Expert insights. Personalized for you.
I asked my Instagram followers to send me some questions for a Q&A post, and so today, we’ve got a pretty random collection of questions! Who paid for driving expenses (gas, insurance, etc.) when your kids were licensed? MORE
Reader Karen sent me a message on Instagram the other day asking what I am doing to maintain sanity and a grateful attitude during these difficult times. For the record, I don’t think I have this completely figured out, and I have not been unflappably cheerful this whole time. MORE
Time for a new month and a new grocery budget. And now it’s officially the second half of the year. The first half of 2020 was so crazy that I wonder what the second half will bring. What I Spent. I got a $25 Hungry Harvest box, and I spent $115 at the grocery store. What We Ate. Saturday. MORE
Whenever I mention in passing that I’m selling books on eBay, someone asks questions about the process. So, I thought it would be good to have a post that I can send people to when they ask that question in the future. MORE
Happy Tuesday! It’s time for some frugal things. Five, to be exact.;). I got a free Starbucks drink. My birthday was in April, but Starbucks extended the redemption period. I’d never gotten a birthday drink before and I didn’t realize you could get any size. MORE
Happy Tuesday! Time for your weekly dose of five frugal things. I’ve been making iced tea. This is so, so much cheaper than buying pre-made tea. A box of tea bags costs about $3, which is about the price of one of the bottle gallons from the store. Definitely a money-saving option. MORE
Since open hair salons are in limited supply (and since not everyone can/wants to go, even if they are open!), I thought a refresh of this post might be helpful. Bang-trimming tips included at the end of the post! MORE
Frozen milk takes approximately 3 years to thaw. Ok, so not actually, but it feels like it. HOW DOES IT STAY ICY FOR SO LONG??? MORE
If you’ve tried making pizza at home, odds are good that you’ve turned out some pretty mediocre pies. Not disgusting pizza…just very meh pizza. I spent years making unremarkable pizza myself, despite having a pizza stone. MORE
What I Spent. First, how about a kitten picture? The cat rescue we volunteer at has opened back up again, with social distancing measures, and we had a lot of kittens this week! Kittens are so so cute, but every time Zoe and I take care of them, we remember why we like our older cat. MORE
I’m saving the “embarrassing frugal habit” question for the end, so keep scrolling to get to that one. First, a few other questions. How has your attitude to frugality changed with time, as your children are older (and yes, the rest of us are too!) MORE
Recently, on a sunny Saturday morning, Mr. FG and I were kayaking out on the river our neighborhood borders. There were so many reasons to be happy and/or thankful. The weather was beautiful. We have free water access in our own neighborhood. MORE
I sold a Target return. This was such a weird situation. Let me explain. One of the swimsuits we ordered was too small for Zoe, so I went through the online returns process. Target refunded me, but said I didn’t need to bother to return the suit. (I’m MORE
What does it say about me that I have stockpiled more flour than toilet paper? What I Spent. a view from one of our neighborhood walks this week. I had planned on going grocery shopping this week, but as it turns out, I was able to make another week of meal plans with what I had in the house. MORE
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; an exercise to help us hunt the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. This week I am thankful: for a kid who drives. MORE
Because heaven knows we all could use one. America is a mess, the world is a mess, and we are probably all individual messes too. So, it seems like a very good week to not skip a Good Things post. MORE
The current world situation is hard, hard, hard for all of us. And it’s when things are hard, hard, hard that I find thankfulness to be so important. If life is humming along smoothly, I don’t have to work to find things to be grateful for. MORE
What I Spent. I didn’t do a big shop this week; just a smaller fill-in at $88.50. Which is a good thing, considering I spent $285 last week. (!). Here’s how things stack up for the month of June: June Spending. Week 1: $104. Week 2: $194. Week 3: $285. Week 4: $88.50. What We Ate. MORE
What I Spent. Well. I went to the store and I spent many dollars. I normally would budget $300 for two weeks, but I spent $430 ! I attribute this to a few things: prices are definitely higher. I am not shopping around as much for good prices. MORE
