it is. Enjoy! I got this nightstand from freecycle for exactly $0. (it it IS free cycle, after all!). MORE
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; an exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. This week, I am thankful: for community college employees. MORE
Hi Kristen! I am a new mom (daughter is 10 months old!) and we live a fairly frugal lifestyle, partly out of necessity and partly just because we don’t have expensive tastes. We live in a small house, so we have definitely limited baby gear and toys with our daughter. MORE
I was listening to a few Hamilton songs the other day, and it occurred to me that legacies are a recurring theme throughout the musical. So, I was thinking about that, and then I saw this tweet. Do you ever wonder what your legacy will be? I think about that a lot. MORE
Sonia and I went to feed the rescue cats last night, and it was a full house! So many crazy kittens. This was one of Sonia’s favorites. And this was one of my favorites. She’s so cute with that little head tilt! Our own cat always seems so large (and calm!) after we see the kittens. MORE
We haven’t had a randomness post in a while; it seemed like time for one! Don’t buy this sweater if you’re built like me. I saw this tunic sweater in a roundup of Amazon sweaters, and I thought it looked cute and comfy. So I ordered one in small/medium. MORE
I got a free box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Mr. FG alerted me to the million-box giveaway General Mills was doing. Since he likes that cereal (the girls don’t really eat cereal at all), I picked up a box, scanned my receipt, and got the $5.30 credit to my PayPal account within 24 hours. MORE
This week I am thankful: for my happy red shoes. Thank you, eBay! for the readers who signed up for my food waste course. There is something a little bit scary about making and selling something, and when even just the first person signed up, I felt quite grateful. MORE
What I Spent. Well, I still didn’t do a regular grocery shopping trip. One of these weeks I will! Maybe today.). I did get a $20 Hungry Harvest box. And Mr. FG and I made a $39 stop at Trader Joe’s, plus a $10 milk run. So my grocery spending this week is $69. MORE
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; a (frugal and free) exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. It’s Thursday again! MORE
Apples, that is. I got 48 pounds of apples for $14. I’ve struck out a few times when stopping for apples lately, but yesterday my stop paid off! This is what 48 pounds of apples looks like. MORE
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; a (frugal and free) exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. This week, I am thankful: that my windows are installed. MORE
Happy Friday, everyone! I’m happy to tell you that I think we’ll be able to put the new bookshelf in Sonia’s room today. Which is excellent because the shelf and the sawhorses are seriously making it hard to walk downstairs right now. MORE
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; an exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. Ready for our weekly gratitude muscle workout? This week I am thankful: for library books to read. MORE
Hey, everyone! A reader from Georgia emailed me yesterday to let me know that she’s getting all political ads on my site right now. Kittens: more fun than political ads. So, I just wanted to take a sec and tell you that I don’t choose which ads anyone sees. MORE
I got some 35 cent notebooks. Zoe needed a few things for some tutorial classes she’s taking, so I got a few bargain items at Office Depot, including $0.35 notebooks. We can always, always use more notebooks. MORE
Since we’ve been doing thankfulness posts every week around here for a while, thankfulness has been on my mind a lot. There are worse things that could be on my mind!). In particular, I’ve been thinking about how thankfulness is just not easy. Or natural. Or our default. MORE
I cut Sonia and Zoe’s hair. Sonia wanted a trim, which is pretty easy to do on wavy hair. Any mistakes are quite invisible! I used the at-home bob method that I outlined in this post (where Sonia was the model for the photos, actually. Just a much smaller Sonia!). MORE
Anne Bogel from Modern Mrs. Darcy occasionally does “What’s saving my life right now” posts. They’re not meant literally, of course…they’re just lists of things that are making her life better right now. Here’s one of hers from this year. ). MORE
Good Monday morning to ya! It’s Monday morning as I type this. I have no idea when you will read it.). I’ve got a post full of random things for you today. It’s like a collection of tiny blog posts. The bookshelf is in Sonia’s room. MORE
It’s a nightstand-heavy week around here. I sold Zoe’s Ethan Allen nightstand. “But you just painted that!”, ”, you might be thinking. And you’re right. I bought and painted it last fall for her, though I didn’t post about it here until May. MORE
I sold two things on Facebook Marketplace. Two items are out of my house, they’re now in homes where they’re needed, and I have $80. This is a nice little collection of benefits for the 10-15 minutes I spent making the listings and responding to messages. MORE
What I Spent. I did not do an actual shopping trip this week; just a quick $27 fill-in trip. That’s pretty boring! So here are some kitten photos from our rescue shift. October Grocery Spending. Week 1: $224. Week 2: $152. Week 3: $27. What We Ate. Saturday. MORE
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; an exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. Full disclosure: I am writing this post while not in a very good mood. MORE
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; a (frugal and free) exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. This week, I am thankful: that my washing machine is working again. The problem? MORE
If you are an average person (and most of you are, by definition!), and you live in a somewhat wealthy, developed country, such as the U.S., you throw food away on a regular basis. MORE
A number of you have asked for more homeschooling posts, since you’re unexpectedly joining the homeschooling ranks this year. I love reading “here’s what you’re doing wrong” types of list posts, so I thought it might be fun to do one about homeschooling misconceptions. MORE
The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 24, 2020
I cut Sonia and Zoe’s hair. Sonia wanted a trim, which is pretty easy to do on wavy hair. Any mistakes are quite invisible! I used the at-home bob method that I outlined in this post (where Sonia was the model for the photos, actually. Just a much smaller Sonia!).