(Usual disclaimer: If you hate Stitch Fix posts, I totally understand. They’re polarizing! But you’ve been apprised of this post’s content, so if you are in the “I hate Stitch Fix posts!” MORE
But first, a homeschool frugal thing. I did early renewal for the umbrella group. The yearly family fee starts out at $85 and goes up each month from June-September. So, I mailed mine off and it’ll get there long before the June 30th deadline. (An MORE
Reader Lara left this comment: Do you have any frugal blog recommendations? I love yours, of course, but always looking for more! Seems like a lot of the “money-saving” blogs are really about deals / coupons / sales and end up encouraging more consumerism. MORE
gratuitous cat photo that has nothing to do with this post. I mended a shirt (and more). I pulled out my black tank top and noticed it had a small hole (more like a slit). I placed a small black tshirt scrap pieces underneath the slit and zig-zagged it closed. MORE
It’s been a little bit quiet here, I know. I just…I haven’t quite known what to say or what’s appropriate to write. Since I am a white person with privilege in multiple arenas, I am often unsure of what the helpful thing is to say at times like these. MORE
What I Spent. I did not plan a menu this week. And I was reminded that I cannot be trusted without a menu plan. I know other people can do this. And they can even thrive! But I am not that kind of person. Because I didn’t plan a menu, I didn’t do a big grocery shopping trip. MORE
The other day, I was making a batch of whole wheat pancakes , and I noticed that I got the batter mixed up in less time than it took for the cast iron pan to get hot. MORE
When you are facing a new task, it makes sense to look to other people for guidance. How do you fix a hole in a sock? Can you freeze mushrooms? Can you substitute x for y in a recipe? Can you use fabric dye to cover a bleach stain? ( I tried that one and here’s what happened.). MORE
Grocery prices are going up right now, and given the current situation, I will not be surprised if they continue to rise for a while. This is a little bit unnerving for those of us who are budget-minded (which is probably most of the people reading this blog!). MORE
Marigolds that I grew from seed. So cheap! And so easy, even I can do it. In an Instagram post earlier this week, I mentioned a Forbes article about the scientifically proven benefits of gratitude. MORE
After not going out at all last week, I did head out to the grocery store this week. mask from a box we bought back in September, for Sonia to wear to biology class on mold experiment days!). MORE
Some years ago, I wrote about how to make broccoli, strawberries, and bananas last longer. The post was originally a sponsored one, so it was in an out-of-the-way spot on my blog. Since everyone is trying to stretch the time between their grocery trips these days, I thought it deserved a republish. MORE
Attention: If you are the type of person whose heart breaks when someone paints old furniture, today’s post is not for you. You should probably go visit another blog just for today. MORE
A reader recently asked me if I’d written a post with tips on teaching teens to drive. I haven’t done that, because it felt a little off-topic for a frugal blog. But, I did a poll on my Facebook page asking readers if they wanted a post on the topic, and the results said yes. MORE
This summer is probably not going to be quite like any of us had anticipated. Pandemics have a way of interrupting plans a bit. In fact, I hadn’t even though about my annual summer bucket list until a reader emailed to remind me. Let’s see what pandemic-friendly things I can come up with. MORE
What I Spent. I was hoping to stay out of the stores entirely this week, but I cracked and made a quick stop in search of toilet paper (I came up dry on my last big grocery haul). Happily, I found some, so now we have a backup pack. Excellent. Running low on toilet paper makes me nervous. MORE
I am not a person who likes clutter, and my dislike of clutter certainly extends to my kitchen. Unitaskers are not my favorite thing. At all. But the two I’m going to tell you about today have definitely earned their place in my cabinet! MORE
Have you ever procrastinated on a task for days, only to find out that once you get started, the task takes a mere 15 minutes? We humans are not the most logical creatures sometimes, and I have noticed that I vastly overestimate how long a task takes, especially when it’s not a super fun job. MORE
If you’ve ever read the comments here on my blog, you are familiar with Kristin, from Going Country. I knew that Kristin is a seasoned veteran in infrequent grocery shopping, so I asked her if she’d be willing to share her tips for the rest of us. And she graciously said yes. MORE
This bear that Sonia made has nothing to do with today’s post. But he’s really cute, and I thought he might improve your day. We got a family discount on orthodontics. Is there a lot about orthodontics that is frugal? Not really! MORE
Things are hard in the world right now for multiple reasons, so we’ve been doing weekly thankful posts around here. Even in the midst of hard times, there is always something to be grateful for if we hunt hard enough, and this weekly post is our chance to hunt together. MORE
Let’s start with the mending, shall we? I mended a 23 year old tea towel. This is the part where I tell you about something I don’t necessarily recommend! I got this tea towel as a wedding shower gift 23 years ago, and at this point, I mainly use it to squeeze shredded zucchini. MORE
Since current circumstances are putting a damper on even the most perky among us, I’m doing a weekly post full of things I can be thankful for/encouraging things I’ve seen. Join me in the comments to give yourself a little mood boost! I am thankful: that the weather has been so sunny. MORE
What I Spent. I spent $180 on groceries this week. That’s a little high, but it did include a stock-up trip to Aldi (which included an 18 roll page of toilet paper. I really like being able to buy TP again!). Not an Aldi shelf, but look at all that stock! Sweet. Week 1: $145. Week 2: $180. MORE
Can you freeze food in glass jars? I get this question almost every time I post a photo of frozen applesauce, soup, broth, or jam. And the answer is: YES. You can certainly freeze food in glass. MORE
The Frugal Girl
JULY 13, 2020
Whenever I mention in passing that I’m selling books on eBay, someone asks questions about the process. So, I thought it would be good to have a post that I can send people to when they ask that question in the future.
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 25, 2020
This bear that Sonia made has nothing to do with today’s post. But he’s really cute, and I thought he might improve your day. We got a family discount on orthodontics. Is there a lot about orthodontics that is frugal? Not really!
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 30, 2020
Happy Tuesday! Time for your weekly dose of five frugal things. I’ve been making iced tea. This is so, so much cheaper than buying pre-made tea. A box of tea bags costs about $3, which is about the price of one of the bottle gallons from the store. Definitely a money-saving option.
The Frugal Girl
JULY 2, 2020
Marigolds that I grew from seed. So cheap! And so easy, even I can do it. In an Instagram post earlier this week, I mentioned a Forbes article about the scientifically proven benefits of gratitude.
The Frugal Girl
JULY 7, 2020
(Usual disclaimer: If you hate Stitch Fix posts, I totally understand. They’re polarizing! But you’ve been apprised of this post’s content, so if you are in the “I hate Stitch Fix posts!”
The Frugal Girl
JULY 9, 2020
New here? Thankful Thursday is something we’ve been doing in these COVID times; an exercise to help us hunt the good that is in our lives and in the world, even in the midst of a pandemic. This week I am thankful: for a kid who drives.
The Frugal Girl
JULY 8, 2020
gratuitous cat photo that has nothing to do with this post. I mended a shirt (and more). I pulled out my black tank top and noticed it had a small hole (more like a slit). I placed a small black tshirt scrap pieces underneath the slit and zig-zagged it closed.
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 23, 2020
Recently, on a sunny Saturday morning, Mr. FG and I were kayaking out on the river our neighborhood borders. There were so many reasons to be happy and/or thankful. The weather was beautiful. We have free water access in our own neighborhood.
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 16, 2020
I sold a Target return. This was such a weird situation. Let me explain. One of the swimsuits we ordered was too small for Zoe, so I went through the online returns process. Target refunded me, but said I didn’t need to bother to return the suit. (I’m
The Frugal Girl
JULY 14, 2020
Since open hair salons are in limited supply (and since not everyone can/wants to go, even if they are open!), I thought a refresh of this post might be helpful. Bang-trimming tips included at the end of the post!
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 19, 2020
What I Spent. First, how about a kitten picture? The cat rescue we volunteer at has opened back up again, with social distancing measures, and we had a lot of kittens this week! Kittens are so so cute, but every time Zoe and I take care of them, we remember why we like our older cat.