The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 18, 2020
I made a quesadilla to use up some elderly tortillas. We had two tortillas that had been sitting around for a while, unloved and unwanted. So I made a quesadilla for lunch, and I added a sliced jalapeño. We DIYed some closet shelving for Zoe.
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The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 16, 2020
Good Monday morning to ya! It’s Monday morning as I type this. I have no idea when you will read it.). I’ve got a post full of random things for you today. It’s like a collection of tiny blog posts. The bookshelf is in Sonia’s room.
The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 9, 2020
As you probably know if you have read any recent blog or Instagram posts, we recently had two windows installed in a wall that previously windowless. Some of you had asked for a post with more details, so I’m gonna do my best to provide all the pertinent info in this post.
The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 19, 2020
This week I am thankful: for my happy red shoes. Thank you, eBay! for the readers who signed up for my food waste course. There is something a little bit scary about making and selling something, and when even just the first person signed up, I felt quite grateful.
The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 4, 2020
Updated November 2020 because I thought brownies might be just the thing today. I always am hesitant to make a chocolate recipe that calls for bars of unsweetened chocolate (and many brownie recipes do).
The Frugal Girl
SEPTEMBER 8, 2020
A number of you have asked for more homeschooling posts, since you’re unexpectedly joining the homeschooling ranks this year. I love reading “here’s what you’re doing wrong” types of list posts, so I thought it might be fun to do one about homeschooling misconceptions.
The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 10, 2020
I picked up a free bookshelf for Sonia’s room. Which means…I have a new painting project. The original owner started to do chalk paint, so I’m gonna have to remove that. I am a glutton for punishment. And also I cannot say no to free, paint-able furniture.
The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 20, 2020
Hey, everyone! A reader from Georgia emailed me yesterday to let me know that she’s getting all political ads on my site right now. Kittens: more fun than political ads. So, I just wanted to take a sec and tell you that I don’t choose which ads anyone sees.
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 27, 2020
Apples, that is. I got 48 pounds of apples for $14. I’ve struck out a few times when stopping for apples lately, but yesterday my stop paid off! This is what 48 pounds of apples looks like.
The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 2, 2020
We haven’t had a randomness post in a while; it seemed like time for one! Don’t buy this sweater if you’re built like me. I saw this tunic sweater in a roundup of Amazon sweaters, and I thought it looked cute and comfy. So I ordered one in small/medium.
The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 13, 2020
Happy Friday, everyone! I’m happy to tell you that I think we’ll be able to put the new bookshelf in Sonia’s room today. Which is excellent because the shelf and the sawhorses are seriously making it hard to walk downstairs right now.
The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 12, 2020
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; a (frugal and free) exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. This week, I am thankful: that my washing machine is working again. The problem?
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 20, 2020
I sold two things on Facebook Marketplace. Two items are out of my house, they’re now in homes where they’re needed, and I have $80. This is a nice little collection of benefits for the 10-15 minutes I spent making the listings and responding to messages.
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 22, 2020
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; a (frugal and free) exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. This week, I am thankful: that my windows are installed.
The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 3, 2020
The other day I was thinking, “Wow, I’m really thankful that all my appliances have been working well.” ” And then two of them needed help within 24 hours. Luckily the stove wasn’t the culprit this time!
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 15, 2020
This week, I am thankful: -that my window installation is going to be finished soon. before the window install, obviously! I had anticipated it would be done by now. But it rained Monday, which was our original install date.
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 23, 2020
What I Spent. Well, I still didn’t do a regular grocery shopping trip. One of these weeks I will! Maybe today.). I did get a $20 Hungry Harvest box. And Mr. FG and I made a $39 stop at Trader Joe’s, plus a $10 milk run. So my grocery spending this week is $69.
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 12, 2020
I thought perhaps lice would not be such a problem right now because of COVID-19, but a reader just let me know today that she’s been fighting a persistent case with her daughter who is doing in-person classes.
The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 11, 2020
A reader left a comment on my post about my washing machine breaking , with the suggestion that her questions could be a post topic. In part, she wrote: “I am struggling with coming to peace with the fact (?)
The Frugal Girl
AUGUST 27, 2020
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; an exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. This week, I am thankful: for community college employees.