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 22, 2020
A reader recently asked me if I’d written a post with tips on teaching teens to drive. I haven’t done that, because it felt a little off-topic for a frugal blog. But, I did a poll on my Facebook page asking readers if they wanted a post on the topic, and the results said yes.
The Frugal Girl
JULY 6, 2020
I am not a person who likes clutter, and my dislike of clutter certainly extends to my kitchen. Unitaskers are not my favorite thing. At all. But the two I’m going to tell you about today have definitely earned their place in my cabinet!
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 17, 2020
This summer is probably not going to be quite like any of us had anticipated. Pandemics have a way of interrupting plans a bit. In fact, I hadn’t even though about my annual summer bucket list until a reader emailed to remind me. Let’s see what pandemic-friendly things I can come up with.
The Frugal Girl
APRIL 27, 2020
If you’ve ever read the comments here on my blog, you are familiar with Kristin, from Going Country. I knew that Kristin is a seasoned veteran in infrequent grocery shopping, so I asked her if she’d be willing to share her tips for the rest of us. And she graciously said yes.
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 11, 2020
If you’ve tried making pizza at home, odds are good that you’ve turned out some pretty mediocre pies. Not disgusting pizza…just very meh pizza. I spent years making unremarkable pizza myself, despite having a pizza stone.
The Frugal Girl
JULY 10, 2020
What I Spent. I spent $180 on groceries this week. That’s a little high, but it did include a stock-up trip to Aldi (which included an 18 roll page of toilet paper. I really like being able to buy TP again!). Not an Aldi shelf, but look at all that stock! Sweet. Week 1: $145. Week 2: $180.
The Frugal Girl
MAY 25, 2020
I’m saving the “embarrassing frugal habit” question for the end, so keep scrolling to get to that one. First, a few other questions. How has your attitude to frugality changed with time, as your children are older (and yes, the rest of us are too!)
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 26, 2020
What I Spent. I didn’t do a big shop this week; just a smaller fill-in at $88.50. Which is a good thing, considering I spent $285 last week. (!). Here’s how things stack up for the month of June: June Spending. Week 1: $104. Week 2: $194. Week 3: $285. Week 4: $88.50. What We Ate.
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 10, 2020
The other day, I was making a batch of whole wheat pancakes , and I noticed that I got the batter mixed up in less time than it took for the cast iron pan to get hot.
The Frugal Girl
JULY 3, 2020
Time for a new month and a new grocery budget. And now it’s officially the second half of the year. The first half of 2020 was so crazy that I wonder what the second half will bring. What I Spent. I got a $25 Hungry Harvest box, and I spent $115 at the grocery store. What We Ate. Saturday.
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 3, 2020
It’s been a little bit quiet here, I know. I just…I haven’t quite known what to say or what’s appropriate to write. Since I am a white person with privilege in multiple arenas, I am often unsure of what the helpful thing is to say at times like these.
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 18, 2020
Things are hard in the world right now for multiple reasons, so we’ve been doing weekly thankful posts around here. Even in the midst of hard times, there is always something to be grateful for if we hunt hard enough, and this weekly post is our chance to hunt together.
The Frugal Girl
MAY 21, 2020
Frozen milk takes approximately 3 years to thaw. Ok, so not actually, but it feels like it. HOW DOES IT STAY ICY FOR SO LONG???
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 12, 2020
What I Spent. I did not plan a menu this week. And I was reminded that I cannot be trusted without a menu plan. I know other people can do this. And they can even thrive! But I am not that kind of person. Because I didn’t plan a menu, I didn’t do a big grocery shopping trip.
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 29, 2020
When you are facing a new task, it makes sense to look to other people for guidance. How do you fix a hole in a sock? Can you freeze mushrooms? Can you substitute x for y in a recipe? Can you use fabric dye to cover a bleach stain? ( I tried that one and here’s what happened.).
The Frugal Girl
MAY 29, 2020
What does it say about me that I have stockpiled more flour than toilet paper? What I Spent. a view from one of our neighborhood walks this week. I had planned on going grocery shopping this week, but as it turns out, I was able to make another week of meal plans with what I had in the house.
The Frugal Girl
APRIL 16, 2020
Some years ago, I wrote about how to make broccoli, strawberries, and bananas last longer. The post was originally a sponsored one, so it was in an out-of-the-way spot on my blog. Since everyone is trying to stretch the time between their grocery trips these days, I thought it deserved a republish.
The Frugal Girl
MAY 8, 2020
What I Spent. I was hoping to stay out of the stores entirely this week, but I cracked and made a quick stop in search of toilet paper (I came up dry on my last big grocery haul). Happily, I found some, so now we have a backup pack. Excellent. Running low on toilet paper makes me nervous.
The Frugal Girl
MAY 20, 2020
Grocery prices are going up right now, and given the current situation, I will not be surprised if they continue to rise for a while. This is a little bit unnerving for those of us who are budget-minded (which is probably most of the people reading this blog!).
The Frugal Girl
MAY 4, 2020
Reader Karen sent me a message on Instagram the other day asking what I am doing to maintain sanity and a grateful attitude during these difficult times. For the record, I don’t think I have this completely figured out, and I have not been unflappably cheerful this whole time.
The Frugal Girl
MAY 12, 2020
Let’s start with the mending, shall we? I mended a 23 year old tea towel. This is the part where I tell you about something I don’t necessarily recommend! I got this tea towel as a wedding shower gift 23 years ago, and at this point, I mainly use it to squeeze shredded zucchini.
The Frugal Girl
MAY 14, 2020
Since current circumstances are putting a damper on even the most perky among us, I’m doing a weekly post full of things I can be thankful for/encouraging things I’ve seen. Join me in the comments to give yourself a little mood boost! I am thankful: that the weather has been so sunny.
The Frugal Girl
MAY 15, 2020
What I Spent. Well. I went to the store and I spent many dollars. I normally would budget $300 for two weeks, but I spent $430 ! I attribute this to a few things: prices are definitely higher. I am not shopping around as much for good prices.
The Frugal Girl
MAY 5, 2020
I asked my Instagram followers to send me some questions for a Q&A post, and so today, we’ve got a pretty random collection of questions! Who paid for driving expenses (gas, insurance, etc.) when your kids were licensed?
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 9, 2020
But first, a homeschool frugal thing. I did early renewal for the umbrella group. The yearly family fee starts out at $85 and goes up each month from June-September. So, I mailed mine off and it’ll get there long before the June 30th deadline. (An
The Frugal Girl
APRIL 23, 2020
Reader Lara left this comment: Do you have any frugal blog recommendations? I love yours, of course, but always looking for more! Seems like a lot of the “money-saving” blogs are really about deals / coupons / sales and end up encouraging more consumerism.
The Frugal Girl
MAY 26, 2020
Happy Tuesday! It’s time for some frugal things. Five, to be exact.;). I got a free Starbucks drink. My birthday was in April, but Starbucks extended the redemption period. I’d never gotten a birthday drink before and I didn’t realize you could get any size.
The Frugal Girl
MAY 11, 2020
Attention: If you are the type of person whose heart breaks when someone paints old furniture, today’s post is not for you. You should probably go visit another blog just for today.
The Frugal Girl
JUNE 8, 2020
Because heaven knows we all could use one. America is a mess, the world is a mess, and we are probably all individual messes too. So, it seems like a very good week to not skip a Good Things post.
The Frugal Girl
APRIL 17, 2020
After not going out at all last week, I did head out to the grocery store this week. mask from a box we bought back in September, for Sonia to wear to biology class on mold experiment days!).
The Frugal Girl
MAY 7, 2020
The current world situation is hard, hard, hard for all of us. And it’s when things are hard, hard, hard that I find thankfulness to be so important. If life is humming along smoothly, I don’t have to work to find things to be grateful for.
The Frugal Girl
APRIL 29, 2020
Can you freeze food in glass jars? I get this question almost every time I post a photo of frozen applesauce, soup, broth, or jam. And the answer is: YES. You can certainly freeze food in glass.
191 
Let's personalize your content