The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 17, 2020
If you are an average person (and most of you are, by definition!), and you live in a somewhat wealthy, developed country, such as the U.S., you throw food away on a regular basis.
The Frugal Girl
NOVEMBER 5, 2020
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; a (frugal and free) exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. My washing machine is currently broken.
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 14, 2020
I got a free milkshake for Zoe. A previous milkshake; I didn’t get a photo of Zoe’s yesterday! Yesterday was a braces-tightening day, and she asked for a milkshake on the way home.
The Frugal Girl
SEPTEMBER 29, 2020
2020 note: This post, originally published in 2009, is related to the one I’m publishing tomorrow. I went back to the archives and discovered it could really use some cleaning up. So, here it is. Enjoy! I got this nightstand from freecycle for exactly $0. (it it IS free cycle, after all!).
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 26, 2020
Hi Kristen! I am a new mom (daughter is 10 months old!) and we live a fairly frugal lifestyle, partly out of necessity and partly just because we don’t have expensive tastes. We live in a small house, so we have definitely limited baby gear and toys with our daughter.
The Frugal Girl
SEPTEMBER 16, 2020
Earlier this summer, I poked around Facebook Marketplace to find a small table for Sonia. There was an old black dresser there (from Mr. FG’s bachelor days!) and she wanted something smaller and more beautiful to replace it. So, I found this table.
The Frugal Girl
SEPTEMBER 17, 2020
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; an exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic.
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 9, 2020
Sonia and I went to feed the rescue cats last night, and it was a full house! So many crazy kittens. This was one of Sonia’s favorites. And this was one of my favorites. She’s so cute with that little head tilt! Our own cat always seems so large (and calm!) after we see the kittens.
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 8, 2020
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; a (frugal and free) exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. It’s Thursday again!
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 6, 2020
I helped Sonia find a pair of clearance shoes. We had a small funeral to go to, and she needed a pair of black shoes. Sonia does have a massive collection of shoes, but exactly zero of them were black.
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 28, 2020
Since you all have been along for my whole stove saga, I figured a little post about my new one would be in order. In case you’re new, or you’re coming across this post in the archives one day: I broke my cooktop by doing something stupid with a lid that got stuck.
The Frugal Girl
SEPTEMBER 21, 2020
Anne Bogel from Modern Mrs. Darcy occasionally does “What’s saving my life right now” posts. They’re not meant literally, of course…they’re just lists of things that are making her life better right now. Here’s one of hers from this year. ).
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 30, 2020
What I Spent. I did finally drag myself out to the grocery store. FINALLY. And yikes, I spent a lot of money: $254 , to be specific. This is what happens when you put off actual grocery shopping for several weeks in a row; you need to buy all of the things!
The Frugal Girl
AUGUST 31, 2020
I have a 5 month old and am finding it hard to connect with my husband. How did you and Mr. FG maintain your relationship and marriage when your kiddos were young? Reese. Oh man, I feel totally not qualified to give marriage advice since I’m a frugal blogger, not a relationship blogger.
The Frugal Girl
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
I got a free box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Mr. FG alerted me to the million-box giveaway General Mills was doing. Since he likes that cereal (the girls don’t really eat cereal at all), I picked up a box, scanned my receipt, and got the $5.30 credit to my PayPal account within 24 hours.
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 7, 2020
I did one of these posts mid-August when I was short on time to write a post, and multiple readers emailed me and said, “please do more of these!” ” So, here you go. Lately, I’ve been: reading. Cost: $0. All library books.). When Breath Becomes Air.
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 16, 2020
What I Spent. I did not do an actual shopping trip this week; just a quick $27 fill-in trip. That’s pretty boring! So here are some kitten photos from our rescue shift. October Grocery Spending. Week 1: $224. Week 2: $152. Week 3: $27. What We Ate. Saturday.
The Frugal Girl
SEPTEMBER 15, 2020
I got some 35 cent notebooks. Zoe needed a few things for some tutorial classes she’s taking, so I got a few bargain items at Office Depot, including $0.35 notebooks. We can always, always use more notebooks.
The Frugal Girl
SEPTEMBER 24, 2020
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; an exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. Full disclosure: I am writing this post while not in a very good mood.
The Frugal Girl
OCTOBER 1, 2020
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; an exercise to help us hunt for the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. Ready for our weekly gratitude muscle workout? This week I am thankful: for library books to read.
The Frugal Girl
SEPTEMBER 28, 2020
Since we’ve been doing thankfulness posts every week around here for a while, thankfulness has been on my mind a lot. There are worse things that could be on my mind!). In particular, I’ve been thinking about how thankfulness is just not easy. Or natural. Or our default.
The Frugal Girl
SEPTEMBER 30, 2020
It’s a nightstand-heavy week around here. I sold Zoe’s Ethan Allen nightstand. “But you just painted that!”, ”, you might be thinking. And you’re right. I bought and painted it last fall for her, though I didn’t post about it here until May.
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